VALLEY CITY, ND  (NewsDakota.com)  For 35 rallies, the Vikings and Jimmies were in a tight battle that reminded the fans of last year’s matchup.

The Jimmies took over and never relented.

UJ ran seven of the next eight rallies to close the first set, then took advantage of a key Viking injury to bust out to a 20-8 second set lead, en route to a dominant 3-0 (25-18, 25-12, 25-16) win over Valley City State at the W. E. Osmon Fieldhouse Thursday night.

Lexi Olson, Jimmie middle blocker, along with Charlotte Lempka, owned the night for the Jimmies.  Olson recorded 11 kills, hitting .647, along with seven blocks and nine digs in the matchup, with half of her night’s production in the first set.

Lempka, a 6’4″ sophomore, worked the middle and both pins in the second and third sets, recording 11 kills on a .500 night.  The Jimmies combined for 22 blocks.

Ellie Holen again impressed for the Jimmies in the libero position.  The grad student continued a 2500-dig career with 22 more, denying several key Viking attacks.

The Vikings struggled to pass early, and despite hanging with the Jimmies in the first 35 rallies, struggled to find their offensive groove.

That struggle took a serious turn in the second, when Viking middle blocker Danielle Hagler left the floor under assistance with a left leg injury that appeared to be a serious injury.  Valley City State did not recover, and the Jimmies ran out to a 20-8 lead in the set and firmly took control of the match.

Macy Fridgen led the Vikings with five kills.  The Vikings hit .048 as a team, and recorded only four blocks.

The Jimmies improve to 1-0 in North Star Athletic Association play, and 9-0 overall.  The Vikings fell to 1-1 in the league and an overall record of 9-5.