FARGO, N.D. – The North Dakota State volleyball team picked up its third straight sweep after outlasting Denver, 3-0, on Saturday afternoon at Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse.

Lauren Jansen paced the Bison (14-7, 6-4 Summit) with a team-high 12 kills and a .310 hitting percentage. Ali Hinze logged her second straight double-double with 11 kills and 10 digs, while Kelley Johnson passed out 32 assists with eight digs. Ava Schmoll led the way on the defensive side of the floor with 13 digs.

Both teams went back and forth in the opening set that saw 11 ties and five lead changes. The Bison used three straight points to build a 20-17 edge after a kill from Jansen. Denver (8-10, 7-3 Summit) responded with a 4-0 run of its own to regain the lead, 21-20, to force an NDSU timeout. The two teams then traded points until the Bison closed the set with three unanswered to win the frame, 25-22.

The teams continued to battle into the second set that featured 11 ties and four lead changes. The Bison opened up a 16-13 lead after a block from Ally Barth and Jansen. The Pioneers fought back trimming the deficit down to one, 22-21, following a service ace. The Bison answered with a 3-1 run capped off by a kill from Jansen to win the frame, 25-22.

The two teams fought their way through the third set that saw a match-high 14 ties and two lead changes. The Bison built a 19-15 lead by the midway point following a kill from Jansen. The Pioneers then stormed back to steal the edge, 21-20, after a block from Molly Mirabelli and Briley Decker. The two teams exchanged points until NDSU closed the set with back-to-back kills from Barth and Alexis Boling to win the frame, 26-24, and the match, 3-0.

NDSU is back in action at Kansas City on Thursday. First serve is set for 7:00 p.m.