GRAND FORKS, N.D. -- Sacramento State posted a season-high 100 digs, including a career-high tying 31 from junior libero Lexie Skalbeck, as the Hornets defeated North Dakota, 3-1 (23-25, 27-25, 25-20, 25-19), in a Big Sky Conference volleyball matchup Thursday at the Sioux Center.

Not only did the Hornets win their fifth straight, the team also improved to 21-5 overall and 8-3 in the Big Sky. Sacramento State won for the first time ever at the Sioux Center and snapped a five-match losing streak against North Dakota. In fact, prior to tonight, the Hornets had not defeated North Dakota since UND joined the Big Sky in 2012.

Northern Arizona won at Idaho State tonight and the Lumberjacks now lead the Big Sky's South Division with a 10-1 conference record, followed by Idaho State (9-2) and Sacramento State (8-3). All three teams have five matches remaining on the regular season schedule, and the Hornets will face both Northern Arizona and Idaho State on one more occasion.

North Dakota dropped to 17-11 and 5-6 in the Big Sky, and the defeat was just the second of the year at home for UND (9-2).

The Hornets averaged a robust 25.0 digs per set while also tacking on 11.0 team blocks. In addition, Sacramento State's 70 kills were just one shy of a season high, and the 196 attacks were a season best.

The Hornets had an amazing seven different players either set or tie their season high in digs tonight, comprised of Skalbeck (career-high tying 31), Brigitte Murdock (season-best 13), Morgan Stanley (career-high tying 18), Kennedy Kurtz (season-high 12), Sloan Lovett (season-high tying eight), Lauren Kissell (career-high tying six) and Madeline Cannon (season-high tying six). The team had at least 28 digs in each of the final three sets.

Sacramento State also picked up the win despite losing starting middle blocker Courtney Dietrich to a knee injury midway through the first set. Dietrich had three kills in three swings at the time of the injury, and was hitting .833 (15-0-18) over the last two-plus matches prior to the injury. True freshman Brie Gathright took over for Dietrich and played the rest of the way.

The Hornets squandered a 20-17 lead in a first set that saw North Dakota win, 25-23. However, for the seventh time this season, Sacramento State was able to win the match after dropping the first frame. In the second set, the Hornets would save a set point at 23-24 after a Lovett kill. After Sacramento State squandered a set point at 25-24, the Hornets eventually got another kill from Lovett and a combo block from Brie Gathright and Lovett to tie the match at 1-1.

Sacramento State closed the third set on a 5-2 run, and jumped out to a 17-11 advantage in the fourth frame before putting the match away. The Hornets held huge advantages over North Dakota in kills (70-45), hitting percentage (.214-.142), assists (66-43) and digs (100-88). Sacramento State had hit at least .320 in four straight matches prior to hitting .214 this evening.

The Hornets were led in kills by Kissell's 23 as the senior outside hitter had six more kills than any player from either team. She was joined in double-figure kills by Lovett (17), Cannon (12) and Stanley (12). The double-double for Stanley (12 kills, 18 digs) was her third in the last 10 matches.

Kurtz tied her career high with 63 assists as the sophomore setter averaged 15.75 assists per set. Gathright had two kills and a team-high tying four blocks while Cannon also had four blocks (two solo stuffs).

North Dakota, which failed to hit better than .160 in three of the four sets, was led by Faith Dooley's 12 kills. Courtney Place had 10 kills and 23 digs, and McKenzie Hart added 27 digs.

Sacramento State returns to action on Saturday when the team plays at Portland State at 7 p.m.