GRAND FORKS, N.D. -The Green Bay volleyball team could not overcome a potent Fighting Hawks offense Friday on the road, losing to North Dakota in straight sets (23-25, 18-25, 23-25).Â
Hannah Vanden Berg finished with 10 kills on the day to lead the Phoenix attack while finishing with a hitting percentage of .292. It is the fourth time this season that Vanden Berg has eclipsed double figures in kills. GB got 10 digs from Emma Best to lead them defensively.
North Dakota was led by a match-high 12 kills from Paige Barber. Izzie McCormick finished with 15 digs in the match to lead them on the defensive end.
HOW IT HAPPENED
SET 1 | The hosts got out to a big lead to start - rattling off eight points before the Phoenix got on the board by a Vanden Berg kill. The Phoenix was able to dig themselves out of that early hole and tie the set up at 17 apiece after a pair of kills from Katie Schulz and two North Dakota attack errors. Both teams then rattled off their own 4-0 runs to find themselves in another tie at 21, until finally UND grabbed four of the final six points in the set to take it 25-23.
SET 2 | UND used that first set momentum and got off to another fast start in the second, grabbing a 10-4 lead. Vanden Berg helped the team respond with three kills as part of a 8-3 GB run that cut the North Dakota lead to 15-14. However, the Fighting Hawks would control the set the rest of the way, finishing on another 10-4 run to take a 2-0 set lead.
SET 3 | In the third set, it was Green Bay that got out to an early lead, grabbing a 7-2 run. GB held that lead for the majority of the set, and it looked as if the Phoenix would force a fourth set, taking a 21-17 lead. That was when the hosts responded and ripped off an 8-2 run down the stretch to secure the sweep.
GAME NOTES
» Calli Gentry returned to the Phoenix lineup Friday night, and had a team-high two aces. Vanden Berg also finished with two.
» Tiffany Paalman and Cora Behnke finished with eight and seven kills, respectively.
» Ellie Kurpeikis registered a team-high three blocks.
» Gentry finished the day with 27 assists.
» North Dakota finished with a .239 attack percentage compared to GB's .138.
WHAT'S NEXT
The Green & White will look to get back in the win column tomorrow morning when they close the UND Classic against New Mexico at 10 a.m. Next weekend, the Phoenix will host their home tournament from September 14-16.
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