NDSU Volleyball Travels to Denver and Oral Roberts

THIS WEEK
The North Dakota State (12-7, 6-3 Summit) volleyball staff is again on the highway this week in opposition to Denver (13-8, 5-5 Summit) on Thursday night time at 7:00 p.m. CT. The Bison end the journey at Oral Roberts (2-20, 0-10 Summit) on Saturday. First serve is about for 12:00 p.m.
 
MATCH COVERAGE
GoBison.com: Both contests will characteristic dwell statistics and will likely be streamed on the Summit League Network for subscribers. Links to dwell stats, dwell video and audio may be discovered at GoBison.com/protection.
 
LAST TIME OUT
NDSU snapped a three-match dropping streak after rolling previous Kansas City, 3-0, in Fargo. Lauren Jansen powered the Bison with a match-high 13 kills to go together with 4 digs, three blocks and two service aces. She additionally registered a .480 hitting share on 25 assaults with just one error. Cathy Porter posted a match-high 18 assists with eight digs and three service aces. Rya Borer rounded out the highest performers with a match-best 11 digs and 6 assists.
 
THE SERIES VS. DENVER
This would be the thirty second all-time assembly between NDSU and Denver courting again to 1983 with the Pioneers main the sequence, 20-11. In their most up-to-date assembly earlier this season, Arianna Blohm posted 10 kills with a .714 hitting share to information NDSU previous Denver, 3-0.
 
THE SERIES VS. ORAL ROBERTS
This would be the forty first all-time assembly between NDSU and Oral Roberts courting again to 1982 with the Bison main the sequence, 27-13. The Bison are 7-3 during the last 10 conferences with the Golden Eagles, together with a 3-2 win in Fargo earlier this season. Lauren Jansen posted a double-double with a match-best 17 kills and 14 digs.
 
ORAL ROBERTS CONNECTIONS
Sadie Johnson is the youthful sister of Sophie Johnson, who’s a graduate pupil defensive specialist for Oral Roberts. Sophie began her profession at Southwest Minnesota State with a cease at South Dakota State final season.
 
LINEUP ADJUSTMENTS
The Bison made their first beginning lineup adjustment of the season in opposition to Kansas City final week. Zoe John made her first begin as a Bison at outdoors hitter, whereas Cathy Porter additionally made her first profession begin at setter.
 
THE BBF ADVANTAGE
The Bison have notched a 9-1 document at Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse this season. NDSU gained every of its first eight matches earlier than falling brief in opposition to South Dakota. It marked the very best begin to a house schedule for the reason that 2020 spring season.
 
BRING OUT THE BROOMS
The Bison began the season with back-to-back sweeps after topping Bowling Green, 3-0, and Temple, 3-0. It marked the primary time since 2011 that NDSU opened the season with back-to-back sweeps. NDSU has recorded six whole sweeps to this point this season.
 
LOCKED IN FROM THE SERVICE LINE
NDSU was one of the crucial efficient groups within the Summit League on the service line final season after main the league with 1.65 service aces per set. The Bison have carried that into this season and at present rank second within the Summit League with 1.86 aces per set, which ranks thirty first within the nation. Baily Randall leads the Bison with 0.43 aces per set, which is slotted fourth within the Summit League.
 
MIDDLE PRODUCTION
Arianna Blohm leads NDSU with 68.0 whole blocks and is averaging 0.99 blocks per set, which ranks seventh within the Summit League. She’s additionally one of the crucial environment friendly offensive gamers within the lineup with a team-best .309 hitting share. Blohm has totaled 137 kills on 311 makes an attempt with solely 41 errors this season. Her 137 kills rank third on the staff.
 
CONSISTENT START
Lauren Jansen has reached double digits in kills in 15 matches and leads the Bison with 230 kills, which ranks tied for sixth within the Summit League. She can also be positioned in fifth within the league with a team-best 3.33 kills per set.
 
IMPACT FRESHMAN
Rya Borer has been within the beginning lineup every of the primary 19 matches in her freshman season. She has posted double digits in digs in 15 matches and has totaled a team-high 263 digs, which ranks fourth within the Summit League. She can also be slotted second within the league averaging a team-high 3.93 digs per set.
 
