Mystics Volleyball Earns First Top 10 Victory in Weekend Sweep

Reach for the Sky - Jordyn Rood goes for a spike against Montana State University Northern.

Bismarck State College volleyball dominated the #8 Providence Argos and Montana State University Northern Skylights to open up home conference play. They did not drop a single set the whole weekend, earning two 3-0 victories.

First came Friday night, when the Mystics took on Coach Arunas Duda’s top-ranked Argos. From the beginning, it was clear the Mystics could match Providence on the court.

In set 1, both teams battled to 22-22, but the Mystics prevailed on a 3-point run capped by Ashlee Stanger’s decisive kill.

Set 2 was a battle in the early phases, but the Mystics managed to pull away and grow a 5-point lead. The Mystics had seven set points, and they managed to survive a late Providence rally to win 25-22.

Set 3 was the closest set in the match, with Providence jumping out to a 10-5 lead. The Mystics showed discipline and knotted up the score five times. Up 24-23, the Mystics watched a service ace fly long and out of bounds, sealing a signature win for the program.

This victory was BSC’s first ever win against an NAIA top-25 opponent, bringing them to a 1-9 record against ranked foes. It was also their first win against the Argos, moving the all-time series to 1-2.

BSC kept the momentum rolling on Saturday afternoon against the Skylights, riding the energy of the previous night’s upset victory. Set 1 was dominant, with the Mystics jumping out to a 10-2 lead. Everything clicked offensively and defensively, and they won 25-12.

Set 2 was much closer, and the Skylights battled to a 25-24 lead. Jordyn Rood and the Mystics rallied three straight points to steal set two by the narrowest margin.

Montana State University Northern built a 7-point lead in set three, but the Mystics went on three 4-point runs to take a narrow lead late in the match. The Skylights had a 24-23 advantage late in the game, but for the second straight set, the Mystics scored the last three points, finishing with a kill from Reese Duchsherer.

This win extended BSC’s first winning streak at the NAIA level to three games, pushing them into a tie for sixth place in the Frontier Conference. Bismarck now has a 2-1 record in the new Bavendick Center and will host Carroll College and Rocky Mountain on the last weekend in Sept. The contest against Carroll will start at 6 p.m. on Friday the 25, and Saturday’s game against Rocky Mountain will begin at 2 p.m.