GRAND FORKS, N.D. – The North Dakota volleyball team battled in its season opener, falling to Saint Mary's in five sets (25-16, 17-25, 22-25, 25-17, 15-6) on Friday evening from the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center.

The Fighting Hawks fell behind 1-0 early, before winning the next two sets then eventually dropping the final two sets. Paige Barber totaled 14 kills, Sadie White dished out 34 assists and Marianna Rivera swatted four blocks (four block assists), all good for game highs. White's 34 assists were the most in a UND season opener since 2018.

North Dakota fell 25-16 in set one, as the frame featured two ties and one lead change. The Hawks jumped out to 2-0 and 5-3 advantages, headlined by two kills from Barber. The Gaels answered with a 12-4 run to claim a 15-9 lead. They did not look back and took set one.

UND fell behind 9-5 in set two but rallied quickly with a 7-2 run to take the lead 12-11, causing a Saint Mary's timeout. The Hawks scored the next three points out of the timeout, one off a Matthea Dalton Kill and two off attack errors from the Gaels. The Fighting Hawks went on to take set 2 by a 25-17 margin, behind three kills each from Barber and Dalton, off seven dimes from White.

Set three was another impressive comeback, as the Hawks found themselves trailing by as many as six. Down 12-6, UND used a 5-0 burst to come within one, eventually tying the match up at 19-19. North Dakota was able to reach 25 points first, winning set three by a score of 25-22.

The Hawks jumped out to a 5-3 lead in set four, but the Gaels used a 9-3 spurt to take a 12-8 advantage. The Gaels didn't trail the rest of the frame and took set four 25-17.

In the rubber set, UND was unable to gain a lead. The Hawks trailed just 3-2 after five points but ended up falling 15-6 in set five.

North Dakota will return to the court on Sunday at 10:30 a.m. as they host Temple. Coverage can be found on Summit League Network.

Postgame Notes

• White had 34 of the team's 36 assists, her 34 assists were the most in a UND season opener since 2018 when Roosa Rautio had 34 assists vs. Rice
• Barber recorded her 28th career game with 10 or more kills
• UND drops to 21-29 all-time in season openers and 0-1 vs. Saint Mary's
• The match featured a total of 12 ties and seven lead changes
• Rivera's four block assists were a career best
• Dalton (8), An den Hamer (7) and Rivera (7) combined for 22 kills

How It Happened
Set 1: Saint Mary's, 25-16
Set 2: UND, 25-17
Set 3: UND, 25-22
Set 4: Saint Mary's 25-17
Set 5: Saint Mary's 15-6

For more information on North Dakota Volleyball, visit Fightinghawks.com or follow-on social media @UNDvolleyball.
--UND--