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FARGO, N.D. – North Dakota State broke free midway through the second set and kept Western Illinois at a distance to post a 3-0 (25-19, 25-19, 25-14) win in a Summit League match played Sunday, Oct. 15, before 597 fans at the Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse. The Bison improved to 8-1 at home this season.
 
NDSU (14-5, 5-2 SL) moved into a second-place tie in the league standings with South Dakota and Denver, a half-game behind first-place Oral Roberts. The Bison host South Dakota State (2-18, 0-7 SL) at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 17.
 
Western Illinois (6-15, 1-6 SL) had tied the second set at 16-all on a Jaime Johnson kill before NDSU reeled off three straight points including kills from Alexis Bachmeier and Erika Gelzinyte to take a 19-16 lead. The set was tied 10 times and the lead changed hands on three occasions.
 
The Bison kept the lead and closed out the set with a 9-3 run as Brianna Rasmusson, Bella Lien, Allie Mauch and Gelzinyte all contributed.
 
North Dakota State kept the momentum and gradually pulled away from the Leathernecks in the third. The offense connected for a .395 hitting percentage in the third set and finished at .233 overall compared to .151 for Western Illinois. Both teams had five team blocks.
 
NDSU was sparked by McKenzie Burke, who collected six of her match-high 12 kills in the third set. Jessica Jorgensen claimed nine kills, Gelzinyte had seven, and Mauch added six kills and five blocks.
 
Rasmusson had 37 assists, nine digs and three kills. Mikaela Purnell pocketed a match-high 27 digs to reach 25-plus digs for the sixth time this season and 17th time in her career. Abbi Klos had 11 digs, two service aces and her second career kill.
 
Shalyn Greenhaw had nine kills, nine digs and four blocks for Western Illinois. Jaime Johnson had 31 assists, while Claire Grove came up with 18 digs.