OMAHA, Neb. - On Senior Night at Baxter Arena, Omaha volleyball defeated South Dakota 3-1 (25-16, 25-18, 22-25, 25-17) in a pivotal Summit League matchup for seeding in the upcoming conference championship.
Omaha was the beneficiary of 13 kills in the first set, including five from
McKenna Ruch, along with five team aces and 6.0 total blocks in a 25-16 opening frame win.
The second set saw the Mavericks trail South Dakota by four early, but a 20-8 run fueled by Ruch and
Amanda Hardt closed out a 2-0 match lead for Omaha in front of 2,270 fans at Baxter Arena.
With just three errors in the third set, South Dakota was able to edge Omaha by three but the Mavs' dominant offense in the fourth set was the story with 13 kills and seven blocks at the net.
Ruch led all players with 16 kills, while
Julia Owens finished with 25 assists and a team-high three aces.
Emily Huss owned the Mavs' only solo block of the night, while four Omaha players, including Huss, contributed five or more block assists in the four-set bout.
Erica Fava logged 18 digs to lead Omaha.
With the win, Omaha finishes 7-6 at home in the regular season and currently sits 15-11 overall, 13-2 in Summit League play and the winners of four-straight matches. The regular season for Omaha volleyball concludes on Tuesday, Nov. 19 at 7 p.m. CT at Kansas City. The 2024 Summit League Championship begins on Nov. 24 in Kansas City.
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