Nov. 4, 2012

Box score

VERMILLION, S.D. - The South Dakota volleyball team swept North Dakota State 25-9, 25-22, 25-17 on Senior Day to extend its winning streak to four games.  The win brings the Coyotes (13-14, 7-8) into a tie for sixth with NDSU in the Summit League standings with one game left. 

Kendall Kritenbrink (Gretna, Neb.) continued her strong offensive streak with 17 kills, and has averaged 19.5 kills per match over the past six matches. Kim Bulaga (Crystal Lake, Ill.) led the Coyotes in digs in her final game in the DakotaDome with 16.  

Freshman Melissa Firtko (Racine, Wis.) and sophomore Riley Haug (Gretna, Neb.) also contributed to the Coyote effort.  Firtko tied her best offensive output of the season with nine kills while Haug dug out 12 attacks.

North Dakota State (11-16, 7-8) couldn't keep the ball in the court, and recorded 20 attack errors in the match.  South Dakota cashed in by keeping its own attack errors down to nine.

Megan Lambertson led the Bison with 11 kills, while Andrea Henning had 18 digs.  The Coyotes also kept Brynn Joki, the Bison's top attacker at 3.46 kills per set, to only five kills.

Along with Bulaga, Coyote seniors Lindsey Sathre (Maple Grove, Minn.) and Bailey Lupardus (Camdenton, Mo.) recorded stats during the Senior Day sweep.  Outside the 16 digs, Bulaga tallied three kills and an ace.  Sathre had two kills and Lupardus recorded one dig with both playing just one set.

South Dakota and North Dakota State are both one game back of a tie for fourth in the conference between Kansas City and South Dakota State.  All four teams have one game left.  The top four teams in the conference will make the conference tournament.

South Dakota will travel to play Omaha for the final match of the season on Nov. 10.  The match starts at 5 p.m.