SEASIDE, Calif. – The University of Sioux Falls Volleyball team opened the 2026 season with a hard-fought five-set battle against Northwest Nazarene on Thursday evening, ultimately falling 3-2 (19-25, 30-28, 25-23, 24-26, 10-15) inside the Otter Sports Center.
Despite the setback, the Cougars turned in an impressive offensive performance, finishing with 74 kills while hitting .283 as a team. USF also held advantages in kills, 74-60, assists, 71-56, and blocks, 11-10, while the two teams each recorded 72 digs. Northwest Nazarene's serving proved to be the difference as the Nighthawks finished with 15 aces.
Match Summary
Northwest Nazarene jumped out quickly in the opening set, building a 10-1 advantage before Sioux Falls settled into the match. The Cougars fought back throughout the frame but could not erase the early deficit as NNU took the opener, 25-19.
USF responded with its best offensive set of the night in the second. The Cougars recorded 23 kills and hit .365 in a back-and-forth frame that featured 14 ties. After the teams traded opportunities late, kills from Tatum Godinez and Ella Walker gave Sioux Falls the final two points of a 30-28 victory.
The Cougars carried the momentum into the third set. Trailing 23-19 late, USF rattled off six consecutive points to steal the frame, 25-23, and take a 2-1 lead in the match. The run included a Hollie Peterson service ace, a Godinez kill and a block from Godinez and Walker.
Another tight battle followed in the fourth. Sioux Falls held a 24-23 advantage and stood one point away from closing out the match, but Northwest Nazarene answered with three straight points to force a deciding fifth set, 26-24.
USF remained within striking distance early in the fifth, pulling within 10-9 after a Northwest Nazarene attack error. The Nighthawks, however, closed the match on a 5-1 run to secure the 15-10 victory.
Cougar Leaders
- Haley Wolfe led USF with 14 kills without committing an attack error, hitting .609 while adding four blocks.
- Tatum Godinez finished with 13 kills, six digs and two blocks.
- Bre Van Den Top made an immediate impact with 13 kills on .462 hitting, six digs and three blocks.
- Ella Walker totaled 12 kills and a team-high six blocks.
- Abby Haus added 11 kills, four digs and two blocks.
- Hollie Peterson directed the offense with 34 assists, five digs and an ace, while Gretchen Volk added 27 assists, seven digs and an ace.
- Maci Lerseth led the Cougar defense with 15 digs and added seven assists, while Kyleigh Tangen finished with 14 digs and two service aces.
By the Numbers
Sioux Falls' balanced offensive attack saw five Cougars record double-digit kills as USF hit .283 for the match, including .365 in the second, .355 in the third and .300 in the fifth set. The Cougars finished with 91 total points compared to 85 for Northwest Nazarene.
The biggest separation came from the service line. Northwest Nazarene recorded 15 aces compared to six for USF, while the Cougars committed 17 service errors. Even with those challenges, USF pushed the match to five sets and had an opportunity to close it out in the fourth before the Nighthawks rallied.
Up Next
Sioux Falls continues its opening-weekend trip in Seaside, California, with its next match at the Otter Sports Center.
