MINOT, N.D.  - Rebounding from a daunting start to the conference season, University of Sioux Falls Volleyball swept Minot State 3-0 (25-17, 25-11, 25-15) to earn their first league victory on Friday night. The Cougars improve to 7-5 on the season with a 1-3 mark in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference competition.
 
With 38 kills on the night, Sioux Falls posted a .321 attack percentage -- their third-highest mark of the season -- to lead to the dominating sweep of Minot State (5-8, 0-4 NSIC). Sydney Schaap directed the high-powered USF offense with 33 assists and she set up Makenna Rockeman for 15 kills, including 13 in the final two sets.
 
Lexi Scott connected on four kills in the first set and finished with eight on the night with a .429 attack percentage. The Cougar offense also benefitted from a strong serving night, recording 10 aces with Kelli Holloway's career-high four leading the way.
 
USF and Minot State were neck-and-neck in the early stages of the first set, but a big mid-set run gave the Cougars a substantial lead they would ride to a one-set lead in the match. Minot State tied the set at 11-11 with a pair of kills, but USF would reel off nine of the next 10 points for a big lead. Rockeman, Jordan Calef, Bria Barfnecht, and KaSandra Springer all connected on kills to lead the 9-1 run. Calef added another kill and Scott finished the set with three kills before Holloway capped the set with one of her aces.
 
The Cougars raced out to a double-digit lead in the second set and cruised to a 25-11 win. Rockeman started off the set with two kills and helped USF to a 5-0 lead. Springer and Barfnecht added kills after Calef combined with each of them for a pair of blocks to build a 14-4 lead. With a nine-point lead later in the set, Rockeman added two more of her five second-set kills as USF closed on another 5-0 run for the win and a 2-0 lead in the match.
 
The third set was all Rockeman as she posted eight kills in the final set and USF recorded their second double-digit win of the night, clinching the match with a 25-15 victory. Scott posted three blocks as the Cougars nursed a one-point lead at 9-8 before Rockeman caught fire. The sophomore outside hitter hit two kills to respond to Minot State terminations then she connected on four more kills to lead a 6-0 USF run and a 19-11 advantage.
 
Calef added two more blocks to finish with five total stuffs on the night and Aubrey Milne and Scott posted two more kills to bring the Cougars closer to victory. Holloway recorded her final ace of the night to give USF a match point and Scott blocked a Minot State attack for the final point.
 
Abby Folk led a defense with nine digs from the back row while Holloway and Rockeman each added seven to help limit Minot State to a .059 attack percentage. Folk and Rockeman also added two service aces apiece to cap the Cougars' dominating win.
 
USF finished their three-match road trip with a 6 p.m. contest at University of Mary on Saturday, Sept. 24.