BGSU volleyball (1-1) traveled all the way to Fargo, N.D., for the NDSU/UND tournament, where the Falcons faced a doubleheader against Temple and NDSU.
Head coach Alex DelPiombo picked up her first win as head coach of the Falcons against Temple despite not being present today and staying home in Bowling Green.
The Falcons went 1-1 on the day, beating the Owls in four but getting swept by NDSU later in the day.
Game One: Temple
Bowling Green struggled in the first set against Temple and was down 13-10 early on due to serving, blocking, and hitting errors.
However, the Falcons managed to keep things close with some strong hitting, but the Owls held onto their lead with some great defensive efforts.
After closing the lead to one at 15-14, Temple went on a fast 3-0 run to make the score 18-14, forcing acting head coach Chelsi Carter to call a timeout.
The Orange and Brown then went on a 7-0 run, which was followed by a 4-0 Temple run, bringing the score to 23-21 in favor of the Owls. The Owls went on to win the set 25-22.
In the second set, the Owls led 15-13, keeping the Falcons in the rear view until late in the set when BG strung together another lengthy run of 5-0 to tie the set at 22-22.
Late in the second set, the BGSU offense finally broke through the Temple defense, and the Falcons won the set 26-24.
Bowling Green looked to continue their momentum in the third set, keeping a slight lead over TU until the score reached 15-13 with strong blocking and attacks.
The Owls then went on a 5-0 run to turn the lead into their own at 18-14, which compelled a BG timeout. Serve receive continued to be a problem for the Falcons; they allowed Temple to get too many free balls at the end of the set, and the Owls capitalized on them.
The score was 23-20 and looked like a set win for the Owls, but the Orange and Brown refocused and took five straight points from Temple and won the third set 25-23.
The fourth set remained close until the score was 13-13, when the Falcons took control of the match with an 8-0 scoring run and would go on to win the fourth and last set 25-18.
The Falcons showcased their experience and offensive prowess in this match, falling behind 0-1 but winning three sets in a row for a 3-1 victory.
Senior right side Lauryn Hovey led her team to the win with an all-around performance in this match, scoring 19 kills on a .302 hitting percentage, seven digs, and five total blocks.
Another BG leader, junior setter Amanda Otten, also played well, assisting her teammates 42 times and picking up 10 digs in the match.
Game Two: North Dakota State
Just like in the match against Temple earlier in the day, NDSU got out to an early lead in the first set against Bowling Green.
The Bison would hold this lead throughout the first set of the game and go up 1-0 in the match with a set score of 25-18.
North Dakota State again took hold of the lead in the second set against the Falcons, who would again fall behind due to errors and failed serve-receive attempts.
The lead would be stretched to five after a 4-0 NDSU run late in the set, making the score 19-14. Bison hitters looked very poised and made smart plays down the stretch.
BG tried to make the set interesting but came up short, losing the second set 25-20 and going down 0-2 in the match.
The third set opened with back and forth between the two teams, but despite the Falcons looking settled into the game, the Bison seemed to be in control.
Coach Carter would be pushed to call a timeout after a 4-0 run from NDSU. Bowling Green came out of the timeout and made a comeback, taking a lead of 15-14 over the Bison.
After back-and-forth runs from both squads, North Dakota State found themselves up 23-21 as Carter called her last timeout of the set.
All game, the Bison utilized well-placed swings and a solid defense to force the Falcons to make the majority of mistakes, and it worked effectively, trapping the Orange and Brown hitters and causing them to miss their marks or be blocked.
The Falcons managed to claw their way back again, but fell short by a Bison team that outplayed them in this one. The final score was 26-24, and a sweep by NDSU.
BGSU had 26 attack errors and a hitting percentage of .085 as a team. Comparatively, North Dakota State had just 16 attack errors and a .190 hitting percentage.
Junior outside hitter Lauren Jansen had a game-high 12 kills on a .320 hitting percentage. Her high-quality hitting helped to lift her team up and win against Bowling Green.
The Falcons will be back in action tomorrow at 12:00 p.m. EST against St. Mary’s at Betty Engelstad Sioux Center in Grand Forks, N.D. Falcon Media Sports Network’s Ben Corak will be on WBGU 88.1 FM with the call starting at 11:45 a.m. EST.
