VERMILLION, S.D. – South Dakota volleyball set the tempo early and extended its win streak to eight straight matches with a 3-0 sweep of Omaha Thursday night, in the Sanford Coyote Sports Center.

It was all South Dakota early in this match, as the Yotes scored the first eight points on their way to a 15-2 lead at the set one media timeout. Gabi Zachariasen held serve for seven straight Coyote points in the initial 8-0 run and dialed up three straight aces. 

The Coyotes tallied four aces and three blocks in the first set, while holding Omaha to a .031 hitting percentage on their way to a 25-16 set one win. Lauren Medeck had six of the Yotes 11 kills in the set.

Omaha stayed with the Yotes at the start of set two, but three straight points from Morgan Bode, a kill and two aces, started a 7-1 run as USD pulled ahead 15-7 at the media break. Audrey Nelson, who had six kills on an errorless nine swings in set two, kept the Yotes' offense moving by putting away three kills in a 4-0 stretch as the Coyotes were the first to 20 and led by 10. Backed by Nelson's efficient play on the right side, the Coyotes hit .400 with 16 kills to take set two 25-16. For the second straight set, the Coyotes tallied four aces with two from Bode and one each from Sierra Pokharel and Avery Van Hook.

After building double-digit leads in both of the first two sets, the Coyotes' largest lead of the third was just three points (21-18). The score was tied just three times and the lead changed hands twice over the first two set, but the third set saw 18 tied scores and eight lead changes. 

Zachariasen and Bode led the way in the third with five kills each on a combined .600 hitting percentage. Medeck added four kills, while Van Hook and Pokharel had 11 of the Yotes' 15 digs. A Zachariasen kill, Medeck kill and a Medeck and Loschen block gave the Yotes their largest lead of the set at 21-19, but the Mavericks answered right back with four straight. The Yotes took the lead right back with a Medeck solo block and Bode kill, but Omaha wouldn't go away and evened the score at 24-24. Medeck and Zachariasen called game with back-to-back kills to give USD a 26-24 set win and 3-0 match win. 

Medeck had a match-high 12 kills, while Zachariasen and Bode had nine each and Nelson had eight kills. Bode hit .438 and Zachariasen swung at a .348 clip. 

Van Hook handed out 29 assists and led the team with 13 digs, followed by Pokharel's 11. 

The Coyotes nine aces were the most in a three-set match this season. Zachariasen (3), Bode (2) and Pokharel all had multiple aces. 

The Coyotes improve to 15-5 on the season and 8-1 in the Summit League with their eighth straight win. 

South Dakota will look to make it nine in a row on Saturday when they host St. Thomas at 1 p.m. in the SCSC.
 

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