September 24, 2015

Photo credits by Kaden Huntrods, Tyler Flaagan

VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS - Coming Soon

MADISON, S.D. – Prior coming to Thursday's night North Star Athletic Association volleyball conference mat at DSU Fieldhouse, both Presentation (S.D.) and Dakota State (S.D.) played a pair of five-setter in North Dakota last weekend.  The Saints and Trojans went in five sets for the third straight conference match, this time with the Trojans rallying back from 9-5 deficit in the decisive fifth set for a 3-2 victory (25-13, 22-25, 21-25, 25-15, 17-15).

It was the home opener for Dakota State who played 18 matches away from the DSU Fieldhouse prior tonight.  The Trojans moved above .500 for the first time since DSU's season opener on Aug. 21, extending their season-high six-match winning streak.  DSU raised their overall record to 10-9 and remained undefeated in the NSAA conference play with a 3-0 record.  PC fell to 8-8 overall record and 1-2 NSAA conference record.

Leading 17-13 in the opening set, the Trojans scored eight consecutive points – including the last six points caused by Saints' attack error – to cruise to a 25-18 victory and 1-0 match lead.  DSU hit an impressive .481 while not committing an attack error (13 kills in 27 attempts) while PC was held to minus .025 hitting efficiency (10 kills with 11 errors in 40 attempts).

Presentation opened up the second set with a 7-2 lead before Dakota State rallied back with a 5-0 scoring run to tie at 7-7.  At 23-22, the Saints scored the final two points to gain a 25-22 victory and tied the match at 1-1.

At 9-9 in the third set, PC went on a 6-0 scoring run for a 15-9 lead.  Dakota State could get no closer than two points at 22-20 as the Saints secured the third set by the score of 25-21, earning a 2-1 match lead.  PC hit .204 compared to DSU .137.

DSU hit another impressive .444 in the fourth set with a dominating 25-15 victory, forcing the fifth and deciding set.  The Trojans smashed 14 kills with 2 errors in 27 attempts while the Saints were held to .000 hitting efficiency (10 kills with 10 errors in 34 attempts).

Dakota State and Presentation went through a see-saw battle in the opening fifth set.  Trailing 5-4, the Saints used a 4-0 run – with three points coming off from DSU's attack error – to grab a 9-5 lead.  The Trojans mounted a furious comeback with a 6-1 scoring run for an 11-10 lead.

With the Trojans lead 13-11, Presentation stormed back by scoring three consecutive points to set up a match point at 14-13.  Dakota State saved PC's match point after an attack error by Saint Taylor Orhn to tie the fifth set at 14-14.  DSU had a 15-14 lead after Saints committed another attack error by Karly Fuhrman.

The Saints saved a match point by Dakota State with Tessa Weeldreeyr's attack error to tie at 15-15.  The Trojans regained the lead at 16-15 with an attack error by PC Fuhrman.

Kirstin Johnson smashed a kill to secure a wild five-set thriller by Dakota State, who had to come-from-behind for the third straight match (at Mayville State on Sept. 18, at Valley City State on Sept. 19).

DSU's Kirstin Johnson hit .500 in the match with 16 kills, committing just one attack error in 30 attempts.  Weeldreyer added 14 kills.  Carly Rozell had a double-double of 13 kills and 15 digs.  Alicia Karst recorded seven kills.

Kaylee Vander Wal posted a double-double of 32 set assists and 11 digs for the Trojans.  Rachel Johnson added 21 assists.

Chelsey Davis led Dakota State's defense with a career-high 37 digs in the match.  She also had a service ace.  Allison Thielsen had 11 digs.

Karst registered seven block assists for the Trojans.  Kirstin Johnson added six block assists.  Weeldreyer had five block assists.

Orhn had a double-double of 15 kills and 15 digs for the Saints.  Maria Nightingale added 10 kills.  Mallori Rabenberg had nine kills.

Abigail Wahl recorded 29 assists for PC.  Maddie Goetz had 24 assists.

Kaitlyn Boesl led Presentation's defense with 23 digs.  Rabenberg collected 22 digs.  Jordyn Dekker had 15 digs.

Nightingale had two solo blocks and four block assists for the Saints.  Dekker added three solo blocks and a block assist.

Wahl and Orhn each had two service aces for Presentation.

Dakota State hit .234 in the match (64 kills with 21 errors in 184 attempts) compared to Presentation .088 (57 kills with 39 errors in 205 attempts).  The Trojans had 96 digs, while the Saints had 84 digs.

DSU had 11 blocks (22 block assists).  PC recorded 10 blocks (5 solo blocks and 10 block assists).

The junior varsity match was won by DSU with the scores of 26-24 and 25-20.

Dakota State heads back on the road to continue their NSAA conference action this weekend.  Both DSU and Presentation will be facing a pair of NSAA's newcomer with the Trojans visiting Waldorf (Iowa) Friday night at 7 p.m.  The Saints will travel to La Crosse, Wis. to take on the nationally-ranked No. 2 Viterbo (Wis.) on the same night at 7 p.m.

Nick Huntimer, Dakota State University Sports Information Director

Allison Thielsen - recognition of 1000-dig club prior to the match