FARGO, N.D. - Already the Summit League's regular season
champions, North Dakota State broke the league record with its 35th
straight conference win on Saturday with a 3-2 defeat of South Dakota State in front
of 1,808 fans at Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse. The win also gives NDSU it's 19th
straight win at home and eliminates the Jackrabbits from postseason play.
The Jacks, who fall to 9-16 overall and 8-8 in league play,
faced elimination with the combination of an IPFW win and an SDSU loss on
Saturday, both of which happened. The Bison improve to 20-3 overall, 16-0 in
league play. NDSU won by the scores of 25-21, 20-25, 25-23, 24-26 and 15-7.
Fiona Jones led the Jackrabbits with 16 kills and added 20
digs for her team leading 11th double-double of the season. Kelly Herrmann finished with 12 kills, which ties her career-high. Thyele Rechatiko
tied a career-high with 46 set assists and added 17 digs for her 6th
double-double of the season.
Stacey Wernert led the Jacks with 24 digs, leaving her 29
digs shy of becoming the 13th Jackrabbit to record 1,000 career
digs. The Jacks only senior averages 4.13 digs per set and would need to boost
that average by a fraction over the course of seven sets to reach the milestone.
Lauren McLaughlin and Chrissy Knuth both finished with 15
kills to lead the Bison, Brooke VandenBergh added 12 kills in the win.
The Jackrabbits wrap-up the 2009 season on the road next
weekend with matches at Oral Roberts on Friday at 7 p.m. and at Centenary
Saturday at 5 p.m.
Courtesy: South Dakota State University