UTILITY PLAYER
After solely showing in two matches primarily as a setter in opposition to Montana and Idaho, Emily Bruss has additionally checked in as an out of doors hitter. She has contributed 12 kills and notched her first profession double-double with 20 assists to go together with 11 digs within the win at Kansas City. Bruss appeared in 18 matches in her freshman season at setter and has totaled 278 profession assists, which ranks second on the staff amongst energetic gamers on the roster.
 
SUMMIT LEAGUE PLAYERS TO WATCH
Senior center blocker Ally Barth and junior outdoors hitter Lauren Jansen had been chosen to the Summit League Players to Watch checklist. Entering the 2025 season, Barth has posted 190 blocks during the last two seasons and has tallied 389 kills. Jansen has tallied 371 kills and is averaging 2.41 kills per set over two seasons. The Plainfield, Ill., native has additionally contributed 49 service aces, together with a career-best and team-high 34 final season.
 
SUMMIT LEAGUE PRESEASON POLL
The Bison had been picked to complete sixth within the Summit League Preseason Coaches’ Poll and garnered 32 factors. South Dakota State earned the highest spot with 62 factors and 6 first place votes.
 
RUNNING THE OFFENSE
The Bison return 61.9 p.c of their help manufacturing from final season after Maddy Dombeck and Emily Bruss mixed for 692 assists of their freshman season. Dombeck handed out a team-best 464 assists over 26 matches final season, whereas Bruss added 228 over 18 matches.
 
EXPERIENCE IN THE LINEUP
NDSU returns seven starters from final season: Baily Randall, Arianna Blohm, Maddy Dombeck, Emma Tallman, Lauren Jansen, Emily Bruss and Ally Barth. Barth leads the staff with 87 matches performed over 4 seasons, whereas Blohm has appeared in 74 matches over three seasons.
 
PORTAL ADDITIONS
The Bison added three gamers within the offseason by way of the switch portal. Cathy Porter joined the Bison after two seasons at Hillsborough Community College and totaled 550 assists over 43 matches. Abi Banitt joined the Bison after two seasons at SIUE. She posted a team-high 355 digs in her freshman season, which ranked ninth within the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC). Zoe John joined the Bison after one season at Pacific and appeared in 23 matches with 96 kills.
 
YOUNG BISON
The Bison have six newcomers on the roster this season, together with three true freshmen: Natasha Kidd, Abby Carpenter and Rya Borer. The roster is constructed of 56 p.c underclassman with three freshman, one redshirt freshman (Sadie Johnson) and 5 sophomores (Tanith Roush, Maddy Dombeck, Layla Haritatos, Emily Bruss and Zoe John).
 
LOOKING BACK AT THE 2024 SEASON
The Bison posted a 12-14 (8-8 Summit) total document final season. NDSU made its third straight look within the Summit League Championship earlier than falling brief in opposition to Denver within the first spherical. It marked the primary time in three seasons that the Bison did not advance to not less than the
semifinal spherical.
 
BIG SHOES TO FILL
NDSU has been working to switch two of probably the most profitable gamers in program historical past every of the final two seasons. Kelley Johnson wrapped up her profession in 2023 and completed with probably the most assists within the NDSU Division I period with 4,019, which ranked sixth all-time in Bison historical past. She was a two-time Summit League Setter of the Year and two-time All-Summit League First Team choice. Ali Hinze completed her profession final season and totaled probably the most kills within the NDSU Division I period with 1,767, which ranked fifth in Bison historical past. Hinze earned All-Summit League honors all 5 seasons, together with being named to the primary staff in 2022 and 2023.
 
THIS IS OUR HOUSE
The Bison have referred to as Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse dwelling since 1978 and have notched a 425-112 total document at dwelling throughout that span. NDSU picked up its four-hundredth win on the BBF after sweeping Kansas City, 3-0, on Oct. 1, 2022.
 
TAKIN’ CARE OF BUSINESS IN THE CLASSROOM
NDSU earned the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Team Academic Award for the thirteenth straight yr in 2024-25. The award acknowledges collegiate and highschool applications throughout the nation that maintained a year-long grade-point common of three.3 on a 4.0 scale. The Bison registered a 3.63 cumulative GPA final season.
 
UP NEXT
NDSU will likely be again in motion internet hosting South Dakota State on Thursday, Nov. 6. First serve is about for 7:00 p.m., at Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse.