UMW Sports Press Release
VALLEY CITY, N.D. — The Bulldogs were back in action today as they took on Dickinson
State (N.D.) and the University of Winnipeg (MB) in Valley City, N.D. The Bulldogs were able
to remain undefeated as they downed both opponents, finishing off the University of Winnipeg (MB) in a five-set match to cap off the day.
“Our team chemistry is great so far. It feels very supportive and very together and I think we are doing an amazing job at sticking to our goal of unity,” junior outside hitter Jazi Smith said. “We are so excited for this conference preseason tournament and I feel confident in every one of my teammates to continue to bring the heat. It is very apparent that we have confidence in each other and the drive within ourselves.”
Redshirt junior Danyel Martin and junior Smith each hit career milestones this weekend. Martin
reached 200 blocks and Smith reached her 500th career kill.
“We always like to keep things interesting and today was no exception. They again showed
perseverance and grit when it mattered most,” Head Coach Katie Lovett said. “We had a lot of
benchmark moments today with Jazi getting her 500th kill and Danyel getting her 200th block that were awesome to celebrate after a good win. We are looking forward to next week and playing in our home gym.”
How It Happened vs. Dickinson State (N.D.)
UMW took control of the game early on in the first set, jumping to a quick 11-3 lead. The
Bulldogs continued to keep their foot on the pedal through the entire set, racking up a combined 14 kills.
The Bulldogs continued to show their might in the second set, grabbing an 11-2 lead behind the powerful Bulldog front that posted seven early kills. The Blue Hawks worked to climb back into the game and brought the score within three points at 18-15. Martin answered with a kill that sparked a 5-0 UMW run. A solo block from Peyton Vogl ended the set at 25-16. UMW posted just two hitting errors in the entire set and hit an impressive .444 in the frame.
In similar fashion to the first two sets, the Bulldogs continued to overpower Dickinson State
(N.D.). Rylee Nickodemus and Taylor Petersen each posted aces early in the set and UMW took a 12-4 lead. Consecutive kills from Smith boosted UMW to a lead of 18-10. The Bulldogs would go on to outscore DSU 7-2 down the stretch and finish the set on top at 25-12.
How It Happened vs. University of Winnipeg (MB)
After a combined block from Vogl and Kaitlyn Van Well, the Bulldogs took a 12-7 lead in the
first frame. The Wesmen made a push that brought the game within four at 18-13, but the
Bulldogs capitalized on a serving error paired with a kill from KayLee Kopp. UMW took the
first set 25-17.
Despite the hot UMW start in the second frame, the Wesman were able to grab their first lead of the set at 9-8. Jordan Olson led the Bulldogs back with a quick 4-0 run, but the Wesman
continued to add to their lead by adding another four straight points. Winnipeg went on to win
the set 25-13 after UMW struggled behind nine hitting errors.
The Bulldogs held the edge over the Wesmen for much of the third set. Despite the 22-19 lead,
UMW allowed Winnipeg to get back in the game as they went on a 6-0 run to top UMW 25-22.
Down two sets to one, the Bulldogs came back out with a vengeance. UMW claimed a 5-1 lead at the jump. Winnipeg fought back into the game, but a kill from Martin helped keep the
Bulldogs on top at 11-8. Kills by UMW kept the team in front but late kills kept Winnipeg alive
for a short while. UMW held off the Wesmen’s comeback attempts for a set four victory at 25-
19.
The Bulldogs’ win in the fourth set was the momentum builder for a strong start in the final
frame. UMW jumped ahead 6-1 on the Wesmen to stay in the driver seat. An ace from Morgyn
Harrison paired with kills from Van Well and Olson finalized the Bulldog victory at 15-4.
Notables
• Montana Western’s 10-0-win streak remains the third longest in school history. The
record is held by the UMW volleyball team from 1998 when they won 15 games in a
row.
• In the first matchup of the day, UMW outhit the Blue Hawks .320 to just .050 in the
match.
• Smith was a powerhouse today, notching a season high 15 kills against the Blue Hawks
and 12 kills against the Wesmen. Smith also had a double-double with 15 digs in the
match against Winnipeg.
• Kaylee Fritz had a season high of 30 assists in the matchup against the University of
Winnipeg.
• Kelsey Goddard continued to lead from the back row with a combined 29 digs in the two
games.
Up Next
Montana Western heads back home for the Frontier Preseason Tournament this upcoming week. The tournament will be held in the Straugh Gymnasium from Sept. 14th through the 16th. Click here to view the full tournament page with game information.
