North Dakota State
20-8
IPFW
20-10
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IPFW | 30 | 24 | 30 | 30 | 3 |
| North Dakota State | 26 | 30 | 20 | 27 | 1 |
North Dakota State Falls to Host IPFW in Summit League Semifinals
11/16/2007 11:46:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
FORT WAYNE, Ind.--Despite a triple-double by senior Christy Stuewe and double-doubles by junior Kristen Hille and sophomore Kelly Lopez, second seeded North Dakota State fell to host IPFW 26-30, 30-24, 20-30, 27-30 in the semifinals of the Summit League volleyball tournament Friday, Nov 16. The Bison finished the season with an overall record of 20-8 and 12-4 in league play.
Stuewe led the Bison with 19 kills, 20 digs and 10 blocks, finishing with exactly 1,000 kills in her NDSU career. It was the first triple-double of her career.
Lopez played arguably her best game of the season, recording 12 kills and a team-high 30 digs. Freshman Brooke VandenBergh finished with 16 kills for North Dakota State, while Hille added 10 kills and 21 digs. Senior Kari Fagnan, the Bison's all-time digs leader, had 23 digs on the evening to extend her season record to 619.
Game 1 went to IPFW 30-26 as the Mastodons lead from wire-to-wire. VandenBergh led NDSU with seven kills while sophomore Mattie Johnson added 17 assists. The Bison responded in game two with a 30-24 win over IPFW as Stuewe recorded six kills while Lopez sparked NDSU's defense with 11 digs in the victory.
But it was the Mastodons who came out strong following the intermission, leading by as many as 11 to take game three 30-20. The fourth game was a back-and-forth battle with neither team able to take the advantage. But four straight points extended the IPFW lead to 26-23 late, and the Mastodons held on for the victory.
The two teams combined for 250 digs during the four game match with NDSU setting a new team record with 121 digs in four games. The 129 by IPFW was also a team record, including a record 41 digs by libero Peachy Jankowski.
"Our kids are competitors, and I'm extremely proud of them, not just in this match, but over the course of the entire season," said head coach Erich Hinterstocker. "They're dejected right now, but this group will bounce back. I think the future of this program is extremely bright."
IPFW will meet up with South Dakota State in the championship game on Saturday, Nov. 17, at 3 p.m. The Jackrabbits defeated Western Illinois in three games 38-36, 30-19, 30-25 earlier in the evening. The winner of the IPFW-SDSU match will earn an automatic berth into the NCAA tournament beginning Thurs., Nov. 29.
Summit League Women's Volleyball All-Tournament Team
Amy Anderson, South Dakota State (MVP)
Kristina Martin, South Dakota State
Cynara Martins, IPFW
Lindsay Muehlbauer, Western Illinois
Samantha Pearson, South Dakota State
Mayara Schlindwein, IPFW
Christy Stuewe, North Dakota State
