Vikings Advance to NSAA Semifinals with Win Over Mayville State

Posted By: Anthony Varrasso
November 12, 2021 @ 4:19 pm
Sports

From VCSU Athletics

WATERTOWN, S.D. (VCSUAthletics.com) – The Valley City State volleyball team will move on to the NSAA Semifinals after defeating Mayville State in Friday’s quarterfinal match, 18-25, 28-26, 25-21 and 25-18.

Sadie Hansen‘s career-high 63 set assists anchored the Vikings to victory as she reached 1000 assists on the season in Friday’s win.

Valley City State improves to 14-17 on the season while Mayville State ends the season with a 15-15 record. The No. 4 Vikings will take on No. 1 Viterbo tonight at 7 p.m. in the NSAA Semifinals.

Valley City State hit .293 in Friday’s match and totaled a season-high 72 kills as a team. Four Vikings tallied double-figure kills, led by outside hitter Bailey Nelson who finished with 19 kills. Katie Juarez totaled 17 kills in Friday’s match, including the 1000th kill of her Viking career. Brooke Blessum and Caitlyn Fischbach each tallied 10 kills for the Vikings while Makayla Wetzel contributed nine.

Defensively, Juarez led all players with 31 digs while Kallene Klever added 23 digs. Hansen and Lexi Leroux each posted 14 digs Friday.

Mayville State’s Ashley Pyburn posted a team-high 13 kills while Lily Pyle added 12 kills and Elora Passa finished with 10. Passa added 24 set assists and 11 digs for a triple-double.

Rachel Hill added 20 set assists, 12 digs and five service aces Friday while Natalie Hadrava posted a team-best 26 digs.

The Comets took the first set 25-18 after the Vikings committed eight errors in set one. The Vikings recovered to hit .378 in the second set that went down to the wire. Trailing 17-13, a kill from Makayla Wetzel started a 6-1 run for the Vikings to hold a 19-18 advantage. The teams battled back and forth until back-to-back kills by Caitlyn Fischbach secured the set in in favor of the Vikings, 28-26.

VCSU had their best set of the day in set three, tallying 21 kills on a .436 attack percentage. The Vikings finished on a 6-2 run to take the third set 25-21.

Then in set four, the Vikings pulled away in the middle of the set capped by a Bailey Nelson kill to lead 17-12. The Vikings allowed just six Comet kills in the set as VCSU finished with a 25-18 victory to take the match 3-1.

UP NEXT: Valley City State takes on Viterbo in the NSAA Semifinals tonight at 7 p.m. in Watertown.