DULUTH, Minn. – On a Friday night when senior Lexi Scott recorded her 1,000 career kill, the University of Sioux Falls Volleyball Team (20-10) dropped a hard-fought decision to top-seeded and No. 4 ranked Minnesota Duluth, 3-0 (25-17, 25-20, 25-20) in the semifinal round of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Volleyball Championships.  UMD (26-5) moves onto face Southwest Minnesota State in the championship tomorrow.

For the first time in school history, USF reached the semifinal round of the NSIC Championships after they defeated the fourth-seeded Concordia-St.Paul in the quarterfinal round, 3-1, on Tuesday (Nov. 6). USF, which set a school record with 20 wins, will now await word on whether they will be invited to the NCAA DII Central Regional Tournament. The Cougars, which were ranked No. 6 in the most recent regional rankings, will find out if they will move onto to the tourney on Sunday night at 9 p.m., when the NCAA DII National Volleyball Championship field is unveiled.

Against UMD, Scott led the Cougar offense with 10 kills on 23 attempts for a .261 hitting percentage. Scott also recorded two blocks in the match. With her total, Scott became the third member of the USF team with 1,000 kills. For the first time in school history, USF has three players with 1K in kills on the same team as Scott joins teammates Makenna Rockeman, who is USF's career leader with 1,285 kills; and Bria Barfnecht, who now has 1,068 kills. Scott has 1,001 kills in her career and is the fourth USF athlete to reach the mark at the DII level.  

Also in the match tonight, Barfnecht and junior Abby Feyereisen each recorded nine kills for USF, which hit just .154 (36 kills on 104 attacks with 20 errors) as a team.  Barfnecht hit for a .333 hitting percentage on 18 attempts, while also recording six digs, two block assists, and one assists. Feyereisen hit for an efficient .438 hitting percentage on 16 attempts. She also accumulated four block assists and one dig in the contest.

USF started out the first set even with the top-seeded UMD at 10-10 following a kill by Barfnecht. UMD had an 8-3 run to take control of the set as USF hit just .083. Ahead 18-13, UMD closed on a 7-4 run to take the set, 25-17.   

In the second set where USF posted a .057 hitting percentage, the Cougars took a mid-set 13-10 lead behind a four-point run highlighted by a pair of service aces by sophomore Krista Goerger. UMD rallied back to take a 20-16 lead and ultimately took the set, 25-20.

In the final set, USF matched UMD point for point until late.  Down 22-20, the Cougars couldn't stop the Bulldogs's momentum and lost, 25-20. USF matched UMD with 15 kills and actually outhit their opponent, .333-to-.282 but still lost the decision