BOISE, Idaho (UNLVRebels.com) - The UNLV volleyball team pushed North Dakota State to the limit Saturday afternoon at the Boise State Classic, but the Rebels could not close out the match as the Bison rallied for a 3-2 victory, 21-25, 25-15, 21-25, 25-15, 16-14, at ExtraMile Arena.
HOW IT HAPPENED: The five-set loss capped a difficult weekend for the Rebels, who dropped to 0-5 on the season. North Dakota State improved to 4-1 after completing its run through the Boise State Classic. UNLV appeared poised to secure its first victory of the season after taking two of the first three sets, but the Bison responded by forcing a deciding fifth set. The Rebels battled throughout the final frame before NDSU edged UNLV, 16-14, in a tense finish. In set five, the Rebels tied it up 14-14 but could not close the door. North Dakota State responded with two consecutive points to secure the 16-14 victory.
Despite the loss, UNLV produced one of its strongest offensive performances of the young season, finishing with 51 kills on 159 attacks and hitting .176. The Scarlet & Gray also matched the Bison with 16 blocks and finished with 66 digs. The Bison, however, generated 62 kills and hit .197 while holding advantages in assists, 54-48, and service aces, 7-4.
Basia Latos finished with a team-high 17 kills on 50 attacks while hitting .220. She also contributed 12 digs and three blocks, finishing with a team-best 18.5 points. Jaida Harris provided another major offensive contribution with 13 kills on 38 attempts, hitting .237. Harris added 10 digs, three blocks and two service aces, finishing with 16.5 points. Jada Ingram was particularly efficient offensively, recording six kills on 14 attacks for a .357 hitting percentage while adding six blocks, including one solo block.
Kamryn Scroggins orchestrated the UNLV attack with a season-high 37 assists while also collecting 12 digs. Arrie Brown anchored the defensive effort with a match-high 20 digs. UNLV recorded 66 digs compared with North Dakota State's 70. The Bison finished with 11 more kills while committing only five more attack errors than UNLV.
North Dakota State, however, was able to lean on a dominant offensive performance from Arianna Blohm, who recorded 23 kills on 50 attacks while hitting .320. Blohm also contributed four blocks and an ace, finishing with a match-high 26 points. Zoe John added 12 kills for the Bison, while Emma Tallman finished with 11. Sarah Pfiffner orchestrated the North Dakota State attack with 42 assists and added 12 digs. The Bison also received strong defensive efforts from Maddy Dombeck and Rya Borer, who each recorded 17 digs.
UP NEXT: The Rebels head to Northridge, California for the CSUN hosted Linda Murphy Ridge Invitational where they will face the host Matadors on Friday, Sept. 11 at 6 pm, followed by Fresno State on Saturday, Sept. 12 at 1 pm before they wrap up the tournament against San Francisco on Sunday, Sept. 13 at 11 am.
