VALLEY CITY, N.D. – The third set went five points past 25 before Valley City State could finally put it away. The 30–28 win gave the Vikings a 2–1 lead over Dakota State and put them one set away from closing the season with a victory at the Bubble. The Trojans extended the match with a win in the fourth, then took the deciding set to spoil VCSU's Senior Day in a 3–2 contest Saturday at the W.E. Osmon Fieldhouse.
The teams traded sets early. Valley City State claimed the opener 25–21, and Dakota State answered with a 25–14 win in the second. Neither team could finish the third at 25, and the Vikings eventually came away with the two-point win in the closest set of the match.
Dakota State took the fourth 25–20 to send the Vikings to a fifth set in their final match of the season. After the teams had split four sets, the Trojans put together their most decisive stretch of the afternoon, winning the fifth 15–4.
The Vikings had three players finish with 12 kills, each contributing in multiple ways. Molly Bjorneby paired her 12 kills with 20 digs, and Kadie Kocka added 19 digs to her 12 kills. Madden Bogenreif finished with a triple-double, recording 12 kills, 21 assists and 12 digs. Annika Pulju led the Vikings with 33 digs.
The season finale also marked the final match for seniors Gracie Schumacher and Eden Carrier, who were honored on Senior Day. Schumacher led the Vikings with 22 assists and added 11 digs and two service aces. Carrier finished with six kills, three digs and an assist.
For Schumacher and Bogenreif, the weekend at the Bubble capped a stretch in which both setters reached 1,000 career assists. Schumacher hit the milestone on the road against Bismarck State, and Bogenreif reached it Friday night against Bellevue. In Saturday's finale, the two combined for 43 assists and 23 digs.
Valley City State finished the season 8–20 overall and 6–15 in Frontier Conference play.
