No. 6 Jimmies win twice at CSM Labor Day Classic

NORTH SIOUX CITY, S.D.-- The sixth-ranked University of Jamestown volleyball team opened play Friday at the United Sports Academy/CSM Labor Day Classic with a pair of victories, defeating Tennessee Southern and Saint Mary (Kan.)

Jamestown improves to 9-1 overall and will play two more matches at the Classic on Saturday. UJ takes on Rocky Mountain (Mont.) at 9 a.m. and Presentation (S.D.) at 1 p.m.

#6 Jamestown 3, Tennessee Southern 0 (25-14, 25-18, 25-17)

The Jimmies recorded their fifth sweep of the season with a straight set victory over Tennessee Southern (3-6).

After UT Southern pulled within a point at 13-12 in set one, Jamestown won the next three and 12 of the last 14 to take the opener. Lexi Olson (SO/Langdon, N.D.) had four kills and Aleah Zieske (SO/Spicer, Minn.) three as UJ outhit the Firehawks .367 to .156, making only three attack errors.

Jamestown trailed 3-2 early in the second set before opening up a 14-6 advantage on the way to a 2-0 match lead. Olson again paced the offense with four kills while Anna Holen (SR/LaMoure, N.D.) added three. The Jimmies again outhit UT Southern .293 to .229 on the strength of 17 kills.

UJ never trailed in set three, closing out the sweep with a 25-17 set win. Sixteen kills and a .375 hitting percentage were the key for the Jimmies, coupled with forcing the Firehawks into five attack errors against only seven kills.

Olson finished the match with 12 kills and hit .588 on 17 attempts while Zieske hit .400 with eight kills. Kalli Hegerle (SR/West Fargo, N.D.) passed out 19 assists and Ellie Holen (JR/LaMoure, N.D.) led the defense with 17 digs.

#6 Jamestown 3, Saint Mary (Kan.) 2 (23-25, 25-19, 18-25, 25-16, 15-7)

After the teams split the first two sets, UJ pulled ahead 15-13 before the Spires responded with five straight and nine of the next 10 to take a 2-1 match lead.

With their backs against the wall, the Jimmies took a commanding 14-6 fourth set lead and did not allow Saint Mary to get any closer than six points. The final six Jamestown points came on kills, with Lexi Olson and Anna Holen putting back-to-back balls to the floor to even the match.

In the deciding fifth set, UJ started off on a 5-0 run and led by as many as nine before ending with a 15-7 win. The Jimmies hit an even .500 while the Spires made six attack errors and hit just -.053.

Holen was one of three Jamestown players with at least 12 kills, finishing with 15. Olson hit .520 with 14 kills and Hegerle had a triple-double of 12 kills, 31 assists, and 12 digs. Paige Oswald (JR/Frazee, Minn.) passed out 27 assists to go along with seven digs.

Ellie Holen (22) and Anna Holen (15) led the defense in digs, while Olson (six block assists) and Logan Sherman (JR/Marshall, Minn.) (five) combined for 11 of UJ's 16 block assists.