South Dakota
Jackrabbits keep rolling with win over North Dakota
The Jackrabbit volleyball team picked up right where they left off Thursday notching a four-set win over the North Dakota Fighting Hawks in front of 1,816 to remain unbeaten this season.
South Dakota State came into the match as the only team in the country without a loss on their record with top-ranked Pitt losing to No. 15 SMU earlier Saturday.
After a couple of back-and-forth affairs in the first two sets, in which the Jacks won 25-17 and 25-20, SDSU was looking to put this one away and earn their third consecutive sweep. UND had other plans.
Tied at 10 in the third, Elizabeth Norris set up a kill for Vanessa Imoh, which was followed by an ace from Lauren Perugini and kills by Izzie McCormick and Paige Barber.
The Hawks used that 4-0 run to take control of the set, leading the rest of the way and winning 25-19. That loss snapped the Jacks’s streak of 8 straight-set wins.
South Dakota State didn’t let the grip slip much, though, as they stormed out to a 9-4 lead in the fourth and grabbed hold of the frame, putting it out of reach to secure their 16th win in a row and sweeping their first homestand of the year.
Sydni Schetnan had a big night, totaling 13 kills with 7 blocks, swinging 22 times without missing. Sylvie Zgonc also played her part notching double-digit kills (12) for the 11th straight match. Annalee Ventling-Brown and Madison Burr paced the team with 6 blocks on the night.
For UND, Paige Barber led the way with 11 kills while Imoh backed her up with 10 and a block. Norris had 15 digs and Jarolin de los Santos Lugo finished with 2 blocks.
The Fighting Hawks had 48 kills; the Jacks had 47. Both teams had 40 assists. SDSU had 51 digs and UND had 50.
This was the second-highest attendance at a Jackrabbit volleyball game in program history, sitting only behind this year’s home opener against Kansas City.
Up Next
The Jackrabbits now head into the bulk of their Summit League schedule, traveling to Fargo and St. Paul next week to play NDSU and St. Thomas on Thursday and Saturday.
They then return to First Bank & Trust Arena on Tuesday, Oct. 22, at 7 p.m. to host in-state rival USD in the Interstate Series.