North Sioux City SD (VCSU) – The Valley City State University volleyball team opened its 2026 season with four matches Friday and Saturday at the Siouxland Invitational inside the CNOS Fieldhouse.

The Vikings fell to Dordt University and the College of Saint Mary on Friday before closing the tournament Saturday against Mount Mercy University and No. 16 Dakota Wesleyan University.

VCSU opened the weekend with a competitive three-set loss to Dordt, 25-22, 25-15 and 25-21. The Vikings battled to within two points at 23-21 late in the third set before Dordt scored the final two points to secure the match.

Mady Geist led the Viking attack with seven kills while hitting .375 and totaling three blocks. Madden Bogenreif recorded 11 assists, 11 digs and two service aces. Molly Bjorneby also served two aces and added eight digs.

The Vikings returned to the court Friday afternoon and took one set from the College of Saint Mary in a 25-16, 23-25, 25-14 and 25-16 loss. VCSU built a 21-15 advantage in the second set before holding off a late Saint Mary rally. Brynn Sorenson delivered the set-winning kill for the Vikings.

Geist again paced VCSU with 12 kills. Bogenreif finished with 12 assists, eight digs and three service aces, while Gracie Schumacher added 12 assists. Bjorneby recorded a team-high 11 digs, and Annika Pulju added 10.

VCSU opened Saturday with its best offensive performance of the weekend in a four-set loss to Mount Mercy, 25-27, 25-22, 25-22 and 25-22. The Vikings won the opening set and finished the match with 52 kills, 66 digs and a .171 hitting percentage. Each of the final three sets was decided by three points.

Geist posted a match-high 16 kills and hit .462, committing just four errors on 26 attacks. Bjorneby added 12 kills, 14 digs and two blocks, while Kadie Kocka finished with nine kills. Pulju led the defense with 20 digs. Schumacher totaled 19 assists, 11 digs and two service aces, and Bogenreif added 18 assists.

VCSU concluded the tournament with a 25-19, 25-23 and 25-17 loss to No. 16 Dakota Wesleyan. The Vikings produced their strongest offensive set of the match in the second, recording 15 kills and hitting .213. VCSU fought off two set points to pull within 24-23 before the Tigers secured the final point.

Geist led the Vikings with 12 kills and a .455 hitting percentage. Kocka added eight kills, while Bjorneby finished with six kills, 10 digs and two service aces. Pulju collected a team-high 18 digs, and Schumacher posted 16 assists and 10 digs.

Geist capped her debut weekend with a team-best 47 kills and a .330 hitting percentage. Pulju totaled 51 digs, while Bogenreif and Schumacher each distributed 53 assists. Bjorneby added 43 digs and a team-high six service aces.

UP NEXT
The Vikings return to action Aug. 28-29 at the Bellevue Tournament in Omaha, Nebraska. VCSU will face Benedictine University Mesa and Benedictine College on Friday before closing the tournament Saturday against Grand View University.