SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The University of Sioux Falls Volleyball team (4-3, 0-0 NSIC) split a pair of matches Friday at the USF Classic presented by KAJ Hospitality, opening the day with a convincing 3-0 sweep of Black Hills State before going toe-to-toe with No. 6 Washburn in a hard-fought four-set loss inside the Stewart Center.
Sioux Falls defeated Black Hills State 25-17, 25-11 and 25-23 before returning to the court Friday night against the nationally ranked Ichabods. The Cougars took the second set from No. 6 Washburn and remained within two points late in each of the final two frames before falling 21-25, 25-22, 23-25 and 23-25. USF finished the day 1-1 and moved to 4-3 overall.
Match One: Sioux Falls 3, Black Hills State 0
Sioux Falls controlled the opening match of the day behind an efficient offensive attack and a dominant effort at the net. The Cougars hit .294 as a team while holding Black Hills State to .105 and finished with an 11-1 advantage in total blocks.
USF began the match by hitting .400 in the opening set. With the score tied at 14, the Cougars began to pull away, eventually using a 7-0 run to build a 22-15 advantage. Sioux Falls closed out the frame 25-17 to take the early lead.
The Cougars were even better defensively in the second. After Black Hills State opened with a 2-0 advantage, USF quickly took control and held the Yellow Jackets to a -.125 hitting percentage. Sioux Falls rolled to a 25-11 victory to move within one set of the sweep.
Black Hills State challenged the Cougars in the third and eventually built a 19-15 advantage. USF answered with a 6-1 run to move back in front, 21-20. The Yellow Jackets tied the frame at 23, but a Haley Wolfe kill gave the Cougars match point before an attack error sealed the 25-23 victory and the sweep.
Wolfe led the way with an impressive all-around performance, recording 12 kills on .450 hitting, eight blocks and three service aces. Ella Walker added eight kills while hitting .538, while Abby Haus finished with five kills and six blocks. Maci Lerseth led the back row with 13 digs, and Gretchen Volk and Maegan Cheeseman combined for 29 assists.
Match Two: #6 Washburn 3, Sioux Falls 1
Friday night's matchup saw the Cougars challenge an undefeated No. 6 Washburn team throughout four competitive sets.
Washburn jumped out to a 7-1 lead in the opener, but Sioux Falls refused to let the Ichabods run away with the frame. USF battled all the way back and eventually took a 19-15 advantage before Washburn responded. The Ichabods closed the set on a 10-2 run to take it 25-21.
The Cougars answered in the second. Trailing 20-15 late in the frame, USF put together a 7-0 run to surge in front, 22-20. Sioux Falls finished the comeback with a 25-22 victory, handing Washburn just its second set loss through its first seven matches of the season.
USF continued to battle in the third. The Cougars led 16-12 before Washburn worked its way back and tied the frame at 19. The Ichabods eventually moved ahead 24-21, but USF fought off two set points to make it 24-23 before Washburn escaped with the 25-23 win.
The Cougars showed the same fight in the fourth. After falling behind 6-1, USF chipped away before a late 6-0 run turned a 20-16 deficit into a 22-20 Cougar lead. Washburn responded once again, scoring five of the final six points to close out the match, 25-23.
Cougar Standouts
- Abby Haus put together a big performance against Washburn with a match-high 16 kills for USF on .419 hitting while adding six blocks and five digs.
- Ella Walker was nearly error-free against the sixth-ranked Ichabods, finishing with 10 kills on 19 swings without an attack error for a .526 hitting percentage. She also led the Cougars with 10 blocks.
- Walker finished Friday's two matches with 18 kills and just one attack error, hitting .563 across 32 attempts.
- Haley Wolfe totaled 17 kills and 13 blocks across the two matches, highlighted by 12 kills, eight blocks and three aces against Black Hills State.
- Maci Lerseth anchored the back row with 35 digs on the day, including 22 against Washburn.
- Hollie Peterson finished with 19 assists and 13 digs against Washburn, while Gretchen Volk added 10 assists.
By the Numbers
- USF held its opponents to a combined .139 hitting percentage across Friday's seven sets.
- The Cougars dominated at the net, recording 26 total blocks on the day.
- Against No. 6 Washburn, Sioux Falls finished with a 15-4 advantage in blocks.
- USF held Washburn to just .158 hitting, including .022 in the fourth set.
- The Cougars hit .294 against Black Hills State while limiting the Yellow Jackets to .105.
- Sioux Falls held a late lead in each of the final three sets against No. 6 Washburn, winning the second and pushing the Ichabods to 25-23 finishes in both the third and fourth.
Up Next
Sioux Falls will return to action in the Sioux Falls Volleyball Classic when they take on Black Hills State and #6 Washburn tomorrow afternoon. The Cougars will take on the Yellow Jackets at 1pm followed by the Ichabods at 7pm before closing out the tournament against Chadron State on Saturday at 4pm.
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