ABERDEEN, S.D. -- After dropping a close first set to start the night, the University of Sioux Fall Volleyball Team (8-6, 3-3 NSIC) put on a dominating performance in Aberdeen, grabbing three straight sets after that to bring home a 3-1 (22-25, 25-22, 25-21, 25-21) win over (RV) Northern State (9-5, 4-2 NSIC) in their first NSIC matchup of the weekend. 

The Cougars, who were led by Nicole Jacobson with 16 kills, just barely missed winning the first set as NSU took a narrow 25-22 decision and a 1-0 set lead. From there, USF took off and didn't look back, taking the second set 25-22, the third set, 25-21, and finally bringing home the fourth and final set, 25-21. 

USF Head Coach Dan Mathews was happy to see the skills his team practices everyday being executed so well on the court tonight. 

"It was so rewarding to win the serve/pass battle tonight," said Mathews, whose team is now 3-3 in NSIC play and ended a three-match losing streak to three straight nationally-ranked teams. "We've emphasized those skills repeatedly in training, and it really showed up in this match," he said of his team's win over a team receiving votes in the national AVCA poll.

Mathews, who is in his first year at the helm for the Cougars Volleyball squad, is happy for his team's success and is looking forward to seeing where they can go in the future. 

"Being able to win against such an established program tonight speaks volumes about the hard work our team has been putting in," said Mathews, whose team heads to Moorhead, Minn. to take on MSUM tomorrow afternoon. "Northern State has been an elite program for years, and our players are understanding that USF Volleyball belongs in that group. It shows in the intensity and conviction that we play with."

In the first set, the Cougars had 14 kills on 39 attempts, for a .231 hitting percentage compared to NSU's .343 percentage. On defense, USF had just two blocks. The second set saw much of the same, with the Cougars racking up 13 kills on 47 attempts (.149 percent). USF had two service aces and two blocks, but just one ball handling error. The Cougars grabbed 14 more kills in the third set on 30 attempts for .367 percent. USF had three service aces, three blocks, and just three attack errors. In the fourth and final set, the Coo had 16 kills on 37 attempts (.270 percent) and six errors. USF tallied five blocks, one service error, and no ball handling errors. 

Individually, the Cougars were led on offense by Jacobson, Jordan Kuper, and Averey Yaksich. Kuper and Yaksich tied for a team-second best 12 kills on the night, while Kuper hit .545 percent. Krista Goerger had 46 assists on the match, and Madison Wassink had a team-high two service aces. Kuper and Yakisch tied yet again for a team-high five blocks on the night, and Yakisch also had 20 digs. 

The Cougars head to Moorhead, Minn. tomorrow to take on the MSUM Dragons (1-12, 1-4 NSIC) at 3:30 pm. From there, USF returns home to host UMary (Oct. 8) and Minot State (Oct. 9) in the Stewart Center.