Outside hitters Kate Berg and Hanna Meyer gave outstanding contributions in the University of Minnesota Duluth 3-0 rout of Minot State University on Friday in Minot, N.D. The Beavers couldn't contain the duo the entire night as they contiuned to end rallies. Berg and Meyer combined to blast 33 kills on a staggering .500 hitting clip. The Bulldogs finished the match with a .313 attack percentage and improved to 9-3 and 3-1 in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference. Minot State dropped to 6-6 and 1-3 in the NSIC.
Berg, the sophomore from Medina, Minn., posted a season high 15 kills in the contest and hit .481 on 27 swings. Meyer, the junior from Tomahawk, Wis., was even more impressive compiling a collegiate high 18 kills to lead all players. Meyer hammered sets by junior Emily Torve all night as she committed only three errors on 29 attacks to hit a robust .517.
The Bulldogs took the opening set 25-21 and led for the majority of the opener. The Beavers took a brief lead at 19-18 but UMD closed on a 6-2 run thanks to the balanced attack. Meyer, Berg, junior middle blocker Abby Thor and senior outside hitter Makenzie Morgen all had at least four kills in the first set alone. Minot State wouldn't falter in the second set as it rebounded to hit ,412. To the Bulldogs credit, they hit .375 and always stayed a point ahead. The Beavers never trailed by more than three points in the set but UMD prevailed 25-23. The final set featured the Bulldogs on a run-away freight train. UMD had 15 kills in the set and hit .481 to smoke Minot State 25-10 in the final frame.
Shelby Spuller had 16 kills for the Beavers but needed a total of 51 swings to do so. Minot State hit .151 for the match. Junior defensive specialist Keena Seiffert scooped 15 digs including 10 in the first set. Morgen was close behind with 11 digs of her own and Berg was one dig shy of a double-double.
The Bulldogs are 9-0 against Minot State since their first meeting in 2012 and has swept Minot State in all nine meetings.
UMD takes on the University of Mary tomorrow afternoon at McDowell Athletic Center in Bismarck, N.D.
