Aberdeen, SD (NSUWolves.com) [FRI] – The Northern Sun Conference season kicked off for the No. 24 Northern State University volleyball team on Friday with a 3-1 win over Sioux Falls. The Wolves continued their hot start, rattling off their ninth straight win.
THE QUICK DETAILS
Final Score Match: NSU 3, USF 1
Records: NSU 9-0 (1-0 NSIC), USF 5-4 (0-1 NSIC)
Attendance: 1306
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Wolves opened the contest with a 25-21 victory, however Sioux Falls rallied back taking the second 26-24
- It was all Northern State in the third set as the Wolves recorded a 25-14 win; defensively they forced 11 hitting errors in the set
- NSU closed out the match with a 25-23 win in the fourth, coming back from an 18-10 deficit
- Northern tallied a match leading 54 kills, 79 digs, 17 blocks, and seven aces; their 17 blocks were a season high for the squad
- Natalia Szybinska knocked down a season high 24 kills, leading the Northern State offense
- Szybinska was also efficient with a career best .556 attack percentage
- Keri Walker paced the offense with 42 assists and kept USF on the toes, adding six kills offensively, as well as 13 digs and four blocks on defense
- Reese Johnson notched the second career high for the Wolves in the win with 21 digs and added a team best two aces
- Abby Meister was the final Wolf in double figures with 19 digs, while eight Wolves recorded multiple blocks
- Victoria Persha led the team at the net with nine blocks, followed by Abby Brooks with five
NORTHERN STATE STATISTICAL STANDOUTS
Natalia Szybinska: 24 kills, .556 attack%, 6 digs, 3 blocks
Keri Walker: 42 assists, 13 digs, 6 kills, .545 attack%, 4 blocks
Reese Johnson: 21 digs, 2 aces, 1 assist
Victoria Persha: 9 blocks, 5 kills, .357 attack%, 2 aces
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Aberdeen, SD (NSUWolves.com) [SAT] – The No. 24 Northern State University volleyball team suffered their first loss of the 2024 season on Saturday to No. 8 Wayne State. Despite a 3-set match, the Wolves battled with the Wildcats in a number of long rallies.
THE QUICK DETAILS
Final Score Match: NSU 0, WSC 3
Records: NSU 9-1 (1-1 NSIC), WSC 8-2 (2-0 NSIC)
Attendance: 829
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Wildcats took the match with set scores of 25-19, 25-19, and 25-18
- Northern tallied 37 kills, while Wayne recorded 38, and the Wolves notched a game leading 79 digs
- In addition, NSU recorded 36 assists, five blocks, and three aces
- Hanna Thompson and Natalia Szybinska led the team with 12 and 11 kills respectively, followed by Morissen Samuels with nine
- Thompson hit a team leading .407, suffering just one hitting error in the match
- Abby Meister led three Wolves in double figures with 22 digs, followed by Keri Walker and Sara Moberg with 17 and 12 respectively
- Abby Brooks and Samuels led the team at the net with five and four block each, and Mia Hinsz rounded out the team leaders with two aces
NORTHERN STATE STATISTICAL STANDOUTS
Hanna Thompson: 12 kills, .407 attack%
Morissen Samuels: 9 kills, 5 digs, 4 blocks
Keri Walker: 32 assists, 17 digs
Sara Moberg: 12 digs, 4 assists
UP NEXT
Northern travels south next Friday and Saturday for a pair of matches against Southwest Minnesota State and Augustana. Start times are set for 6 p.m. on Friday in Marshall and 2 p.m. on Saturday in Sioux Falls.