NDSU volleyball team holds off North Dakota

FARGO — The North Dakota State volleyball team rallied late in the fourth set to down North Dakota in the final regular-season match for both teams on Tuesday at Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse.

The Bison won 28-26, 21-25, 25-21, 27-25.

The Bison finished the regular season 8-8 in the Summit League and 12-13 overall. They earned the league’s No. 4 seed and will play No. 5 seed Denver in the first round of the league tournament at 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 24, at the Swinney Recreation Center in Kansas City, Mo.

The Fighting Hawks ended the season 2-14 in the league and 9-18 overall.

The Bison trailed 26-25 late in the first set but NDSU’s Emma Tallman had two-straight kills and a solo block on match point to give NDSU the set and a 1-0 lead.

In the second set, the Fighting Hawks led 22-18 and held off the Bison largely behind Jarolin de los Santos Lugo’s three kills. NDSU staved off two set points but a de los Santos Lugo killed ended the set.

In the third set, the Bison took their first lead at 4-3 and didn’t trail the rest of the way. NDSU setter Eke Denessen set up Alexis Boling and Ali Hinze for kills that gave the Bison the set and a 2-1 lead.

In the fourth set, the Hawks jumped in front 10-4 but the Bison whittled away at the lead, tying it at 21-21 and 23-23.

An NDSU block by Arianna Blohm and Emma Tallman gave the Bison match point, but UND’s Vanessa Imoh’s kill tied it 24-24. After Blohm’s kill gave the Bison another match point, Imoh again answered with a kill to tie it 25-25. Ali Hinze put the Bison up with a kill and a UND attack error ended the match.

Hinze had 17 kills and 14 digs and Blohm had 11 kills, a solo block and seven block assists. Alexis Boling had nine kills and Tallman had eight kills, a solo block and four block assists.

Bison setter Maddy Dombeck had 26 assists and 12 digs and Denessen had 13 assists and six digs.

Paige Barber led UND with 16 kills and de los Santos Lugo hit .385 and finished with 14 kills. She also had a solo block and four block assists. Setter Katy Riviere had 23 assists, served three aces and had seven digs, and Elizabeth Norris had five kills, 19 set assists and 15 digs.

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