SIOUX CITY, IOWA – The Valley City State volleyball team ended its season Thursday at the NAIA Volleyball Championships with a loss to Montana Tech in straight sets, 25-20, 25-19 and 25-23.
The Vikings finish the season with a 23-11 overall record and its most program wins since the 1998 season. VCSU also made history with its first win in the NAIA Opening Round and its first trip to the NAIA Pool Play round.
Montana Tech, who was ranked No. 11 in the final NAIA Top 25 Poll and the No. 2 seed in the pool, improves to 24-5 overall. Montana Tech will face Eastern Oregon (32-1) in the final round of pool play Friday at 1 p.m.
Montana Tech held the Vikings to a season-low 31 kills Thursday paired with eight blocks by the Orediggers to defeat VCSU in three sets.
VCSU started strong in the first set, pulling away with a 10-6 early lead. The Vikings expanded the lead to 17-9 with the help of a pair of
Bailey Nelson kills. A big kill from Montana Tech's Maureen Jessop helped to turn things around for the Orediggers. Montana Tech finished the set with eight straight points including a pair of service aces from Mayson Moore to open the match with a 25-20 win.
The Vikings hit just .029 in the second set while Montana Tech hit .249 in the frame. The Orediggers pulled away with a 7-0 run midway through the set – including four kills from Olivia Muir – to lead 16-8. Montana Tech held on to win the second set 25-19.
VCSU wasn't going to go down without a fight, erasing a 13-8 deficit down to just a point with a 5-1 rally capped by a
Morgan Freije and
Sadie Hansen block. Montana Tech held a 21-18 lead when VCSU edged its way back to tie the set at 22 on a service ace by
Ellie Rush. The Orediggers finished with three of the next four points to win the final set 25-23.
VCSU led Montana Tech in digs, 60-52, with the help of a game-high 24 digs by
JayCee Richter.
Bailey Nelson led VCSU's offense with 10 kills in the match while
Danielle Hagler,
Morgan Freije and
Sadie Hansen each finished with five.
Hansen added 23 set assists in the match and Freije posted three assisted blocks Thursday.
Montana Tech's Olivia Muir led all players with 16 kills and Jelena Jablanov paced the defense with 14 digs. Rhys Layton finished with 20 set assists and McKenna Kaelber totaled 13 assists for the Orediggers.
