Box Score FARGO, N.D. -- The Omaha volleyball team began its two-match road weekend on Friday, falling 3-1 (19-25, 24-26, 25-17, 22-25) to North Dakota State at Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse. The Mavericks are now 9-13 (4-5 Summit League), while the Bison are 9-14 (3-6 Summit League).
Junior setter/rightside hitter
Michaela Schimmer paced UNO with match-high 17 kills on .424 hitting while adding a trio of blocks. Junior outside hitter
Kelley Wollak had another 11 kills with six digs and three more blocks.
Freshman setter
Sydney O'Shaughnessy recorded her 11th double-double of the season to seize the team's double-double lead, finishing with match-high 36 assists and 10 digs as well as six kills.
Junior middle blocker
Megan Schmale added six kills with a team-leading four blocks and three service aces, and freshman outside hitter
Mackenzie Horkey chipped in eight kills with 12 digs and a block. Junior libero
Kimberly Bailey had a team-best 20 digs in the match as well.
As a team, Omaha outhit NDSU, .206 to .176, but the Bison outblocked UNO, 11-7.
North Dakota State was led by three players with double-figure kills: Emily Miron (15), Jenni Fassbender (14) and Emily Minnick (11). Monica Claxton had 24 assists, and Brianna Rasmusson had another 18, while Emily Milligan totaled a match-high 21 digs. Miron also had five blocks to her credit.
North Dakota State challenged the Mavericks right away, leading the entire first set for a 25-19 win. The second set saw UNO lead until midway through, when it tied at 16-16. The Mavericks to a slight lead again and held that until 24-23. The Bison then tied it at 24-all on a Miron block, and an assisted block by Miron and Rasmusson made it 25-24 NDSU. The Bison ended the second set by capitalizing on a Maverick error for a 26-24 win and a 2-0 advantage.
Omaha avoided the sweep and overcame a 12-9 deficit in game three to rally. The Mavs tied it at 13-13 with the help of an
Amanda Conlin kill and an NDSU attack error. After the score stalled again at 14-all, the Mavericks went ahead for good with three consecutive kills from Wollak and Schimmer. UNO brought it to game point at 24-17 on a Schmale ace, and a final kill from freshman
Marisa Moseman closed it at 25-17.
In the fourth set, the Bison did not relinquish their lead, taking a 16-10 advantage before an Omaha timeout. The Mavericks managed to get back within two when they cut it to 23-21 and again at 24-22 with a pair of NDSU errors. The Bison put it away with a block by Miron and Hadley Steffen, however, finishing off the set at 25-22 and the match at 3-1.
The season series between Omaha and North Dakota State caps at 1-1. The Mavericks previously took a 3-1 win at Sapp Fieldhouse on Oct. 3.
Omaha returns to action on Sunday, Oct. 26, traveling to South Dakota. First serve is set for 2 p.m. at the DakotaDome in Vermillion, S.D., and a link to live stats will be available on OMavs.com.
