Bison Volleyball Sweeps St. Thomas to Open Summit League Play
(NDSU Athletics) ST. PAUL, MN–Kelley Johnson reached 2,000 career assists as the North Dakota State volleyball team cruised past St. Thomas, 3-0, to begin Summit League play on Thursday night at Schoenecker Arena.
Johnson handed out a match-high 34 assists to increase her career total to 2,008 over four seasons. The Eagan, Minn., native ranks 12th on the all-time assists list and is one of five players in the NDSU (8-5, 1-0 Summit) division I era to reach the mark.
Ali Hinze also notched her sixth double-double of the season with a match-high 14 kills and 14 digs. Michelle Glover reached double digits in kills with 10, while Logan O’Brien tallied 11 digs.
NDSU began the contest putting together four unanswered points to build a 13-8 edge and force a St. Thomas (2-11, 0-1 Summit) timeout. The Bison then extended their lead up to seven, 21-14, following a kill from Glover. NDSU went on to take the set, 25-20. Hinze paced the Bison in the frame with seven kills on nine attempts.
After both teams traded points to lock the contest in the second set, 14-14, NDSU assembled three straight points to open up a 17-14 edge after a kill from Syra Tanchin. NDSU continued to apply pressure stretching its edge up 21-15 following a kill from Glover. The Bison went on to close out the frame, 25-18.
St. Thomas began the third set stealing a 12-9 advantage. NDSU battled back with four straight points capped off by an ace from Tanchin to regain the lead, 13-12. Both teams then exchanged points the rest of the way to knot the frame late, 20-20. NDSU closed out the stanza on a 5-1 run featuring two kills from Hinze to win the frame, 25-21, and the match, 3-0.
NDSU will continue its road swing at Western Illinois on Saturday. First serve is set for 11 a.m.
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