VALLEY CITY, N.D. - Two teams receiving votes in the most recent coaches poll met at the Bubble on Friday as Valley City State faced off with Montana Western in Frontier Conference volleyball. The Bulldogs won the match 3-1 (25-22, 23-25, 25-17, 25-20).

In the opening set, Montana Western jumped out to an early six-point lead. A block by the Bulldogs Kennedy Lingenfelter made the score 9-3 UMW. The two teams would split the next ten points, keeping the Montana Western lead at six, 14-8. A kill by the Bulldogs Jordan Olson would make it 15-8, the biggest lead of the set. That is when Valley City may a comeback. An unforced error by Montana Western capped a 10-4 run by the Vikings and pulled them to within one point at 19-18. A mini 3-1 run gave the Bulldogs a three-point lead at 22-19. But the Vikings came back again. A kill by Macy Fridgen made it 22-21. It was Fridgen's third kill of the set. A kill by Olson of Montana Western capped a 3-1 set ending run. The Bulldogs took the set 25-22.

The second set was back and forth. There were nine ties and three lead changes in the set. Valley City State's biggest lead came early when Danielle Hagler and Rosie Anderson combined on a block to give the Vikings a 4-1 lead. Montana Western scored the next two points then the Vikings did the same. A service ace by JayCee Richter made it 6-3 Valley City. A four-point run by the Bulldogs gave them a 7-6 lead. Neither team would score more than two points in a row until both had three-point mini runs. The Vikings' run came second. A kill by Freije and then two unforced errors by Montana Western made it 18-17 Bulldogs. It was back and forth until the Vikings ended the set on a 5-2 run. Kills by Fridgen started and ended the run, making the score 24-21 VCSU. Another kill by Fridgen, here ninth of the set, made it 25-23 Vikings to even things up at a set apiece.


The third set was close early on with six ties and flour lead changes in the first 17 points. Each team's biggest lead was two points. The Vikings scored the first two points of the set. An attack error by the Bulldogs and a kill by Morgan Freije made it 2-0 Vikings. Montana Western would take a 4-3 lead on a service ace by Taylor Ketchum. The Vikings would retake the lead on a service ace by Delani Clarke to make it 8-7 Valley City State. A kill by Dani Brown would make it 9-8 Western. The Vikings then went on a 5-0 run to regain the lead. A kill by Freije started the run and an ace by Gracie Schumacher ended it and made the scored 13-9 Valley City. But the Bulldogs would end the set on a 16-4 run, including seven in a row. A kill by Lingenfelter would cap off the run and give Montana Western the set 25-17.

The fourth set saw Montana Western pick up where they left off in the third set by taking the first five points. It was back and forth for the next several points, then with the Bulldogs up 9-4, Valley City State went on a 10-4 run to tie the set. A Macy Fridgen kill, a Fridgen and Emma Lucas block, and an unforced error by the Bulldogs were the last three points, tying things at 14-14. But a 5-2 run by Montana Western would open a three-point lead at 19-16. But the Vikings came right back with a 4-1 run of their own. After a kill by Rosie Anderson would bring the Vikings to within 20-19, another unforced error on Montana Western made it 20-20. The Bulldogs would pull away at the end, scoring the last five points to take the set 25-20 and the match 3-1.

Macy Fridgen led the Vikings with 17 kills, one off her career best. Morgan Freije had eight kills and Danielle Hagler had seven for VCSU. Gracie Schumacher had 19 assists and eight digs. Madden Bogenreif had 15 assists and six digs. JayCee Richter had 31 digs to lead the defense. Delani Clarke chipped in twelve. Freije (1 solo, 2 assisted) and Hagler (3 assisted) each had three blocks.

Valley City, who is receiving votes in the latest top 25 poll, is now 1-1 in the Frontier Conference and 3-4 overall. They host #21 Montana Tech Saturday afternoon at The Bubble. First serve is set for 2:00 p.m.
You can purchase tickets here: Purchase tickets. The game can be heard on KOVC 1490 AM/96.3 FM Listen and streamed live on the VCSU Vikings YouTube channel Watch.