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(VCSUVikings.com)- Clarissa Olson, Leah Ruter and Nicolette Bloomer combined for 27 kills and just three attack errors Wednesday night as they propelled the Viking volleyball team to a road sweep of Mayville State: 25-20, 25-20, 25-19.
It was VCSU’s second straight sweep and third win in the last four matches as the Vikings improve to 10-20 overall and 6-8 in conference play.
The win also keeps VCSU in the hunt to host a first round match in the NSAA Conference Tournament next week. VCSU is tied for fourth place with Dickinson State in the NSAA standings. The No. 4 seed will host the No. 5 seed in the first round on Tuesday, Nov. 8.
The Vikings play at Dickinson on Friday night and then close the regular season Saturday at Jamestown. Dickinson will close the season Saturday by hosting Mayville State.
On Wednesday night, the Vikings made quick work of the Comets at Mayvile. Tied at 19-19 in the first set, VCSU scored six of the final seven points to take a 1-0 lead in the match.
The Vikings trailed 11-7 in set two, but mounted a 9-1 run to build a 16-12 lead en route to a 25-20 victory. The Vikings put the match away with a 25-19 victory in set three. VCSU led 20-19 before scoring the final five points, including three straight aces by Hailie Wilds to finish the match.
Olson led the Viking attack with 11 kills and just one error as she recorded a .500 hitting percentage. Bloomer hit .615 on the night, finishing with eight kills and zero errors in 13 attacks. Ruter also finished with eight kills, and Taylor Sharp and Megan Johnson each had seven kills.
Taylor Balkan posted a double-double with 37 assists and 16 digs. Jaycee George had 13 digs and two aces, and Wilds finished with three aces and 14 digs.
The Vikings hit .190 as a team and finished with seven aces, five service errors and six blocks. Mayville State hit .082 as a team, had just one ace and no service errors, and recorded nine blocks.
Up next: Valley City State (10-20, 6-8 NSAA) closes the regular season with two matches this weekend. The Vikings play Friday at 8 p.m. CT in Dickinson, and then close the season Saturday at 3 p.m. in Jamestown.