September 15, 2018

DUBUQUE, Iowa – Dakota State (S.D.) and Graceland (Iowa) met for the second time 13 days later Saturday afternoon in the Clarke (Iowa) Tournament at Kehl Center.  After dropping the first set, the Trojans went on to win three straight sets over the Yellowjackets for a 3-1 victory (21-25, 27-25, 28-26 and 25-10).

Dakota State, who lifted their overall record to 5-5, swept the season series with Graceland (defeated GU in the LaQuinta/Kansas Wesleyan tournament in Salina, Kan. on Sept. 2).  The Yellowjackets fell to 9-11 overall record.

DSU and GU went through seven ties and five lead changes in the first set.  At 20-19, Graceland closed the first set with a 5-2 scoring run for a 25-21 victory and 1-0 match lead.  The Yellowjackets outhit the Trojans 15-6 in the opening set.  GU hit .135, committing 10 errors in 37 attempts.  DSU was held to .036 hitting percentage (5 errors in 28 swings).

The Trojans opened up a 6-2 lead in the second set before the Yellowjackets rallied back to tie at 14-14.  Dakota State answered with a 9-2 scoring run to for a 23-16 lead.  GU stormed back by scoring seven straight points for a 23-23 tie. 

Maddie Polzin ended GU's scoring surge with a kill to set up a set point for DSU at 24-23.  The Yellowjackets went on to score two straight points for 25-24 lead.  Polzin added a kill to save GU's set point, tying the score at 25-25.  An attack error by Graceland, followed by a kill by Anna Schwint secured the second set for a 27-25 Trojans victory and tied the match at 1-1.

Dakota State and Graceland went through a see-saw battle with 15 ties in the third set.  The biggest lead of the third set was by the Yellowjackets at 12-7, but the Trojans answered back with an 8-2 run to grab at 15-14 lead.

DSU was unable to convert two set points after leading at 24-22 as GU rallied back to tie at 24-24.  With DSU leading at 25-24 and 26-25, the Yellowjackets saved third and fourth set points by the Trojans, respectively.  Dakota State earned a 2-1 match lead after scoring the final two points for a 28-26 victory, thanks to a kill by Barbara Briceno and a service ace by Kaylee Spreier.

Dakota State smashed 17 kills in the third set, while Graceland had 15 kills.  The Trojans hit .273 (5 errors in 44 swings) and held the Yellowjackets to .191 hitting percentage.

Trailing 4-1 in the fourth set, DSU went on a 24-6 monstrous run to close the match for a 25-10 victory.  Dakota State hit .261 in the fourth set (10 kills, 4 errors in 23 attempts) and took advantage of Graceland's nine attack errors.  GU recorded a negative .250 hitting efficiency with 3 kills in 24 attempts.

Polzin led the Trojans' offense attack with 13 kills and hit .286.  Briceno produced a double-double of 12 kills and collected 15 digs.  Gabby Herlyn had six kills.  Samantha Zell, Spreier and Schwint each registered five kills.

Nicole Sarringar tallied 26 assists and seven digs for DSU.  Rachel Johnson added 10 assists and five digs.

Alwaise Villa registered a match-high 23 digs for Dakota State.  Zell recorded five block assists.  Spreier and Briceno each had three service aces.

Megan Kneib paced the Yellowjackets' offense with 15 kills.  Emma Runyan added nine kills.  Sam Schell had a double-double of 18 assists and 10 digs.  She also had six service aces.  Kacie Miyama also had a double-double of 15 assists and 16 digs.  Sydney Stewart recorded 19 digs.

DSU outhit GU 46-45 in the match.  The Trojans hit .187 (20 attack errors in 139 attempts).  The Yellowjackets hit .084, committing 32 attack errors in 155 attempts.

The Trojans had eight team blocks compared to the Yellowjackets six team blocks.

DSU was 95.0 percent from the serving line with nine service aces and five errors in 100 attempts.  GU was 92.0 percent, recording 12 aces with seven errors in 87 attempts.

Dakota State closes out the preseason tournament tune-up versus host-team Clarke (Iowa) in approximately 30 minutes.

Nick Huntimer, Dakota State University Sports Information Director