BISMARCK, N.D. -- Bismarck State volleyball closed out homecoming weekend with a 3-1 win (30-28, 25-15, 19-25, 25-10) over Rocky Mountain (Mont.) on Saturday at the Bavendick Center, extending the Mystics' win streak to five matches even as their run of consecutive set wins came to an end at 13.
The Mystics improve to 7-7 overall and 5-4 in Frontier Conference play, moving to 2-1 all-time against Rocky Mountain. The Battlin' Bears fall to 3-11 overall and 1-7 in conference play.
Setter
Aislyn Hogan exited late in the second set with an injury, with
Delaney Deschamp and
Aspen Roaldson splitting setting duties the rest of the way.
"I think Saturday games are always tough since you can't prep as much for the team opposed to the Friday match," head coach
Kyle Kuether said. "Rocky came in with a great game plan to slow us down. We did a good job of adjusting in the 2nd set to offset them. When Ais was taken out, we had multiple girls step up. Rossow, Laney and Aspen all did well, but ultimately it comes down to how our team does, and our team does better in a 5-1 offense with all our DSs able to play. We had momentum in the fourth and decided to ride that to the end with Aspen at the wheel."
Set One: Mystics Escape in Extra Points
Bismarck State trailed 12-15 before rallying, and the set stayed tight the rest of the way, tying eight times over the final stretch. Rocky Mountain twice held set point chances late, but the Mystics answered each time, closing out the final two points on back-to-back kills from
Reese Duchsherer to escape with a 30-28 win.
Set Two: Mystics Take Control
After trailing 2-5 early, Bismarck State took over, winning 20 of the final 23 points to close out the set comfortably, 25-15. Hogan exited with an apparent injury in the closing stages of the set.
Set Three: Rocky Mountain Snaps the Streak
Bismarck State opened with a 4-0 lead, but Rocky Mountain answered with nine of the next ten points to seize control and force a Bismarck State timeout. The Battlin' Bears never let go of the lead from there, closing out a 25-19 win that snapped the Mystics' 13-set winning streak.
Set Four: Mystics Finish in Dominant Fashion
Tied at 3-3, Bismarck State reeled off six straight points and never looked back, cruising to a 25-10 win to close out the match. The Mystics hit .667 as a team in the set, going 17-for-24 with just a single attack error.
Mystics Key Performers
- Reese Duchsherer led the way with a team-high 14 kills and a team-high 16.0 points, adding 15 digs, her sixth double-double of the year (had seven last season)
- McKenna Brendel added 12 kills (ties season-high) for 13.0 points
- Ellie Baumstarck was the most efficient hitter on the floor, going 9-for-14 for a .643 clip and 11.5 points
- Jordyn Rood and Ashlee Stanger each finished with 8 kills; Rood posted 12.0 points, while Stanger added 10.0 points
- Piper Harris paced the defense with a team-high 24 digs
- Aislyn Hogan ran the offense with 23 assists and a service ace before exiting in set two; Delaney Deschamp (9) and Aspen Roaldson (14) combined for 23 assists the rest of the way
Game Notes
- The win extends Bismarck State's win streak to five matches, even as the set-win streak was snapped at 13
- BSC is now 2-1 all-time against Rocky Mountain
- The Mystics' .667 hitting percentage in the fourth set was their best of the season in any set (next closest: .500 vs Haskell)
- BSC had a perfect sideout percentage in set four, going 10-for-10
Looking Ahead
Bismarck State (7-7, 5-4 Frontier), currently in sole possession of sixth place in the conference standings on a five-match win streak, hits the road for a two-match trip next week before returning home for a three-match stretch:
- Thursday, Oct. 1 -- at Valley City State (N.D.), 6 p.m. (Valley City, N.D.). Valley City State is 4-12 overall, 2-7 Frontier, currently on a three-match losing streak.
- Friday, Oct. 2 -- at Mayville State (N.D.), 6 p.m. (Lewy Lee Fieldhouse, Mayville, N.D.). Mayville State is 0-14 overall, 0-8 Frontier, on a 14-match losing streak.
- Friday, Oct. 9 -- vs. Dakota State (S.D.), 7 p.m. (Bavendick Center). Dakota State is 9-6 overall, 5-3 Frontier, winners of two straight.
- Saturday, Oct. 10 -- vs. #19 Bellevue (Neb.), 2 p.m. (Bavendick Center). Bellevue is 13-2 overall and a perfect 9-0 in Frontier play, riding a 10-match win streak atop the conference standings.
- Wednesday, Oct. 14 -- vs. Dickinson State (N.D.), 7 p.m. (Bavendick Center) -- "Volley for the Way Night." Dickinson State is 5-11 overall, 4-5 Frontier, winners of one straight.
See the volleyball schedule for more information on how to watch, follow and attend the upcoming matches.
Be sure to visit BSCMystics.com and download the MysticNation app to continue to stay up to date with everything going on in Mystic Athletics.
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