GREELEY, Colo.- It took five sets, but defending Big Sky Conference champion Northern Colorado (18-8, 11-5 Big Sky) rallied from a two-sets-to-one deficit to defeat visiting North Dakota (25-19, 23-25, 19-25, 25-18, 15-8) Monday night in league action. A 6-0 run in the deciding set proved to be the difference.
“Good volleyball was played on both sides of the net tonight,” UND head coach Ashley Hardee said. “UNC got the momentum from us in the fourth set and we weren’t able to get it back.”
Junior Lisa Parlich had 17 kills to pace the UND offense. Junior Ronni Munkeby and sophomore Lexi Robinson each added 13 kills for North Dakota.
UND (13-14, 8-8 Big Sky) found itself ahead two sets to one, but could not put away the Bears on their home floor. Following a 25-19 loss in the first set, North Dakota grabbed wins in each of the next two sets to put the home team in a hole.
Just as their prior meeting this season went, the match would be decided in a fifth set. Monday, UND led 3-2 in that final set before six straight UNC points would eventually seal the deal. UND would close to within 9-7, but the home team scored six of the final seven points to etch the victory.
UNC held the Kelly Green to just nine kills in the first set and outhit North Dakota .256 to .206 for the evening. After UND won a tight second set, 25-23, momentum was clearly on the visitors' side when UND hit .414 in the third frame en route to a 25-19 victory.
With the score 3-3 in the fourth set, Northern Colorado scored three straight points to take control for good. UNC never looked back in that set and won 25-18 to send it to a fifth set.
Tambre Haddock led all players with 19 kills, part of four UNC players with double-digit kill totals.
Nikki Husfeldt had 49 assists, giving her 2,497 for her career. She moved passed Allison Louwagie into seventh place in the UND record book for career assists.
UND will host first-place Portland State Thursday at the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center. It will be televised live on MidCo Sports Net and Fox College Sports Central (Direct TV 623).
“Good volleyball was played on both sides of the net tonight,” UND head coach Ashley Hardee said. “UNC got the momentum from us in the fourth set and we weren’t able to get it back.”
Junior Lisa Parlich had 17 kills to pace the UND offense. Junior Ronni Munkeby and sophomore Lexi Robinson each added 13 kills for North Dakota.
UND (13-14, 8-8 Big Sky) found itself ahead two sets to one, but could not put away the Bears on their home floor. Following a 25-19 loss in the first set, North Dakota grabbed wins in each of the next two sets to put the home team in a hole.
Just as their prior meeting this season went, the match would be decided in a fifth set. Monday, UND led 3-2 in that final set before six straight UNC points would eventually seal the deal. UND would close to within 9-7, but the home team scored six of the final seven points to etch the victory.
UNC held the Kelly Green to just nine kills in the first set and outhit North Dakota .256 to .206 for the evening. After UND won a tight second set, 25-23, momentum was clearly on the visitors' side when UND hit .414 in the third frame en route to a 25-19 victory.
With the score 3-3 in the fourth set, Northern Colorado scored three straight points to take control for good. UNC never looked back in that set and won 25-18 to send it to a fifth set.
Tambre Haddock led all players with 19 kills, part of four UNC players with double-digit kill totals.
Nikki Husfeldt had 49 assists, giving her 2,497 for her career. She moved passed Allison Louwagie into seventh place in the UND record book for career assists.
UND will host first-place Portland State Thursday at the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center. It will be televised live on MidCo Sports Net and Fox College Sports Central (Direct TV 623).
