DICKINSON, N.D. - The Carroll volleyball team continued its winning ways on Thursday evening, picking up a four-set victory over Dickinson State in its third of four games within the week in North Dakota.
While the Fighting Saints (12-3, 7-1) did drop their first frame of the week-long road trip, they had little issue picking up win No. 3 on the week in their four-set battle with the Blue Hawks (4-11, 3-5).
Feeding off the momentum of a pair of early-week sweeps of Mayville State and Valley City State, the Saints came out firing on all cylinders in the first frame. Leading 12-9, Carroll rattled off a 6-0 run that featured a pair of kills from Lauren Heuiser (Helena, Mont. / SR), and three more from 2025 All-Frontier selection McKaila Balcom (Pasco, Wash. / SR). The run would prove too much for DSU to handle, and the Saints powered on for a dominant 25-13 win.
Carroll struggled to get any sort of attack rolling in the second set, hitting just .044 as a team, leading to a 25-15 set win for the Blue Hawks. However, from that point forward the match shifted heavily back in favor of the Purple and Gold.
While the Saints' attack was nowhere near perfect in the third frame, it was effective enough to lift them to yet another 25-13 set win. The Heuiser sisters, Lauren and Birdie (Helena, Mont. / SO), combined for seven kills while Dickinson State hit .000 as Carroll put the Blue Hawks on the ropes.
Carroll raced out to a 5-1 lead in the fourth frame and never looked back. For every advance the Blue Hawks made, Carroll had an answer, maintaining at least a three-point cushion throughout their 25-18 win to take the match three sets to one.
Season kill leader Lauren Heuiser has been a large part of Carroll's best start in over a decade, again leading all players with 13 kills on the evening. Birdie Heuiser was hot on her heels, finishing the night with 12, while McKaila Balcom added 11 as well.
Both Lauren Heuiser and Kaylen Hay (Pocatello, Idaho / R-SO) finished with three blocks in the win, while Sofia Kimmel (Bozeman, Mont. / SO) added a match-high 26 digs defensively. Jansyn Carrizales (Sunnyside, Wash. / SR) tallied 23 assists, while Lauren Fox (Bozeman, Mont. / SO) added 19 more to help Carroll continue its hot streak.
The Saints will face their final test of the week tomorrow night, as they take on Bismarck State at 5 p.m. (MST), looking to complete the impressive road swing unbeaten.
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