Volleyball Falls in Four Games to South Dakota State
Oct. 7, 2004
BROOKINGS, S.D. - Senior All-American Erin Deffenbaugh matched her season-high with 25 kills but it was not enough as the University of Northern Colorado volleyball team fell in four sets to former North Central Conference and fellow Division I Independent rival South Dakota State on Thursday by scores of 27-30, 30-25, 27-30 and 28-30.
South Dakota State (8-9) was able to snap a three-match losing streak against the Bears (11-7), who dropped the first set of the match 30-27, marking only the eighth time this season that has happened. The trip to the Dakota's (UNC plays at North Dakota State tomorrow night) was the first since the 2002 season, when all three teams were members of the North Central Conference, now all are reclassifying to Division I.
But after losing game one, UNC bounced back and evened the match at 1-1 but then went on to drop the final two games. That marked only the second time in six matches this season the Bears had lost after the match was tied at 1-1.
"This was probably the best we have fought all year long, and we played incredible at times," head coach Ron Alexander said afterward. "But in each game, other than game two which we won, we had four or five point letdowns and they took advantage of it. We saw some things tonight we have been striving to do, we just have to put that effort together for an entire match."
Deffenbaugh matched her season kill total also set against New Mexico and Montana to push her career total to 2,200, only eight away from 10th place all-time. She also added 16 digs and hit .292.
Sophomore Terin Ledall had her second consecutive solid match, notching 12 kills and a career-high 21 digs. Maggie Ledall added 14 kills and six blocks while hitting .333.
Senior Danelle Angus added 13 kills and a career-high eight blocks. Junior setter Corrinne Chapin added 60 set assists and a career-high 18 digs.
UNC had 76 digs on the night and hit .242 as a team. SDSU, who was led by 23 kills from Minette Ridenour, hit .249 as a team. UNC had 32 total block assists on the night.
The Bears are back in action tomorrow night at 6 p.m. mountain time when they play North Dakota State in Fargo.
Match Notes: UNC leads the all-time series 17-8 ... Deffenbaugh reached 20-plus kills for the 50th time in her career (in 119 career matches); she needs eight attempts on Friday to move into No. 6 place in NCAA history in career attempts ... Deffenbaugh now has 1,611 career digs and will need three to move into fourth place in UNC history, five to move into third place and 11 to move into second place all-time in program history ... UNC fell to 2-1 against D-I Independents this year.
