Valley City (VCSU) – Valley City State volleyball opened its Frontier Conference schedule with a familiar North Star Athletic Association foe, Mayville State. Valley City State held the lead most of the match on the way to a 3-0 win over the Comets. The Vikings won 25-20, 25-17, 25-15.

The first set was all Vikings as the home team got off to great start, scoring the first four points of the set and holding a 6-1 lead after a kill by Macy Fridgen. After a block by Morgan Freije made it 14-9 Vikings, the Comets rattled off four straight points to get to within one. An attack error by Fridgen cut the Viking lead to 14-13. That would be as close as Mayville State would get. VCSU would go on a 3-0 run to go back up by four. An attack error by the Comets’ Cadyence Dewitz would make it 17-13 Vikings. The two teams would go back and for from there. A kill by Freije, her third of the set, capped off the set for Valley City State 25-20.

In the second set, the two teams split the first six points. The Vikings then went on a 7-0 run to take a seven-point lead. Rosie Anderson had a kill and a block in the run. An attack error by the Comets Desidy Schwanke made it 10-3 Vikings, their biggest lead of the match. A service error by VCSU capped a 7-3 run by the Comets top make it 13-10 Vikings. That was a close as the Comets would get. A kill by Fridgen made it 16-10 VCSU. The lead would stay between five and eight points the rest of the way. An attack error by Mayville State’s Trinity Mayencourt gave the Vikings the 25-17 win in the second set.

In the third set, the two teams split the first ten points. Then a kill by Mayville State’s Kathryn Agnew gave the Comets their first or two leads in the match. The second came a few points later at 7-6. Valley City would take over from there. The Vikings would go on a 4-0 run to take a three-point lead. Two unforced errors for the Comets and kills by Morgan Freije and Emma Lucas would make it 10-7 Vikings. Those points would be part of a 10-2 run by the Vikings to take a seven-point lead. A service ace by Anna Pulju made it 16-9 Valley City State. After a kill by Caydence Dewitz for Mayville State made it 2014, the Vikings ended the set and the match on a 5-1 run. Kills by Morgan Freije and Ellie Lucas capped off the great night for the Vikings who took the third set 25-15.

As a team, the Vikings had a .256 hitting percentage. Morgan Freije led the way for Valley City State with ten kills and a .400 hitting percentage. Danielle Hagler had seven kills and .538 hitting percentage. Ellie Lucas had eight kills, Macy Fridgen had six kills, and Emma Lucas had six. Gracie Schumacher had 25 assists and seven digs. Madden Bogenreif had eleven assists and seven digs. JayCee Richter had a team high 15 dig, Delani Clarke and Anna Pulju each had eight. Rosie Anderson had three blocks at the net (2 solo, 1 assist). Freije added two solo blocks.

Valley City State is now 1-0 in the Frontier Conference and 3-3 overall. In the recent NAIA Coaches Poll, the Vikings are still receiving votes.

UP NEXT: The Vikings host two nationally ranked teams this weekend. Friday (RV) Montana Western will be at the Bubble for a 7:00 p.m. start. On Saturday, #21 Montana Tech will take on the Vikings at 2:00 p.m. at the Bubble.