Kansas City Outlasts North Dakota State in Three Sets

Thursday, November 9

Fargo, ND

7:00 PM

Kansas City

19-7,10-4Summit League

North Dakota State

17-8,9-5Summit League

Kansas City

North Dakota St.

Photo by: Julia Kapros

Kansas City Outlasts North Dakota State in Three Sets

11/9/2023 10:47:00 PM | Volleyball

Box Score

Kansas City Sweeps NDSU To Kick Off Final Road Trip

FARGO, N.D - Kansas City defeats the Bison in a 3-0 match with set scores of 25-20, 25-16, 25-21, putting an end to their six-match winning streak. The Roos strategically curtail North Dakota State's offensive efforts, outperforming them and establishing a tactical advantage defensively.

SET-BY-SET VS. North Dakota State

SET ONE / 25-20 | Kimora Whetstone makes a quick and skillful play, placing the ball in the backcourt and securing the first point for the Roos, giving them a 1-0 lead. The match remains closely contested as the Bison and Roos trade points, resulting in a 7-7 tie. Kaia Dunford delivers a powerful kill, igniting a four-point run for the Roos, which forces the Bison to call a timeout.The Roos scoring seven consecutive points and taking a commanding lead at 11-7. However, the Bison display resilience, making a comeback by securing three points and narrowing the margin to 14-10.Despite the Bison's efforts, the Roos maintain their early lead and engage in a back-and-forth exchange of points. The turning point occurs when Kaia Dunford delivers a crucial ace, ultimately clinching the first set for the Roos and earning them a well-deserved reward.

SET TWO / 25 - 16 |.Continuing their momentum into the second set, Kansas City built a significant lead with a 7-0 run against the Bisons. The Bisons called a timeout at 8-2, but the Roos managed to trim their lead by just one point before the Bisons halted their scoring run at 9-2. Despite NDSU's efforts to mount a comeback, Kansas City established a commanding ten-point lead, leading 15-5. Although the Bisons narrowed the gap to 18-14, Kansas City surged ahead with two impactful kills from Gillen, extending the lead to 21-14 and prompting a timeout from NDSU.. A Bison error gave the Roos a set point, and a well-executed kill by Gillen sealed the set for Kansas City.

SET THREE / 27 - 25 | In the third set, the Roos faced a challenge as the Bisons took an early lead at 6-3. Despite the Bison's 4-0 run, a solo block by Carly Gillen narrowed the gap to 5-6. Kills from Dunford and Whetstone leveled the score at 10-10. The teams continued to trade points until a service ace by Dunford gave Kansas City the lead at 20-19. Despite a quick response by the Bisons and reaching set point at 24-23, the Roos orchestrated a comeback with key plays, including a kill by Gillen, a block by Sydney Henry and Whetstone, and a service ace by Caroline Keithley, ultimately securing a 3-0 victory in the match.

STATS TO NOTE

Gillen led the Roos with 10 kills in the match, achieving a .471 hitting percentage.

This marks the seventh sweep of the season, a significant improvement from the three sweeps in the 2022 season.

Kansas City displayed dominance in both blocking and hitting percentages. The Roos outperformed the Bisons with a 5-1 advantage in blocks, and they held the Bisons to a hitting percentage of .174, while achieving an .298 hitting percentage themselves.

COACH CHRISTI POSEY, QUOTED

"This win felt good because North Dakota State has been the hottest team in the second half; they're led by a core group of seniors who are skilled and smart, and they are well coached. We knew we'd have to play extremely well to win. I felt our serve pressure the 1st 2 sets helped determine the tone for the night and we locked in pretty well defensively. But I'm most proud of how well we handled the ball and allowed Sydney to deliver a well balanced attack. All hitters were aggressive and in rhythm. We still have work to do to finish the season strong but I was very pleased with how we handled the challenge tonight"

UP NEXT
Kansas City continues its road play as they face the Fighting Hawks at 1 PM on Saturday in Grand Forks, North Dakota.