OREM, Utah – North Dakota State Bison volleyball (0-3) dropped the final two matches of the La Quinta Inn & Suites Invitational Saturday, Aug. 31 in Orem. NDSU fell to host Utah Valley Wolverines (1-1) in the first match of the day 3-0 (25-14, 25-19, 25-19) before losing to the Arizona State Sun Devils (3-0) in the night cap, 3-0 (25-14, 25-19, 25-16).

The Wolverines took a 1-0 lead in the first set and never relinquished it to start out the Bison's opening match Saturday. The Bison pulled within 2-1 with a Lauren Cammack kill but Utah Valley answered by posting three straight points to open up a 5-1 advantage. NDSU got the Utah Valley advantage down to 8-5 on a Wolverine service error but that would be as close as they'd get the rest of set one, falling 25-14.

The second set saw the Wolverines jump out to a 4-0 lead on four consecutive serves from Brookelyn Hall. NDSU was behind 9-6 after an attacking error but started to chip away at the lead after that. The Bison caught a break on a Utah Valley service error to pull within 9-7 before a kill by Jackie Lee made it 9-8. Another Wolverine attacking error knotted the set up at nine before Lee delivered her second kill of the set to give the Bison the 10-9 lead, their first lead of the match. NDSU stretched its lead to 12-10 on a Cammack kill but Utah Valley came roaring back to regain a 14-12 lead after a Bison attacking error. North Dakota State whittled the lead back down to 14-13 but couldn't regain the lead, dropping set two 25-19.

The Bison opened the third set taking a 4-1 lead after a Wolverine attacking error and stretched the advantage to 7-3 on two straight kills from Jenni Fassbender. Utah Valley answered again though, scoring four consecutive points to tie the set at seven before NDSU regained an 8-7 advantage on an Emily Minnick kill. The two teams traded leads until a Bison attacking error allowed the Wolverines to take a 10-9 lead, a lead they did not give up the rest of the match on their way to a 25-19 win in set three.

Fassbender led the Bison offensively with nine kills while Ariel Listebarger had eight digs to pace the NDSU defense.
Macky Treanor led the Wolverines offensively with a match-high 20 kills while McKenna Tait and Kalani Norris each had 11 digs for the Utah Valley defense.

In the night cap against Arizona State, NDSU took a 1-0 lead in the first set on an Emily Miron kill but the Sun Devils scored six of the next eight points to open up a 6-2 lead. The Bison were able to tie the set at six after an attacking error by the Sun Devils but once again Arizona State had an answer, scoring three consecutive points to take a 9-6 lead. The Bison cut the lead back to 9-8 after another ASU attacking error but that would be the closest NDSU would come the remainder of the set as the fell 25-14.

NDSU jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the second set after an attacking error by Arizona State and held an 18-14 lead when the Sun Devils scored 11 of the remaining 12 points in the second set to claim a 25-19 win and jump out to a 2-0 lead in the match.

The Bison once again raced out to a lead in set three, taking a 3-0 advantage on another Arizona State attacking error. But, like the previous set, the Sun Devils came roaring back, scoring five consecutive points to take a 4-2 lead, a lead they would not relinquish the remainder of the set to post the 25-16 set victory and win the match 3-0.  

For the second straight match, Jenni Fassbender led the Bison attack with 11 kills. Danielle Dombeck posted 10 digs to lead the NDSU defensive effort.

Macey Gardner had a match-high 19 kills to lead the Sun Devil attack while Stephanie Preach chipped in 17 digs for the ASU defense.

The Bison's Ariel Listebarger was selected to the La Quinta Inn & Suites Invitational All-Tournament Team after compiling a team-high 21 digs, an average of 2.33 per match, in the Bison's three invitational matches.

The Bison return to action Friday, Sept. 6 when they host Louisville in the 2013 home opener at the Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse in Fargo. The match will be the Bison's opening match in the NDSU Doublewood Inn Classic in Fargo. First serve is slated for 7 p.m.