VALLEY CITY, N.D. - The Carroll College volleyball team fared well in the second leg of their four-game sprint on the week, topping Valley City State in straight sets at the W.C. Osmon Fieldhouse.
The Fighting Saints (11-3, 6-1) aced part two of their four-part test, blanking the Vikings (4-10, 2-5) to continue their best start to Frontier play in over a decade.
Tuesday's opening frame belonged solely to Carroll, as the Saints hit .378, their third-highest attack percentage in a set all season, in a 25-13 rout. The Saints opened the frame on a scorching 14-5 run, spurred by multiple kills each from Lauren Heuiser (Helena, Mont. / SR), McKaila Balcom (Pasco, Wash. / SR), Sofia Kimmel (Bozeman, Mont. / SO), and Birdie Heuiser (Helena, Mont. / SO).
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The final two sets of the evening would not go as smoothly, however, with Carroll needing extra points to finish off the pair.
The early stages of the second set were a back-and-forth battle, with neither team able to create much separation. Carroll provided the frame's first extended run, a 5-0 burst led by a pair of kills by Lauren Heuiser, and several errors by the Vikings. VCSU responded with a 5-0 run of their own to take a 19-17 lead. The Saints had a chance to put the set to rest following a 4-0 run in the late stages, but VCSU would find a way to level things up once again at 24-24. Sofia Kimmel and Birdie Heuiser would prove the difference, putting down back-to-back kills that gave Carroll a 26-24 win.
Two kills by Birdie Heuiser and a pair of aces by Lauren Fox (Bozeman, Mont. / SO) gave the Saints an early lead in the third and final set. From there, the teams exchanged blows for the rest of the frame, eventually leading to another 24-24 deadlock. Birdie Heuiser again came up clutch for Carroll, as her eighth kill of the night would put the Saints in the lead for good.
Lauren Heuiser led all players with 11 kills, while also finishing the night second on the team with seven digs and a block.
Lauren Fox and Jansyn Carrizales (Sunnyside, Wash. / SR) combined for 30 assists on the night, while Sofia Kimmel posted a team-best 14 digs in addition to one ace and a block.
The Saints will enjoy one brief day of rest before resuming the marathon week in North Dakota on Thursday evening for a 6 p.m. match at Dickinson State.
Be sure to visit www.carrollathletics.com for a full recap of the action, and for complete coverage of the Fighting Saints all season long.
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