NDSU Volleyball Holds Off St. Thomas in Five Sets

FARGO, N.D. – The North Dakota State volleyball team outlasted St. Thomas, 3-2, to pick up its second straight win on Thursday night at Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse.

After the Bison (9-9, 5-4 Summit) opened up a 2-0 lead in the match, St. Thomas (12-9, 4-5 Summit) fought its way back in the third set stealing a 16-13 lead with a 6-1 run by the midway point. NDSU answered with seven straight points to grab a 21-17 advantage with a block from Arianna Blohm and Alexis Boling. The two teams then traded points until the Tommies closed the set on a 4-2 run to win the frame, 28-26.

Both teams worked through a match-high 10 tie scores in the fourth set until St. Thomas opened up a 22-19 edge. The Bison then pushed back with three straight points of their own to lock the set, 22-22, following an attack error before the Tommies answered with another 3-0 run to win the frame, 25-22.

NDSU responded in the fifth frame grabbing a 6-4 edge with a block from Ally Barth. The two teams traded points until the Bison notched four straight points, including three kills from Boling to stretch their lead to 14-11. NDSU held off St. Thomas the rest of the way to win the set, 15-12, and the match, 3-2.

The Bison totaled a season-best 16 service aces, which is the most in the NDSU Division I era and tied for the second-most in a five-set match in Bison history. NDSU had seven different players contribute at least one, including a career-best five from Lauren Jansen.

The Bison also totaled 78 digs on the defensive end of the floor with Logan O’Brien leading the way with a season-best 31. It marked her second career 30-dig performance after registering a career-high 33 against Central Michigan in 2022.

Hinze notched her eighth double-double of the season with 13 digs and 11 kills, while Blohm added in 11 kills with a season-high eight blocks. Eke Denessen also posted her first double-double of the season with 15 assists and 10 digs.

NDSU will be back in action hosting Omaha on Saturday. First serve is set for 1:00 p.m., at Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse.