October 5, 2016

MADISON, S.D. – Dakota State (S.D.) kicked off their three-match home stand Wednesday evening, outhitting Presentation (S.D.) 43-24 in 3-0 North Star Athletic Association volleyball contest at DSU Fieldhouse.  It was the third straight home victory for the Trojans, extending their nine-set winning streak.

Dakota State improved their overall record to 6-13 and 2-3 NSAA conference record and moved in a two-way tie for fifth place with Waldorf (Iowa) in the conference standings.  Presentation dropped their 13th straight match, falling to 3-17 overall record and winless in six NSAA conference matches.

The Trojans and Saints went through a see-saw battle in the early going of the first set.  Leading 15-14, DSU grabbed its first lead of the match at 1-0 after using a 10-5 closing run for a 25-19 victory.  Dakota State outhit Presentation 15-11 in the opening set.  The Trojans hit .263 (5 errors in 38 attempts) while holding the Saints to .098 hitting percentage after committing 7 errors in 41 attempts. 

Knotted at 6-6 in the second set, the Trojans scored five straight points for an 11-6 lead highlighted by Kirstin Johnson's four kills during the scoring run.  The Saints trimmed DSU's lead to 15-14.

Dakota State did similar thing in the first set as they closed the second set with a 10-5 run for another 25-19 win, extending DSU's match lead to 2-0.  The Trojans smashed 15 kills in the second set and a hitting percentage of .214.  The Saints had nine kills and recorded a hitting efficiency of .139.

DSU scored its first nine points of the third set, racing to a 9-0 lead.  During the scoring run, the Saints committed four attack errors (with a block assist coming from Clarissa Blick and Johnson for the first point of the third set) and a pair of kills by Johnson and Blick. 

Dakota State never looked back as they hit an impressive .310 after securing the match with a 25-9 victory.  Presentation hit a negative .074 after recording 4 kills with 6 errors in 27 attempts.

Johnson tallied a match-high 11 kills and hit .474 for the Trojans.  Blick added nine kills and hit .300.  Rozell smashed eight kills.  Kylie Martin had six kills.

Kaylee Vander Wal produced 22 set assists and 2 service aces for DSU.  McKenna DeMoe had 13 assists.

Chelsey Davis led the Trojans' defense with 15 digs.  Blick added 14 digs.  Bailee Steffensen collected 11 digs.

Johnson and Rozell each had four block assists for Dakota State.  Tessa Weeldreyer and Blick each recorded two block assists.  Rozell, Weeldreyer and Davis each had a service ace.

Mallori Rabenberg and Maria Nightingale each had six kills for Presentation.  Haylee Biel had four kills.  Abigail Wahl earned 13 assists, while Kelsea Jo Heintzman had eight assists.

Natasha Lee registered 14 digs for the Saints.  Biel had three block assists.  Katie Nelson added two block assists.

Dakota State hit .257 in the match (43 kills with 15 errors in 109 attempts) compared to Presentation .067 hitting percentage (24 kills with 17 errors in 104 attempts). 

The Trojans earned five service aces and recorded a serving percentage of .946 (4 service errors in 74 attempts).  The Saints did not have an ace and committed five service errors in 48 attempts (.896 service percentage).

DSU collected 58 digs in the match while PC had 44 digs.  The Trojans had 6.5 team blocks compared to Saints' 5 team blocks.

Dakota State continues their home stand Friday evening as they host the nationally-ranked No. 4 Viterbo (Wis.) in NSAA conference action.  First serve is set for 7 p.m. at DSU Fieldhouse.  Presentation returns home at Strode Center in Aberdeen, S.D. on Friday evening, hosting Waldorf (Iowa) at 7 p.m.

Nick Huntimer, Dakota State University Sports Information Director