VALLEY CITY, N.D. — A three-set sweep rarely comes without a challenge, and Friday night's second set gave Valley City State plenty to overcome.
The Vikings fought through a 35–33 marathon before finishing off Dickinson State, earning a 25–18, 35–33, 25–21 Frontier Conference victory at W.E. Osmon Fieldhouse. VCSU improved to 6–12 overall and 4–7 in conference play, while Dickinson State fell to 6–12 and 5–6.
Madysen Geist led the Vikings with 14 kills and just one attack error, hitting .500 while adding three block assists. Eden Carrier followed with 11 kills on a .320 hitting percentage and three blocks, including two solo stops. Kadie Kocka and Molly Bjorneby each contributed eight kills, while Brynn Sorenson added seven on a .353 hitting percentage.
VCSU established control early in the opening set, turning a 5–4 advantage into a 10–4 lead behind Madden Bogenreif's serve and a pair of Geist kills. Dickinson State worked back within 16–13, but the Vikings answered with five straight points to create separation. Bogenreif delivered the final kill to secure the 25–18 win.
The second set demanded considerably more patience.
Dickinson State built a 15–10 lead before the Vikings began working their way back. VCSU pulled even at 18–18, then moved ahead 22–20 with a four-point run capped by a Gracie Schumacher ace. The Blue Hawks responded, reclaiming the lead and setting up a finish in which neither team could find much breathing room.
The Vikings faced set point five times and answered each one. Sorenson, Geist and Carrier supplied crucial kills to keep VCSU alive as the score climbed into the 30s. With the teams tied at 33–33, Geist put down another kill before Bogenreif served an ace to end the battle and give the Vikings a two-set advantage.
Dickinson State pushed back again in the third, opening a 7–3 lead. VCSU gradually erased the deficit, with consecutive kills from Bjorneby and Geist bringing the Vikings ahead 15–14.
After the Blue Hawks closed within 18–17, Kocka delivered a kill and Carrier followed with a solo block to extend the lead. Another Carrier solo block made it 21–19, beginning a four-point Viking run that put VCSU on the doorstep of the sweep. Dickinson State saved two match points before Carrier finished the night with a kill from Schumacher for the 25–21 victory.
Schumacher guided the offense with 28 assists and added 15 digs and two aces. Bogenreif finished with 20 assists, 11 digs, five kills and two aces.
The Vikings' defense produced 106 digs, led by Bjorneby's 24 and Annika Pulju's 19. Reece Cave added 14, while Hudson Zerface contributed 12. As a team, VCSU recorded 54 kills, hit .209 and finished with six blocks.
Aubrey Allison led Dickinson State with 16 kills, while Carmen Pallone added 10. Rylee Kogolshak recorded 33 assists, and Ashtynn Egan paced the Blue Hawks with 22 digs.
From surviving five set points to closing the match with a timely stand at the net, the Vikings found answers when they needed them most. The sweep capped a weekend of back-to-back home victories, following Thursday's five-set win over Bismarck State.
