JACKS GO 2-0 BEHIND ZGONC’S 20-KILL GAMES

Friday, September 4

Brookings, S.D.

12:30 p.m.

South Dakota State University

2-3,0-0Summit League

Western Illinois

0-4,0-0OVC

Team	1	2	3	Final F
Western Ill.	15	22	22	0
South Dakota St.	25	25	25	3

Team	1	2	3	4	Final F
Northern Ariz.	18	25	17	18	1
South Dakota St.	25	20	25	25	3

Photo by: Austin Senger

9/4/2026 9:51:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

BROOKINGS, S.D. - Sylvie Zgonc had a day to remember on Friday as the senior outside hitter helped the Jackrabbits go 2-0 against Western Illinois and Northern Arizona.

Zgonc started the day with a 20-kill performance in a three-set victory over Western Illinois and finished with a 25-kill performance against Northern Arizona. She also added two aces, two solo blocks, and 11 digs against Northern Arizona for a double-double. Zgonc hit. 457 during the match with the Lumberjacks and .571 against the Leathernecks.

Elsewhere, Hannah Klein added 15 kills against the Lumberjacks, while dropping three aces and picking up 10 digs. Brooke Larsen picked up a double-double with 23 assists and 13 digs against Northern Arizona, and Joslyn Richardson dropped a 20-dig performance to lead all Jacks during the match.

HOW IT HAPPENED: Western Illinois
Set 1: The Jacks raced out to a 5-0 lead over the Leathernecks behind kills from Brooklyn Meyer, Sylvie Zgonc, Marisa Michaelis, and Claire Logeais. The Leathernecks found their footing eventually, but another 4-0 run for the Jackrabbits would push the lead out too far for Western Illinois to catch up with. The Jacks took the set 25-15 behind seven kills from Zgonc and three from Meyer.

Set 2: The second set provided a much more back-and-forth feel to the game. SDSU got out to a 4-3 lead before belting out a 5-0 run on Western Illinois to push the lead to 9-3. The Leathernecks never let them get too far ahead in the set and brought the lead back to three multiple times. Late in the set, the Leathernecks put together a 4-0 run to cut the lead to two, but it proved too late as the Jacks put together back-to-back kills from Zgonc and Mallory Hartwig, finishing off the set, 25-22.

Set 3: The Leathernecks got off to a hot start in the third set, forcing an SDSU timeout after going up 7-4 early. But the Jacks battled back nonetheless, going on a 6-0 run highlighted by two block assists and a kill for Claire Logeais. Logeais added two more kills in ensuing runs and was aided by two Mallory Hartwig kills helping extend the Jacks' lead to 18-13. The Leathernecks fought back to get the lead within one before a Michaelis kill and a Kennedey Whitford ace pushed the lead out to 3, 22-19. Sylvie Zgonc finished the game with three more kills on the final three Jackrabbit points, taking the set, 25-22.

HOW IT HAPPENED: Northern Arizona
Set 1: The Jacks played from behind early against Northern Arizona as the Lumberjacks got out to a 5-3 lead, but quickly found their footing, rattling off a 4-0 run to regain control of the game. A 5-0 run catapulted them into the lead, where they never looked back, handily taking care of the Lumberjacks, 25-18 in set one behind 15 kills from Zgonc and Klein.

Set 2: Northern Arizona battled back in the second and got out to an early lead. The lead grew to three, and from there the Jacks weren't able to close the gap as the Lumberjacks took the second set, 25-20.

Set 3: The Jacks came out hot in set three, taking an 8-4 lead behind a 5-0 run from Zgonc, which included four kills and an ace. Brooke Larsen and Hannah Klein picked up where Zgonc left off, adding consecutive kills. The Jacks built their lead to 22-14, behind a couple of Taylor Byl kills and two Hannah Klein aces, before closing the door on the Lumberjacks with back-to-back kills from Zgonc.

Set 4: The Jacks kept their foot on the gas in the fourth set, trading points with the Lumberjacks before getting out on a four-point run to extend the lead to 13-8. The Lumberjacks closed the gap to three before Sylvie Zgonc once again took control of the game, adding two kills in the final four Jackrabbit points to secure the win, 25-18.

NOTES:

Zgonc hit .571 in the game against Western Illinois, ending with 20 kills and no errors on 35 attacks. It is her highest hitting percentage of the season.
In seven sets today, Zgonc had 45 kills, 4 errors, 81 swings, and hit. 506
Logeais added four blocks against Western Illinois, the second time she's had a 4-block game this season.
WIU Attendance: 673
NAU Attendance: 1,067
Sylvie Zgonc had her highest number of kills in a 4-set match, and second highest-mark ever.
Hannah Klein recorded 10 digs for a double-double against Northern Arizona, a career-high.