HPU Women’s Volleyball sweeps North Dakota State on Friday

STATESBORO, Ga. – The High Point University volleyball team swept North Dakota State on Friday in the opening match of the Georgia Southern Volleyball Tournament. Junior Chelsea Davis posted her third double-double of the season to lead the Panthers.

“The team came out really focused today,” said head coach Jason Oliver. “This is the most organized match we have played this season. The team showed a commitment to doing things the right way and focusing on defense that I know we are capable of. It was a great defensive effort against a young, talented North Dakota State team.”

Davis hit .412 with 16 kills and 14 digs and junior Kristin Heldt added 12 kills, seven digs and two blocks. Junior Katie Vincent put up seven kills.

Emily Miron led North Dakota State with 12 kills and Jenni Fassbender added 11 kills in the loss.

High Point improves to 4-4 with the 3-0 (25-23, 25-19, 25-17) win. North Dakota State drops to 0-7 on the season.

The Bison took an early 10-4 lead in the first set, forcing HPU to mount a comeback to win the frame 25-23. With Annemarie Chin at the service line Davis put down three-straight kills to get HPU within two, 11-9. NDSU continued to cling to the lead until a kill by Savannah Angel knotted the score 14-14. The Panthers took their first lead, 17-16, on a Maddie Simpson service ace but the Bison fought back to retake a 19-17 lead. North Dakota State’s Monica Claxton committed a ball handling error that gave HPU the final lead of the set, 20-19. The Bison kept it close, fighting off set point with a kill by Fassbender but the Panthers won the frame, 25-23 on a kill from Heldt.

A three-point lead, 8-5, on a bad set by Claxton was all HPU needed in the second set as they maintained at least the lead the rest of the way. The Panthers won the frame 25-19, outhitting the Bison .571 to .312.

In the third set High Point scored the first point on a kill by Vincent, and let the rest of the way.

Simpson finished the match with a double-double, her fourth of the season, on 36 assists and 10 digs. She also had four aces. Sophomore Annemarie Chin tallied a match-high 19 digs.

High Point will face tournament-host Georgia Southern at 7 p.m. to wrap up day one of the Georgia Southern Volleyball Tournament. The Panthers will also face Oral Roberts on Saturday at 10 a.m.