Box Score

ABERDEEN, S.D. – Northern State took advantage of a slow start by the tenth-ranked Wayne State Wildcats on Friday evening and claimed a first set win and just missed on a second-set effort before the Wildcats were able to find their stride in the third and take home the 3-1 (15-25, 25-20, 25-17, 25-21) victory in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference volleyball action.
 
The Wolves, who had won three straight and five of their last six heading into the weekend matches, slipped to 11-9 overall and 6-7 in conference play.  WSC, meanwhile, improved to 16-6 on the season and 9-4 in league action.
 
NSU jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead in the first set on two Alex Armes attacking errors and a pair of Morgan Richardson kills, forcing the Wildcats to burn an early timeout.  WSC rallied to force ties at points 8, 9 and 10, but, a total of ten errors at the net (nine on the attack, one blocking) derailed the Wildcat effort.
 
The Wolves, however, capitalized on four kills apiece from Claire Kopfmann and Carli Peterson and another three from Finizio to earn the set win.  Finizio and Kopfmann finished off the set with back-to-back kills.
 
WSC turned the tables in the second set, taking an early 3-0 lead.  NSU tied it at points 3, 4 and five, but the Wildcats took the lead at 6-5 and never relinquished it, using a 5-1 run late in the set to help secure the win.
 
The Wildcats came out of the 10-minute intermission for arguably their best set performance of the night in the third.  WSC used a big 7-0 run – which came as part of a larger 11-4 run – to distance themselves.  The Wildcats had five kills and a service ace in that run and hit .308 in the set to go up 2-1 in set wins.
 
Set four featured another mid-set distancing act from the Wildcats, but the Wolves rallied from a 21-13 deficit to close to within three at 20-23.  The NSU run was aided by a pair of blocks, along with a Kopfmann service ace and back-to-back errors at the net from the Wildcats that gave the NSU rally life.
 
Kills from WSC's Tali Fredrickson and Melanie Placke, however, closed out the set and match.
 
NSU was led by a 12-kill effort from Peterson, while middle blockers Paula Martins and Kopfmann chimed in with eight and seven, respectively.  Peterson also paced a balanced NSU defensive effort with 18 digs, leading five players in double figures in that category.
 
WSC got 14 kills from Fredrickson and an even dozen apiece from McKenna Reagan and Placke.  Reagan notched 27 digs and Fredrickson, 22, while Mindy Moody was in on seven of the Wildcats' 12 total team blocks on the defensive front.
 
NSU is back on the court on Saturday for a 3 p.m. match-up with Augustana.  The Vikings downed U-Mary in straight sets Friday night and enters the match at 12-9 overall and 6-7 in NSIC play.  Saturday's contest has also been designated a Pink Out game.  Fans are encouraged to wear pink to the match; all fans in attendance will also be registered to win prizes throughout the night.