SEASIDE, Calif. – The University of Sioux Falls Volleyball team closed out its opening weekend with another strong performance Saturday morning, defeating Dominican University of California in four sets, 25-11, 25-17, 23-25, 25-17, at the Otter Sports Center.
The victory moved Sioux Falls to 3-1 on the season as the Cougars wrapped up the Otter Invite with three straight wins. USF finished Saturday's match hitting .371 with 51 kills while holding Dominican to a .124 hitting percentage. The Cougars also recorded nine service aces and nine blocks.
Match Recap
Sioux Falls wasted little time taking control of the opening set. With the score tied at 4-4, the Cougars rattled off eight consecutive points behind the serving of Gretchen Volk to build a 12-4 advantage. Bre Van Den Top powered the run with five kills as USF pulled away for a 25-11 victory. The Cougars hit .480 in the opening frame, putting down 13 kills with just one attack error.
USF carried the momentum into the second set, jumping out to a 6-1 advantage and never trailing. Dominican cut the deficit to four on several occasions, but the Cougars responded each time. A late 4-0 run helped Sioux Falls finish off the 25-17 victory and take a commanding 2-0 lead.
The Penguins battled back in a back-and-forth third set that featured 13 ties and four lead changes. USF held a 21-18 advantage late before Dominican answered with four straight points. Haley Wolfe tied the set at 23-23 with a kill, but Dominican scored the final two points to take the frame, 25-23.
Sioux Falls responded in the fourth. After Dominican tied the set at 8-8, the Cougars regained control and built a 15-9 advantage behind a balanced attack and back-to-back service aces from Hollie Peterson. Dominican pulled within two at 15-13, but USF closed the match on a 10-4 run, with a Dominican service error delivering the final point of the 25-17 victory.
Key Standouts
- Bre Van Den Top led the Cougar attack with 12 kills, hitting .409 while adding a match-high five blocks.
- Abby Haus finished with 10 kills on .304 hitting.
- Haley Wolfe recorded nine kills on a .421 hitting percentage while adding three blocks.
- Ella Walker continued her efficient start to the season, putting down eight kills without an attack error on 11 swings, good for a .727 hitting percentage. She also added three blocks.
- Hollie Peterson totaled 22 assists, 13 digs and two service aces.
- Gretchen Volk added 15 assists, seven digs and two aces.
- Maci Lerseth led the Cougars with 14 digs.
- Seven different Cougars recorded at least one service ace.
By the Numbers
- Sioux Falls hit .371 for the match with 51 kills and just 12 attack errors.
- USF held Dominican to .124 hitting, including .031 in the first set and .030 in the second.
- The Cougars finished with a 9-4 advantage in blocks.
- USF recorded nine service aces.
- Sioux Falls totaled 51 digs compared to 35 for Dominican.
- The Cougars hit .480 in the opening set and .345 in the match-clinching fourth.
- USF outscored Dominican 98-70 across the four sets.
- Sioux Falls finishes the Otter Invite with a 3-1 record, including three consecutive victories to close the weekend.
Up Next
Sioux Falls will open their home season next weekend during the Sioux Falls Volleyball Classic when they host Emporia State Thursday night at 6:30pm followed by matches against Black Hills State, Washburn, and Chadron State.
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