The SDSU women’s volleyball team won a conference game on Sunday afternoon 3-1 against NDSU. The Jacks rallied after losing the first set 21-25, winning the next three sets 25-22, 25-15 and 25-9, respectively.

SDSU started off a little bit slow and dropped the first set against the Bison with a score of 25-21. Kaitlin Klingemann had 5 kills alone in the first set that kept the Jackrabbits close until a four-point streak by the Bison ended the set in the Bison’s favor.

The Jackrabbits then began to bounce back with more aggression.

Head coach Phil McDaniel said he liked the way the team battled back after a tough first set.

“We had to play a complete game in this one to get the win, and our girls understood that,” McDaniel said. “They went out there and got better as the game went on.”

The Jackrabbits took shape in the second set as they began and kept things close through most of it. Near the end of the set, the Jacks gained some momentum on two straight powerful kills by Kelli Fiegen. The Jacks won the second set with a score of 25-22 to tie the match at 1-1 going into the break.

McDaniel said he told his team to just keep working and staying strong on defense.

“Our team prides itself on working together and feeding off opportunities that our players give each other,” McDaniel said.

The Jackrabbits gained and held all of the momentum in the third set. After leading 15-14, SDSU went on a 9-1 run and went on to win the set, 25-15.

The fourth set was just as impressive to start as the Jacks continued their run with a six-point streak. Kelli Fiegen had five blocks in the game, and her fourth set defense held the Bison to only nine offensive points in the final set.

McDaniel said he’s fortunate to have a player like Fiegen.

“She plays effective on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball, and most teams don’t have a player like that,” McDaniel said.

Shay Birath finished the game with 27 digs in the game. She earned Summit League Player of the Week honors for getting back-to-back weekend games with at least 20 digs in each game. Kaitlin Klingemann was the leading scorer in Sunday’s game against the Bison with 18 points.

The Jacks are currently 2-0 in the Summit League and 9-3 overall. They are scheduled for another conference matchup Sept. 21 at Frost Arena against IUPUI.