NDSU Volleyball Opens Season With Win Over UND

Won in four sets

FARGO, N.D. – (NDSU Athletics) The North Dakota State University volleyball team rattled off three straight set victories to pull out a 3-1 win over North Dakota in the 2020-21 season opener on Friday afternoon inside the Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse.

It was the first match for the Bison in 14 months, with the 2020 volleyball season postponed to the spring by The Summit League and a majority of Division I conferences due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

North Dakota won the opening set, 25-16, before NDSU strung together three straight sets by 25-21, 25-14, and 25-21 scores.

The Bison had three players record double-digit kills, led by senior Alexis Bachmeier with 17. Sophomore Syra Tanchin added 14 kills, and senior Allie Mauch had 12. Bachmeier also led all players with 23 digs and four aces.

Kirstin Tidd registered a career-high eight kills and a .538 attack percentage for NDSU, and redshirt freshman middle Allison Scheiwiller posted eight kills in her Bison debut. NDSU sophomore Kelley Johnson finished with 47 assists and 19 digs.

After a slow start, the Bison hit .205 in the second set and .297 in the third. NDSU finished at .191 for the match, outpacing UND’s .154.

Friday’s game, and the 1 p.m. rematch on Saturday at the BBF, do not count in the Summit League standings. The Bison open conference play on Jan. 31-Feb. 1 at Kansas City.