Hora, Beaner in Double Figures

Friday, September 25

Frost Arena

7:00 PM

South Dakota State University

1-15, 0-1

Omaha

6-8, 1-0

Team	1	2	3	4	Final F
Omaha	25	9	25	25	3
South Dakota State	16	25	17	23	1

9/25/2015 11:08:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

By: SDSU Sports Info

BROOKINGS, S.D.—Sophomores Mikala Hora and Ashley Beaner both were in double digits in kills Friday, but the South Dakota State volleyball team came up short in its Summit League opener, losing 16-25, 25-9, 17-25 and 23-25 to Omaha in Frost Arena.

"I couldn't be happier with the way we played. Teams don't lose when you are hitting .341," first-year head coach Nicole Cirillo said. "There were just a few key things we could have switched to come back the last few points, but we fought, we competed and that's all I can ask for."

Hora (Yankton) had a match-high 13 kills and team-high 15 digs for her third double-double of the season. Beaner collected 10 kills. Defensively, senior Alana Pengilly (Watertown) had 15 digs, senior Lizzie Palmer (Sioux Falls) 12 digs and freshman Ellie Benson (Sioux Falls) 11 digs.

Mackenzie Horkey led Omaha with 13 kills while Megan Schmale added 12 kills and Kelley Wollak 10 kills. Libero Kimberly Bailey had a match-high 28 digs.

The Jackrabbit kept Omaha within reach in the first set, trailing 11-7, but the Mavericks used a 9-2 run to push the score to 20-9. SDSU cut the lead to 22-11 on senior Kacey Herrmann's (Rapid City) kill, but Omaha capitalized on three kills for the win.

In the second set, the teams battled to five ties before the Jackrabbits went on a 19-2 run for the win. Hora and senior Wagner Larson (Sioux Falls) each had three kills while Omaha committed nine attack errors and a service error.

"They helped us out. They put themselves in a hole early by having a lot errors, but we continued to put the pressure on them and force them to make errors," Cirillo said.

Neither team hit well in the third set, but the Mavericks raced out to a 7-1 lead with the help of four SDSU attack errors and three blocks. Omaha built a 21-9 lead but the Jackrabbit fought hard, outscoring the Mavericks 8-4, but it wasn't enough.

"They are a good blocking team and they showed it in the third set. We limited them in set one and two," Cirillo said. "We started to get over anxious and started freely swinging. We picked it up and gave ourselves a chance by getting our feet set and hitting higher."

The Jackrabbits played well in the four set with neither team gaining more than a two-point advantage the entire set. After 10 lead changes and the score locked at 22, Omaha collected two kills to take a 24-22 lead. After an Omaha service error to make it a one-point set, a Wollak kill sealed the win.

The Jackrabbits return to action Saturday at 8 p.m. when they host Oral Roberts.