Sept. 2, 2000

SIOUX CITY, Iowa - The University of South Dakota women's volleyball team defeated Wayne State College and fell to Morningside College on Saturday to finish 2-2 at the Morningside College Labor Day Volleyball Tournament. The Coyotes are now 5-4 on the season and have already won more matches than in the previous two seasons combined.

USD defeated the Wayne State Wildcats three game to none (15-10, 15-3, 15-11) before falling to fellow North Central Conference foe Morningside College three games to none (2-15, 12-15, 3-15) on Saturday.

The Coyotes got off to a positive start on Saturday by defeating Wayne State in three games. Earlier this week, the Coyotes and the Wildcats went five games in a hard-fought, intense match won by USD at the DakotaDome. On the neutral court at Morningside, the Coyotes dominated the Wildcats in a match that lasted 70 minutes. Sophomore Amber Abrams of Rapid City, S.D., who recorded 12 kills on 25 attacks for a .320 hitting percentage led USD. Junior Nicole Johnson of Slayton, Minn. added 10 kills on 18 attacks for a .444 hitting percentage. The Coyotes also got nine kills on 20 attacks from sophomore Sarah Vollertson of Palymra, Neb., who had three block solos as USD recorded nine team blocks. Overall, USD had 44 kills on 103 attacks for a .243 hitting percentage. The Coyotes record 38 defensive digs and had six solo blocks. Freshman Angela Golesh of Lakewood, Colo. led the Coyotes with 32 set assists while sophomore Leslie Fusinato of Spring Valley, Ill. had a team-high 10 defensive digs.

Wayne State received eight kills from Lindsey Koch and six kills from Jessie Erwin.

Morningside defeated USD by converting 51 kills in 103 attacks for a .379 hitting percentage. Still, the Coyotes received a solid performance from Vollertson, who recorded 12 kills on 29 total attacks for a hitting percentage of .241. Over the past five games, Vollertson is averaging 12 kills per game.

Also against Morningside, Abrams had nine kills on 15 total attacks. Fusinato led the Coyotes with 11 defensive digs while sophomore Katie Wancho of Reddick, Ill. had 17 set assists and freshman Angela Golesh of Lakewood, Colo. added 10 set assists.

The Coyotes play at the NCC/NSIC Cross-Over Tournament next weekend in Rochester, Minn.