Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 SIOUX FALLS – Proving their mettle beyond the scope of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference, University of Sioux Falls Volleyball remained undefeated with two more victories to close out the Country Inns & Suites Invitational on Saturday. The Cougars pounced on William Jewell for their third-straight sweep, winning 25-18, 25-15, 25-15, which was the 100th victory for head coach Joel McCartney at USF. In the tournament finale, Sioux Falls was tested by 2016 NCAA Tournament qualifier Arkansas-Fort Smith, but banner nights and all-around efforts from USF's upperclassmen led them to victory, 3-1 (25-17, 19-25, 25-16, 25-22) to secure the outright tournament title.
 
With their perfect record, the Cougars placed three on the all-tournament team, led by MVP Janelle Lam, who averaged 6.31 digs for the tournament, including a USF record 23 in their three-set win over William Jewell and a career-best 25 against Arkansas-Fort Smith. Lexi Scott earned an all-tournament spot with a four-match best .486 attack percentage and double-digit kills in each victory. Bria Barfnecht paced the Cougars in their title-clinching victory with her first-career double-double of 17 kills and 18 digs while averaging 3.38 kills per set and a .333 attack percentage. While she didn't earn a spot on the all-tournament team, Megan Hamstad directed the Cougar offense to .263 attack percentage for the tournament while handing out 155 assists at an 11.92 per-set clip.
 
The Cougars made quick work of William Jewell, posting their third straight sweep of the season, which notched their head coach his 100th career victory for the purple and white. USF hit .327, their third straight match over .300, and held the Cardinals to .083 for their resounding sweep. Makenna Rockeman led the Cougars with 12 kills while Scott and Barfnecht were extremely efficient with 10 and 9 kills, respectively and just two combined attack errors.
 
Sioux Falls's defense was stout in all three sets against WJC, holding them below .200 hitting in each frame. Lam's 23 digs in the match set a new USF record for digs in a three-set match as she averaged just fewer than eight digs a set.
 
In two sets as the setter, Hamstad dished out 26 assists before giving way to freshman Krista Goerger, who showcased her potential with 10 dimes in the third set. The Cougars connected on 17 kills in the second frame, hitting .448 for their dominant 25-15 win. Barfnecht and Scott paced USF with four kills each in the first set and Rockeman owned the second with six of her match-high 12 in the second.
 
In the matchup that pitted the undefeated host USF against NCAA Tournament qualifier Arkansas-Fort Smith in the final contest of the tournament, USF stood tall and showed that they are more a national power and proved the depth of the stout NSIC.
 
Barfnecht was on her game early, finishing with her first career double-double, setting career-highs in both kills and digs with 17 terminations and 18 digs. Barfnecht's output was supplemented by three more Cougars in double figures in kills, led by KaSandra Springer's career-high 10 kills – she surpassed her previous career mark with seven in the first set alone. Scott was steady with 13 kills and a defensive stopper at the net, logging seven total blocks, including three solo. Rockeman shook off a slow start to prove instrumental in the Cougars' fourth-set victory, recording nine kills in the final two frames and capped off the victory with the final termination.
 
Lam continued her defensive tear to start the 2017 season, setting a new career mark with 25 digs in the victory and she added another service ace. Hamstad also had a career night, handing out 56 assists in four sets of action while posting her first career double-double after adding 10 digs in the process.
 
The upperclassmen shined in the victory, but it was the contributions of several freshman that made the victory a reality. Averey Yaksich took on the burden of USF's high-volume outside hitter when Rockeman came out of the gates slow as the first-year player out of Omaha, Neb. had three kills and six digs. Freshman defensive specialist Eliza Dahly picked up seven digs in just her fourth match as a collegian and redshirt sophomore Anna Peterson picked up three digs to round out a solid weekend.
 
The Cougars close out their season-opening five-match home stand with a nonconference bout against Texas A&M-Kingsville on Wednesday, Sept. 6.