DICKINSON, N.D. - After splitting the opening two sets Friday night, Dickinson State took control of the match, winning the final two sets to defeat MSU-Northern 3-1 at Scott Gymnasium.
The Blue Hawks earned the 25-20, 20-25, 25-19, 25-15 victory behind a balanced offensive effort and a defense that collected 80 digs and held MSU-Northern to a .070 hitting percentage. Dickinson State improved to 3-10 overall and 2-4 in Frontier Conference play, while Northern fell to 7-5 and 3-3.
Dickinson State established the early advantage with 14 kills in the opening set. The Blue Hawks pulled out a 25-20 win before the Skylights responded in the second, evening the match with a 25-20 victory of their own.
The response from Dickinson State came in the third.
The Blue Hawks committed just two attack errors in the set and held Northern to eight kills and a .045 hitting percentage. That defensive effort helped Dickinson State take the set 25-19 and move within one set of the victory.
Northern stayed with the Blue Hawks early in the fourth, and the teams were tied at 11 before Dickinson State began to create separation. The Blue Hawks moved in front 14-12 and then scored five straight points to stretch the advantage to 19-12.
Dickinson State never allowed Northern back into the set.
The Blue Hawks finished the fourth with 14 kills and hit .268, their best percentage of the match. On the other side of the net, Northern managed seven kills and hit .022 as Dickinson State closed out the night with a decisive 25-15 victory.
That finish capped a balanced night offensively for the Blue Hawks. Aubrey Allison led the way with 12 kills, while Cameron Gouw added 10. Carmen Pallone and Cate Floy finished with eight kills apiece, and Rylee Kogolshak and Macie Wheeler each contributed six.
Floy was especially efficient, putting down eight kills with just one error on 14 attempts for a .500 hitting percentage. Kogolshak directed the offense with 38 of Dickinson State's 46 assists while also recording three service aces, seven digs and two block assists. Gouw matched Kogolshak with three aces.
The Blue Hawks' defense complemented that balanced attack throughout the night. Allison, Paige Rose and Geraldyne Fernandez each collected 19 digs, accounting for 57 of the team's 80. At the net, Dickinson State finished with nine total blocks, led by Pallone's four. Wheeler added four block assists.
Dickinson State finished with 50 kills compared with Northern's 36 and held advantages in digs, service aces and blocks. The Blue Hawks' eight aces matched their season high.
Dickinson State has a quick turnaround before another Frontier Conference match at Scott Gymnasium. The Blue Hawks host No. 8 Providence at 1 p.m. Saturday.
