August 21, 2015

Photo credit by Maddox Burnett, St. Thomas (Fla.) Sports Information Graduate Assistant

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – Host-team St. Thomas (Fla.), who was predicted to win The Sun Conference this year, scored 11 of the last 12 points of the match Friday afternoon to secure a 3-1 match victory over Dakota State (S.D.) on the first day of The Athletes Meals Volleyball Classic at Fernandez Family Center.  The Bobcats won by the scores of 25-14, 21-25, 25-17 and 25-22.

Dakota State, who won the season opener earlier Friday in three straight sets over Florida Memorial, dropped their overall record to 1-1.  St. Thomas, receiving votes in the NAIA Volleyball Coaches' Preseason Top 25 national poll, won their third straight match to start the season.

STU opened the first set with a 25-14 victory after hitting .393 (14 kills with 3 errors in 28 attempts).  The Trojans were held to .194 hitting percentage (11 kills with 5 errors in 31 attempts).

DSU bounced back to win the second set 25-21 to tie the match at 1-1, thanks to .314 hitting efficiency with 15 kills and 4 attack errors in 35 attempts.  St. Thomas had 15 kills with 6 errors in 34 attempts (.265 hitting percentage) in the second set.

The Bobcats won the third set by the score of 25-17.  STU outhit DSU 16-10 and .283-.102 in the third set.

Dakota State held a 21-14 lead in the fourth set before St. Thomas mounted a rally.  The Bobcats went on an 11-1 run to close the match by winning the fourth set 25-22.

Carly Rozell produced a match-high 17 kills in the match for the Trojans.  She hit .342 in the match.  Tessa Weeldreyer added nine kills.  Alicia Karst and Emma Murphy-Welch each had five kills.

Rachel Johnson tallied 20 set assists for DSU.  Kaylee Vander Wal added 18 assists. 

Allison Thielsen, Vander Wal and Hannah Bauer each recorded a service ace for Dakota State.

Three DSU players had double-digit digs, led by Chelsey Davis with 23 digs.  Thielsen and Bauer each had 11 digs.

Weeldreyer collected four solo blocks and a block assist for the Trojans.  Karst, Bauer and Rozell each had a solo block.

Five players had double-digit kills for St. Thomas.  Samantha Garza had 13 kills and hit. 550.  Whitney Battoe and Carly Durr each added 12 kills.  Cheye-Anne Savage and Marisa Markus each had 11 kills.

Dana Nowaczyk recorded a double-double of 38 assists and 13 digs for the Bobcats.  Kimberly Martino had 10 assists.

Sydney Maynard led STU's defense with 35 digs.  Kelli Kosydor recorded 13 digs.  Danielle Mobley had 12 digs.

St. Thomas outhit Dakota State 62-48 with both committing 17 attack errors.  The Bobcats hit .287 (attack attempts) in the match compared to the Trojans. .193 (161 attack attempts).

STU had 89 digs while DSU had 68 digs.  St. Thomas recorded nine blocks compared to Dakota State eight blocks.

Dakota State continues their action Saturday as they conclude the two-day The Athletes Meals Volleyball Classic at Fernandez Family Center.  The Trojans play Baker (Kan.) at 9 a.m. (Eastern Standard Time)/8 a.m. (Central Standard Time) and Webber International (Fla.) at 2 p.m. (EST)/1 p.m. (CST).

Nick Huntimer, Dakota State University Sports Information Director