September 8, 2018

OMAHA, Neb. – Dakota State (S.D.) was unable to force the fifth and deciding set Saturday afternoon in the first match of the College of Saint Mary (Neb.) triangular, falling 3-1 to the host team Flames at Lied Fitness Center.  CSM won by the scores of 25-22, 21-25, 25-15 and 25-22.

Dakota State fell to 3-3 overall record.  College of Saint Mary improved to 9-6 overall record.

The Flames raced to an 8-2 lead in the opening set, forcing the Trojans to burn their first timeout.  DSU rallied back to cut CSM's lead to 16-13, but the Flames secured a 1-0 match lead after earning a 25-22 victory.  College of Saint Mary hit .231 (14 kills with 5 errors in 39 attempts) in the first set while holding DSU to .083 hitting percentage (13 kills with 9 errors in 48 attempts).

Tied at 8-8 in the second set, Dakota State surged with a 6-1 scoring run to grab a 14-9 lead.  The Flames would answer back to knot the second set at 21-21.  DSU closed the second set by scoring four straight points – including a pair of service aces by Barbara Briceno – for a 25-21 win, evening the match at 1-1.

College of Saint Mary registered a hitting percentage of .313 (14 kills with 4 errors in 32 swings) in the third set, rolling to a 25-15 victory and regained a 2-1 match lead.  Dakota State recorded a hitting efficiency of .156 (10 kills with 5 errors in 32 attempts).

DSU and CSM went through a see-saw battle in the fourth set.  The Trojans led 22-20, but the Flames secured the match by scoring the final five points – with the final three points coming by a kill by CSM's Payton Robley – for a 25-22 victory.  

Maddie Polzin, Samantha Zell and Briceno each smashed 11 kills for Dakota State.  Kaylee Spreier added nine kills.  Nicole Sarringar produced a season-high 37 set assists.

Briceno posted a double-double in the match with 14 digs for DSU.  She also had two service aces.

Alwaise Villa led the Trojans' defense with a match-high 17 digs.  Zell recorded four block assists and a solo block.  Spreier and Gabby Herlyn each tallied three block assists.  Polzin and Sarringar each had two block assists.

Robley led the Flames' offense with 15 kills and produced a double-double with 14 digs.  Dani Carlson and Makenna Freeman each added 11 kills. 

Natalie Patten had a double-double of 19 assists and 11 digs for College of Saint Mary.  Alexis Petry added 23 assists.  Augusta Sinclair had 15 digs.  MacKenzie Melton had eight block assists.

CSM outhit DSU 54-49 in the match.  The Flames hit .208 (23 errors in 149 attempts) compared to the Trojans' 162 hitting percentage (25 errors in 148 swings).  College of Saint Mary had 10 blocks while Dakota State had eight blocks.

DSU plays the second match of the triangular in approximately 30 minutes versus Saint Mary (Kan.).

Nick Huntimer, Dakota State University Sports Information Director