Utah Tech University Athletics

Women's Volleyball 9/6/2013 10:57:00 PM Jeff Cluff, Coordinator of Media Relations

Dixie State Prevails Over Northwest Nazarene in Season Opener

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SAINT GEORGE, Utah – Starting your season at home for the first time in the Division II era sure helped the Dixie State volleyball team get off to a great start by defeating visiting Northwest Nazarene 31-29, 25-23, 22-25, 25-17, in a nonconference volleyball match at the Student Activities Center.

The Red Storm (1-0 overall) was successful tonight in the doing the little things that led them to victory over the Crusaders (0-1 overall). It was a very balanced attack for DSU, four players had ten or more kills and five players finished with ten or more digs.

Those small things started early, as DSU won a 31-29 scrappy dogfight of a set in the opening game. The game was tied 12 times and had eight lead changes.

A kill by Shannon Young (Whittier, CA/St Paul) tied the game at 29 and then a soft floater from setter Shelby Sorenson (Lehi, UT/Lehi) gave the Red Storm a 30-29 lead. Nicole Koehler (Sandy, UT/Alta) finished off the Crusaders with an ace and gave the Red Storm a 1-0 lead.

Dixie State used that momentum to build an 11-5 edge in the second set before the Crusaders rallied.

NNU took the third set with a late surge, charging to the win with an 8-2 run after falling behind 20-17.

But Dixie State finished off the win as four straight hitting errors by NNU broke a 13-all tie in the fourth set, and the Red Storm never let the advantage slip away.

Young led a balanced attack for the Red Storm with 15 kills and 16 digs while Hannah Harrah (Saint George, UT/Dixie) added 12 kills and 11 digs, Koehler had 11 kills and Kendahl Weiland (Albany, OR/West Albany) had 10 kills and 11 digs. Alex Anderson (Prescott, AZ/Prescott) added 28 digs for Dixie State and Sorenson dished out 55 assists in the win.

Andrea Terpstra led the Crusaders with 19 kills and Elayna Rice added 22 digs.

The two teams do battle again tomorrow at Noon in the Student Activities Center.

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