September 4, 2015

MITCHELL, S.D. – Dakota State (S.D.) shook off their slow start in the first two matches of the Corn Palace Volleyball Classic Friday, hosted by Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.).  The Trojans overcame a four-point deficit in the opening set for a three-set sweep over Grace (Neb.) in the first match.  DSU was able to complete the day with a 2-0 record after a sluggish first set, rolling to a four-set victory over Johnson & Wales (Colo.).

Dakota State established a two-match winning streak, improving their overall record to 4-4.  Grace was 2-4 overall record, while Johnson & Wales dropped to 4-7 overall record.

Dakota State (S.D.) 3, Grace (Neb.) 0 – FINAL

Dakota State posted scores of 25-17, 25-10 and 25-14 to earn a 3-set sweep for the third time this season.

The Royals jumped to a 10-6 lead in the opening set over the Trojans.  Trailing 13-11, DSU closed the first set with a 14-4 scoring run for a 25-17 victory. 

Dakota State took advantage of GC's negative .148 hitting percentage to gain a 25-10 second set victory.  The Trojans hit .217 with 8 kills in 23 attempts and 3 attack errors.  Grace recorded 5 kills with 8 attack errors in 27 attempts.

DSU cruised to a 15-5 lead in the third set and never looked back, thanks to set-high .400 hitting percentage.  The Trojans sealed the match with a 25-14 third set victory over the Royals.

Five Trojan players hit .300 or better in the match, led by Tawny Sherman with a hitting efficiency of .545 (6 kills in 11 attempts).  Kirstin Johnson added seven kills and a hitting percentage of .333.  Alicia Karst hit .308 with six kills.  Carly Rozell and McKenzie Werner each added five kills.  Kylie Martin had four kills.

Rachel Johnson posted a double-double for the second straight match, collecting 10 set assists and 10 digs for Dakota State.  Kaylee Vander Wal produced a match-high 16 assists.

Allison Thielsen led the Trojans' defense with 12 digs.  Hannah Stuart had nine digs, while Chelsey Davis added eight digs.

Tessa Weeldreyer recorded four block assists for DSU.  Karst had three block assists. 

Taylor Thompson led the Royals with 10 kills.  Kara Peters had 12 assists and 10 digs.  Chloe Corbett had 13 digs.

Dakota State hit .255 in the match with 37 kills in 98 attempts (12 attack errors).  Grace hit minus .010 (20 kills with 21 errors in 101 attempts).

The Trojans had 13 block assists in the game compared to the Royals' four block assists and three solo blocks.

Dakota State (S.D.) 3, Johnson & Wales (Colo.) 1 – FINAL

The Trojans overcame Wildcats' impressive .552 hitting percentage in the first set, rolling to a 3-1 victory in DSU's second match Friday at the Corn Palace.

Johnson & Wales only committed one attack error in 29 attempts and smashed 17 kills to earn a 1-0 match lead with a 25-11 victory.  The Trojans had 7 kills with 3 errors in 30 attempts in the opening set (.133 hitting percentage). 

Dakota State opened up with a 14-8 lead in the second set and held off the Wildcats with a 25-17 victory, tying the match at 1-1.  DSU hit an impressive .448 with 15 kills in 29 attempts, committing just two attack errors.  JWU hit .217 in the second set (11 kills with 6 errors in 23 attempts).

DSU scored five straight points to start the third set for a 5-0 lead.  The Trojans had the biggest lead of the third set at 17-6, before the Wildcats trimmed Dakota State's lead at 20-16.  DSU scored the final five straight points to close the set for a 25-16 win and 2-1 match lead, thanks to three different hitters earning a kill for the final three points of the third set (Rozell, Weeldreyer and Martin).

The Trojans used another fast start in the fourth set, scoring seven consecutive points for a 7-0 lead.  The Wildcats could get no closer than four points at 10-6 as the Trojans stormed with a 15-2 scoring run to seal the match (25-8).  JWU was held to minus .226 hitting percentage in the fourth set (5 kills with 12 errors in 31 attempts).

Rozell smashed 12 kills for the Trojans.  She also had seven digs.  Weeldreyer added eight kills, six block assists and a solo block.  Karst tallied seven kills.  Kirstin Johnson and Martin each recorded six kills.

Rachel Johnson collected 16 assists for DSU.  Vander Wal added 14 assists.

Dakota State's Weeldreyer and Chelsey Davis each earned two service aces.

Thielsen had 11 digs for the Trojans.  Davis had 10 digs.

Karst, Werner and Martin each had three block assists for DSU.

Kelley McLain had 19 kills for the Wildcats.  Layne Pachl added 11 kills.  Zoie Daniels produced 36 assists.  Nicole Palmer recorded 27 digs.

Dakota State had 44 kills in the match compared to Johnson & Wales 42 kills.  The Wildcats committed 26 attack errors in 115 attempts (.139 hitting percentage), while the Trojans had 13 attack errors in 118 attempts (.263 hitting percentage).

As a team, DSU tallied 16 block errors and 2 solo blocks.  JWU had six block assists.

Dakota State continues their play in the Corn Palace Volleyball Classic Saturday versus Clarke (Iowa) at 12 p.m. and host-team Dakota Wesleyan at 7 p.m.  The matches are in Mitchell, S.D.

Nick Huntimer, Dakota State University Sports Information Director