WAYNE, Neb. -- #1 Wayne State volleyball used a career high 21 digs from Rachel Walker to lead WSC to a 3-1 (25-16, 28-30, 25-15, 25-21) over University of Sioux Falls Thursday night in a midweek NSIC matchup. The Wildcats move to 24-0 on the year with a 14-0 record in the NSIC. Sioux Falls with the loss falls to 12-9 on the season with an 8-6 NSIC record.

Kelsie Cada led the team in kills with 21 which ties her career high which was set last Friday night against UMary. She was followed by Taya Beller with 15 and Maggie Brahmer with 14 kills. Walker led the team with 21 digs followed by Havyn Heinz with 15, Cada with 11, and Jessie Brandl with 10. Brahmer also led in blocks with four. Cada would add two solo blocks in the win for the ‘Cats.

Set one opened up with a back-and-forth battle with the game tied at four a piece. WSC would then go on a 5-0 run to make it 9-5 forcing Sioux Falls to use their first timeout. Beller and Taylor Bunjer would have kills for the ‘Cats in the run. Wayne State would increase the lead to as many as seven just over the midway point of the first set to 18-11 where the Cougars called their second timeout. The run would have three kills from Beller and one from Cada. Walker would also add an ace on the run for the ‘Cats. Wayne state would go on to win the first set 25-16. Cada would lead the Wildcats with five kills followed by Beller with four. Cada would also lead in digs with four followed by Walker, Beller, and Brandl with three.

Wayne State opened set two on a 6-3 run before Sioux Falls stormed back on a 4-0 run of there own to take the lead 7-6. The set would then be back and forth between the Wildcats and the Cougars with the score sitting at 11-10 in favor of USF. The Cougars would then score three straight on the Wildcats to make it 14-10 forcing the first Wayne State timeout. The ‘Cats came out of the timeout with a quick kill from Cada. Following the kill, WSC would go on a 6-3 run to pull within one of the Cougars at 17-16. The Cougars would take a timeout after a Brahmer and Bunjer block. Wayne State would come out strong after the time out to take the lead at 20-18 when Sioux Falls took their second timeout. Wayne State would build the lead to 24-22 after a Cada kill before USF scored the next three points to make it 25-24 Cougars. The lead would change back and forth down the stretch with four lead changes before the Cougars went on to win 30-28. Cada led with six kills in the set followed by Beller with four. Walker would have eight digs leading the ‘Cats followed by Brandl with three.

The ‘Cats never trailed during set three jumping out to a quick 4-2 lead behind a Brahmer kill. USF would tie the game at 5-5 before the Wildcats never looked back. The ‘Cats would go on a 6-1 run to force a USF timeout at 11-6. Beller would have back-to-back kills for the Wildcats right before the timeout. Wayne State would increase the run after the timeout to 9-1 before USF scored to make it 15-7 in favor of WSC. Wayne State would lead by as many as 12 at 22-10 before going on to win the set 25-12. WSC would hit .424 in the third set win behind seven kills from Brahmer. She was followed by Beller with four. Heinz would lead the ‘Cats in digs with eight followed by Cada with four.

Sioux Falls would open up the fourth set on a 4-1 run on the Wildcats before two kills from Cada and one from Brahmer got the Wildcats on a 4-0 run to take the lead at 5-4. Wayne State would increase the lead to 11-6 to force a Cougar timeout early in set four. A Bunjer kill would help increase the lead after the timeout to make it 13-6 in favor of Wayne State. The Wildcats would force the Cougars to take their second timeout at 16-11 in favor of the ‘Cats. Wayne State would have the lead to as many as 20-14 before the Cougars went on a 3-0 run to make it 20-17 forcing a Wildcat timeout. USF would get the lead down to one at 21-20 and again at 22-21 before Wayne State took the final three points of the set to win 25-21. Cada would have seven kills for the ‘Cats followed by Brahmer with three. Walker would add eight digs followed by Brandl with four.

The Wildcats will be on the road Saturday afternoon playing at #5 Southwest Minnesota State in a 2 p.m.