MADISON, S.D. – Valley City State’s volleyball team held off Dakota State in straight sets Saturday afternoon as the Vikings finish with a complete sweep of the weekend. VCSU also defeated No. 15 Bellevue University in three sets on Friday afternoon.
 
VCSU picked up its 11th sweep of the season Saturday, defeating the Trojans 29-27, 25-20 and 25-19. The Vikings improve to 17-4 overall and hold a 5-1 NSAA record at the halfway mark of conference play. Dakota State drops to 9-11 on the season and 2-4 in conference play.
 
The Trojans put up a battle for the Vikings in the first set Saturday. VCSU came back from a 20-15 deficit with a 6-2 rally sparked by an Emma Lucas kill. VCSU then held off the Trojans from set point five different times before finally taking the set with kills by Lucas, Danielle Hagler and Mardi Scutchings to lock in the 29-27 victory in set one.
 
The Vikings and Trojans then started with back-and-forth rallies in the second set. After Dakota State took an 8-0 run to lead 16-13, VCSU responded with a 7-1 run of its own to hold a 20-17 advantage. The Vikings took the final four points of the set to win 25-20 and hold a 2-0 lead in the match.
 
In the third set, VCSU trailed 11-5 early on before exploding for a 15-2 run, including seven straight points, to build a 20-13 lead capped by a block by Scutchings and Morgan Freije. Freije scored VCSU’s final two points for the 25-19 win and the 3-0 match.
 
Sadie Hansen posted a double-double of 37 set assists and 15 digs, while also producing a pair of kills Saturday for the Vikings. Reagan Bogenreif chipped in 15 digs while JayCee Richter recorded 14.
 
Mardi Scutchings led VCSU’s offense with 12 kills while Bailey Nelson finished with 11 and Morgan Freije added 10. Scutchings and Freije each added four assisted blocks, and Lucas and Morgan Nelson finished with two assisted blocks apiece.
 
Dakota State’s Sydney Schell finished with a double-double of 18 digs and 12 kills Saturday. Brooklyn Grage posted a game-high 14 kills while Maddi Langerock recorded 38 set assists, and Kate VanRooyan led all players with 21 digs for the Trojans.
 
UP NEXT: VCSU returns home for a pair of midweek games. The Vikings kick off the second half of the NSAA schedule against Dickinson State on Tuesday, Oct. 10 at 6 p.m. in Graichen Gym. VCSU then hosts No. 14 University of Jamestown on Wednesday, Oct. 11 at 7 p.m. at the W.E. Osmon Fieldhouse.