After a near-perfect season, the Jacks won’t walk away with the championship.
USD defeated the Jackrabbits in a five-set thriller as SDSU suffered its second loss of the season and finished second in the Summit League title race.
With their backs against the wall, down 2-1, SDSU came out firing with three early kills from Joslyn Richardson and two from Sydni Schetnan, pushing the score to 8-2 before a USD timeout. Sylvie Zgonc came alive in set four with five kills. SDSU’s largest lead of the set was 11, and the final score was 25-16, forcing a fifth set.
With everything on the line, SDSU went up 3-1 over the Coyotes before a 6-0 run put USD up 7-3. After a Zgonc kill, the Jacks closed the gap with a score of 8-6. USD reached match point up 14-8, and after two straight SDSU points, the Yotes ended South Dakota State’s fantastic season, winning 15-10 and beating the Jacks in five.
SDSU took a hit offensively, as outside hitter Katie Van Egdom sat out of the championship match seemingly because of an injury suffered in the semifinal win over Denver.
The Jackrabbits totaled only 61 kills to USD’s 73. SDSU led at the net, winning the blocking battle with 13 sendbacks.
The first was a close one. The two in-state rivals traded points to start the match, making the score 12-12. The Coyotes then took a 15-13 lead.
The Jacks responded with a 4-0 run led by three straight points from Madison Burr. After a block party for the Jacks led by Alyssa Groves and Schetnan, the Jacks took set one 25-20.
Like the first, the second set started close before a USD run propelled them to an 11-7 lead. SDSU pulled back in within one, making the score 15-16 after an Annalee Ventling-Brown kill, but the firepower of the Coyotes was just too much, and USD tied the match up at one set apiece with a 25-18 win in the second set.
The two teams traded points in the third set until USD opened up a sizable 17-10 lead. Schetnan came up with multiple massive kills before a Zgonc kill closed the lead to 21-19 with the Coyotes up two. The lead again grew in the Coyotes’ favor and USD took a 2-1 lead with a 25-19 victory.
Zgonc led the team in kills with 19, adding seven digs and one ace. Groves joined her teammate with double-digit kills, totaling 10 and four blocks. Jackrabbit outside hitter Schetnan led the team defensively with five blocks.
Both Schetnan and Groves were named to the all-tournament team.
On the other side of the net, Kylen Sealock tallied 23 kills and six digs, winning the tournament MVP award. Cheyenne Hlade had 18 kills and seven digs. Lauren Medeck had a double-double with 13 kills and 19 digs.
The Jackrabbits still have a chance to reach the NCAA tournament as an at-large bid as they ranked 29th in the country in RPI (Ratings Percentage Index) before the match. The team will have to wait until Sunday to hear their fate during the selection show broadcast on ESPN.
