Photo and Article via Jamestown Athletics
JAMESTOWN, ND. (JimmiePride.com) – The second-ranked University of Jamestown women’s volleyball team took care of Valley City State (N.D.) University in straight sets Friday night at Harold Newman Arena, 25-17, 25-22, and 25-12.
Jamestown improves to 13-0 on the season and will return to conference play Saturday hosting Briar Cliff (Iowa) University at 3:00 p.m.
Set one was all Jimmies as they took an 11-3 lead and eventually went up 20-10. VCSU hit -.029 in the opener, while UJ hit at a .242 clip.
Jamestown led 20-13 in the second set before the Vikings rallied for six straight points to pull even. Tied once again at 21, the Jimmies got a kill by Kalli Hegerle (JR/West Fargo, N.D.) and a VCSU attack error to retake the lead for good.
An 8-2 run by UJ in the third set helped create some space and the Jimmies once again took a 20-10 lead. The final five Jamestown points came on kills as the home team closed out VCSU for the 22nd straight time and 34th time in the last 35 meetings.
Hegerle put home a match-high 11 kills on 23 attempts. Kadyn Mehring (SO/Carrington, N.D.) and Aleah Zieske (FR/Spicer, Minn.) each had seven kills, followed by Jayla Ritter (JR/Forest Lake, Minn.) with six, Corina Huff (SR/Pequot Lakes, Minn.) with five, and Darienne Johnson (FR/Eastpointe, Mich.) with four. Logan Sherman (FR/Marshall, Minn.), Abby Seifert (JR/Princeton, Minn.), and Anna Holen (JR/LaMoure, N.D.) also added to the Jimmies’ total of 44 kils.
Jackie Meiklejohn (JR/Dickey, N.D.) (22) and Megan Gaffaney (JR/Jamestown, N.D.) (18) combined for 40 of UJ’s 42 assists, helping the team to an overall .284 hitting percentage for the match.
Ellie Holen (FR/LaMoure, N.D.) and Hannah Schiele (JR/Jamestown, N.D.) had a busy night in the back row, finishing with 16 digs and 10 digs, respectively. Anna Holen picked up a pair of service aces, while Schiele and Averi Beyer (SO/Fargo, N.D.) each had one.
Johnson led the net defense with three total blocks, including a pair of block assists.
Saturday’s match against Briar Cliff will be the third of six straight contests at home for the Jimmies, who will not be on the road again until October 1 at Dordt (Iowa) University.