October 9, 2018

BELLEVUE, Neb. – Dakota State (S.D.) kicked off their second-half portion of the North Star Athletic Association volleyball conference schedule Tuesday evening on a high note.  The Trojans rallied back from a 2-0 deficit for a 3-2 road victory, upsetting No. 20-ranked Bellevue (Neb.).  Sets scores were 25-27, 20-25, 25-22, 26-24 and 17-15, a match that lasted for two hours and 19 minutes.

Dakota State lifted their overall record to 11-9 and 4-3 record in North Star Athletic Association conference contests.  Bellevue lost for the second time in the last three matches, dipping their overall record to 15-6 and 6-2 NSAA conference record.

DSU snapped their seven-match losing streak in the series meeting with Bellevue, the first win since Oct. 10, 2015 at DSU Fieldhouse where the Trojans won in five sets.  It was also Dakota State's first-ever win over a nationally-ranked 'Top 25' team on the road in North Star Athletic Association conference action.

The Trojans and Bruins split their season series, with each team winning on the road.

FIRST SET

Dakota State and Bellevue battled back-and-forth in a tightly-contest first set, which saw a total of 18 ties and the lead no bigger than two points.  DSU was able to save two set points by BU, but the Bruins secured the first set after a kill by Olivia Galas and an attack error by Samantha Zell for a 27-25 victory.

The Trojans outhit the Bruins 14-13 in the first set.  DSU hit .135 (7 attack errors in 52 swings) compared to BU .118 hitting percentage (7 errors in 51 attempts). 

SECOND SET

Bellevue opened up the second set with a 9-5 lead and never looked back.  The Trojans could get no closer than one point at 18-17.  BU closed the second set with a 7-3 scoring run for a 25-20 victory, extending their match lead to 2-0.

The Bruins hit .237 in the second set, smashing 14 kills with 5 errors in 38 attempts.  The Trojans registered a hitting percentage of .200 with 13 kills and committed 5 attack errors in 40 swings.

THIRD SET

Dakota State trailed as many as five points in the early third set and mounted a furious comeback to extend the match into fourth set.  Down 7-2, DSU used a monstrous 14-5 scoring run to grab a 16-12 lead.

With DSU leading at 24-20, BU cut their deficit down by two points before Sierra Athen recorded an attack error to close the third set for Trojans 25-22 victory (DSU trailed 2-1).

Bellevue committed eight attack errors in the third set with a hitting percentage of .111 (12 kills in 36 attempts). Dakota State smashed 15 kills with nine attack errors in 42 for a hitting efficiency of .143.

FOURTH SET

The Trojans led as many as four points early in the fourth set (12-8) before the Bruins overtook a five-point lead at 21-16 after a 13-4 scoring run.  The Trojans roared back by scoring five straight points – with a kill from three different hitters (Zell and Gabby Herlyn each with a kill and a pair of kills by Barbara Briceno) – to tie the fourth set at 21-21.

Dakota State was able to save the Bruins' match point (24-23) as BU's Shayla Scanlan committed an attack error to knot at 24-24.

A kill by Herlyn and an attack error by the Bruins propelled the Trojans to a 26-24 victory, forcing the match into the fifth and deciding set.

Both teams smashed 17 kills in the fourth set.  DSU hit better with an impressive .245 hitting percentage (5 errors in 49 attempts) while holding BU to .196 hitting efficiency (7 errors in 51 swings). 

FIFTH SET

Neither team was able to lead more than two points in the fifth and deciding set, with a total of nine ties and three lead changes were recorded.  With BU leading 12-10, DSU answered with a 3-0 scoring run for a 13-12 lead after a kill by Herlyn and a pair of miscues by the Bruins.

Scanlan smashed a kill to knot the fifth set at 13-13.  Herlyn followed up with a kill to set up a match point at 14-13 for DSU.  Bellevue saved DSU's match point after a kill by Andrea Carson to tie at 14-14.

Maddie Polzin smashed a kill to give another match point opportunity for the Trojans at 15-14.  Athen answered back with a kill as the Bruins knotted at 15-15.

Kaylee Spreier recorded a kill to give DSU a 16-15, their third match point chance.  Spreier followed up with a service ace, securing a thrilling NSAA volleyball marathon for DSU over BU at 17-15.

Dakota State hit .286 in the fifth set, recording 12 kills with 4 errors in 28 attempts.  Bellevue registered a hitting efficiency of .258 (11 kills with 3 errors in 31 swings).

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

Five Dakota State players recorded double-digit kills in the match, led by Zell with 17 kills.  She hit .273 in the match.  Polzin added 16 kills (tied her career-high kills).  Spreier smashed 14 kills and registered a match-high .385 hitting percentage.  Herlyn and Briceno each tallied 11 kills (career-high kills for Herlyn).

Briceno posted a double-double with a season-high 28 digs for the Trojans.  Alwaise Villa also added 23 digs.  Peyton Groft added 12 digs.

Rachel Johnson contributed 36 set assists for DSU.  Nicole Sarringar collected 23 assists.

Zell recorded seven blocks (1 solo, 6 assists) in the match for Dakota State.  Spreier added five blocks (1 solo, 4 assists).  Herlyn had four block assists. 

Johnson, Spreier and Sarringar each recorded a service ace for DSU.

Athen led the Bruins with a double-double of 16 kills and 11 digs.  Scanlan added 15 kills.  Andrea Carson and Coree Lipovsky each had 12 kills.

Galas produced a match-high 54 assists in the match.  Reahgan Stueve had 27 digs.  Madi Evans had 21 digs.

Lipovsky led Bellevue with seven block assists.  Scanlan added five block assists.

Dakota State outhit Bellevue 71-67 in the match.  Both teams committed 30 attack errors.  The Trojans hit .194 (211 swings) compared to the Bruins .179 (207 attempts).

DSU had a season-high 95 digs in the match compared to BU 98 digs.  The Trojans registered 12 team blocks (2 solo, 20 assists), while the Bruins had 11 blocks (1 solo, 20 assists).

UP NEXT

Dakota State returns home at DSU Fieldhouse Friday evening as they step outside of the North Star conference play.  The Trojans look to extend their home winning streak as they host Morningside (Iowa) in a non-conference action.  There will be a junior varsity match at 5 p.m., followed by a varsity match at 6:30 p.m.

Nick Huntimer, Dakota State University Sports Information Director