#2 Jimmies sweep No. 15 College of Saint Mary, advance to NAIA quarters

SIOUX CITY, Iowa-- The second-ranked University of Jamestown volleyball team swept No. 15 College of Saint Mary (Neb.) Friday morning to advance to the quarterfinals of the NAIA Women's Volleyball Championship for the fourth straight season. Set scores were 25-23, 25-13, 25-22.

Jamestown (34-2) will face 16th-ranked Columbia (Mo.) at 5 p.m. on Saturday, in the third of four quarterfinal matches. The winner of Jamestown-Columbia will take on the winner of Midland (Neb.) and Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) Monday at 8 p.m. in the semifinals.

Friday's first set was a back and forth affair, with the largest lead being UJ's at 10-6. A Kalli Hegerle (SR/West Fargo, N.D.) kill made it 18-15 and forced a Flame timeout. CSM responded with four straight points and five of the next six, pulling in front 20-19. Three in a row from the Jimmies made it 22-20 and the Flames took their second timeout of the set. UJ had three set points following a CSM attack error, but kills by Lexie Langley and Kamryn Willman cut the lead to one. Out of a Jamestown timeout, Lexi Olson (SO/Langdon, N.D.) put home the winning point to give UJ a 1-0 match lead.

Jamestown hit .448 and made only two errors in set two, racing out to leads of 6-0 and 11-3. The Jimmies had seven multiple-point runs while the Flames' longest streak was four points. Aleah Zieske (SO/Spicer, Minn.) and Hegerle each had four kills in the frame and Lexi Olson added three, combining for 11 of UJ's 15 kills.

CSM took the early edge in the third set, going ahead 4-1 and 9-5 before Jamestown reeled off 11 of the next 15 points. The Flames held their own, getting within one point four times down the stretch. With a 23-22 lead, Anna Holen (SR/LaMoure, N.D.) put the Jimmies at match point with her 13th kill, and the clinching point came on a CSM attack error.

Hegerle (14), Holen (13), and Zieske (10) all finished with double-figure kill totals. Olson hit .615 with eight kills as UJ hit .368 as a team. Hegerle also passed out 26 assists while Paige Oswald (JR/Frazee, Minn.) ended with 17. Ellie Holen (JR/LaMoure, N.D.) led the defense with 15 digs, followed by Anna Holen with 13. Olson had five block assists with Zieske adding four.

The Flames (21-9) were led by Langley's 12 kills. Lauren Anderson had 22 assists and Rachel Cushing finished with 15 digs.