USF sweeps Dakota State in volleyball
by KDLT Sports
October 23, 2012 10:58 PM
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (October 23, 2012)- The University of Sioux Falls volleyball team moved to 13-11 overall with a dominating 25-18, 25-19, 27-25 win over a young Dakota State squad Tuesday night at the Stewart Center.
It was the third consecutive victory for the Cougars.
Dakota State falls to 12-17 overall.
USF barely trailed in the contest as the aggressive Cougars took care of business. Eleven players saw action and USF outhit Dakota State .340 to .117.
USF hit a blistering .393 in the first set and jumped out to a 10-4 lead. The Cougars continued to reel off consecutive points throughout the set and led by as many as nine points. Sophomore outside hitter Emily Johnson posted five kills in the frame and a kill by Sarah Jundt clinched the 25-18 win.
Set two saw eight ties and the Cougars trailed briefly at 8-7 before back-to-back kills by Sarah Kohler and Kellee Griese moved the Cougars in front 9-8. USF would later use a 6-2 run, which included two Samantha Lovell kills, to break away with a 15-10 advantage. The Trojans got within four points at 21-17 to force a Cougars timeout, but USF mounted a 6-2 run to complete the set 25-19 and give the Cougars a 2-0 lead in the match.
The Cougars jumped in front 8-5 in the third set, but the Trojans rallied with a 5-2 run to knot the set at 10-all. The teams went back and forth and neither side was able to take a lead of more than two points until late in the frame, when consecutive stabs by Sarah Kohler and Johnson gave the Cougars a three point cushion at 22-19. Dakota State battled to tie the set at 22-22 and the teams traded the next six points to send the set into extras. A kill by Alexa Reed put USF in front 26-25 and the Trojans committed an attack error to end the match.
Johnson led USF with 13 kills on a season-best .500 attack clip. She also chipped in eight digs. Griese and Kohler both pitched in 11 kills, while Kohler also posted a match-high .625 attack percentage. Lovell nearly out-blocked the Trojans on her own, tallying six total blocks (three solo).
Seven Cougars in total recorded as least one kill in the match.
Reed dished 33 assists to go with three kills, eight digs and two block assists. Junior libero Andrea Odbert had 12 digs.
Senior outside hitter Kristen DiPaola led the Trojans with a match-high 15 kills.
The Cougars won every statistical category.
USF hits the road this weekend for a crucial pair of NSIC matches. The Cougars take on Upper Iowa, Friday at 7 p.m., and then head to Winona, Minn., on Saturday for a 3 p.m. contest with Winona State.
