UMD Women Sweep Souix Falls

NSO-NEWS RELEASE

 
The University of Minnesota Duluth hit the University of Sioux Falls hard and fast to take a 2-0 lead, but the Cougars would test the Bulldogs before UMD escaped with a three-set sweep over USF on Saturday afternoon at Romano Gymnasium.

No. 3 UMD (10-1, 3-0 NSIC) maintains an unbeaten mark in the NSIC, while Sioux Falls (5-7, 0-3 NSIC) remains winless in league play.

HIGHLIGHTS
• Junior middle blocker Monica Turner continued an impressive streak to start the season, hitting .611 on the night with 11 kills and no errors on 18 swings while also adding seven blocks on the night. Junior outside hitter Mariah Scharf, with 13, and sophomore middle blocker Sydnie Mauch, 10, each also hit double-digits with kills as UMD hit .346 as a team.
• Junior setter Ashley Hinsch showed her versatility, adding three kills for important points, nine digs, and three blocks to her 39 assists on the afternoon.

UMD never trailed, and were never tied with Sioux Falls through the first two sets, but the Cougars came back fighting in the third. After a strong 25-17 opening set win and a downright dominant 25-13 score in the second, UMD never had a lead of more than four, and held just a one-point advantage at 21-20 before running off the final four points when Sioux Falls made three straight errors before Monica Turner slammed home her final kill of the evening for the clinching point.

“They didn’t quit. They didn’t decide, ‘you’re up 2-0, you get to have the match,'” head coach Jim Boos described the comeback-ability that USF showed with five tie scores and lead changes in the third set. “They got a little momentum, and the next thing you know, you’re in a dogfight … I’m happy that they were able to pull away at the end and close it out in three, but I think we need to understand that teams are here to fight, and there’s plenty of matches that have been won after losing the first two.”

UMD made good on Sioux Falls’ serves during the match, converting 73 percent of sideouts, compared to just 49 percent for the Cougars. The Bulldogs played a strong defensive game with eight Bulldogs combining for 63 digs, led by senior libero Julie Rainey‘s 26 and senior outside hitter Katie Ledwell‘s 11. The Bulldogs also tossed down eight blocks on the night, compared to just three for USF. Senior outside hitter Kate Hart led the way for the Cougars with 10 kills. Sioux Falls’ pair of setters had 24 combined assists, and sophomore libero Abby Folk had 13 digs for the Cougars.

UP NEXT
The Bulldogs will be on their road for their next five, beginning with a Tuesday evening tilt against the University of Minnesota-Crookston. The match-up with the Golden Eagles is set for 7:00 p.m.