October 14, 2020

Photos credit by Donald Weidler

MADISON, S.D. – Bellevue (Neb.) rallied back from a 2-1 match deficit and held Dakota State (S.D.) to just eight kills combined in the final two sets, picking up a 3-2 North Star Athletic Association volleyball conference thriller at DSU Fieldhouse Wednesday evening.  The Bruins ended DSU's five-match winning streak in the series meeting.

Set scores were 25-18, 23-25, 23-25, 25-12 and 15-7.  It was the fifth time in the last six meetings that both teams went to the fifth and deciding set.

Dakota State fell to 6-4 overall record and 2-1 NSAA conference record.  Bellevue lifted their overall record to 4-1 and remained undefeated in league play with 4-0 record.

Bellevue (Neb.) 3, Dakota State (S.D.) 2 – FINAL (25-18, 23-25, 23-25, 25-12, 15-7)

• With Dakota State leading 10-8 in the opening set, Bellevue used a pair of late scoring runs to secure a 1-0 match lead.  The Bruins went on a 6-0 scoring run, thanks to a pair of kills by Eve Fountain, a service ace by MacKenna Brown and a kill by Coree Lipovsky for a 14-10 lead.
• At 15-12, BU used another strong scoring run by scoring five straight points with back-to-back kills by Sierra Athen followed by a kill by Lipovsky and Fountain and a block assist by Olivia Galas and Liposvsky for a 20-12 lead.
• Dakota State could get no closer than five points at 23-18 after a block assist each by Hannah Viet and Abigail Grabowska.
• Fountain and Lipovsky closed the first set with a kill each, earning a 25-18 victory. 
• Bellevue outhit Dakota State 18-12 in the first set.  The Bruins hit .308 (6 errors in 39 swings) compared to the Trojans .163 hitting percentage (4 errors in 49 attempts).
• Trailing 13-9 in the second set, Dakota State went on a 7-3 scoring spurt to overtake a 16-15 lead after an attack error by the Bruins. 
• Down 18-17, the Trojans scored four straight points (including a kill by Madalyn Groft and Maddie Polzin) to open a 21-18 lead. 
• At 24-23, DSU evened the match at 1-1 after a service error committed by the Bruins.
• The Bruins had 13 kills in the second set compared to the Trojans 11 kills.  BU hit .189, while holding DSU to .091 hitting percentage.
• Dakota State roared to a 9-3 lead in the third set, thanks to three total service aces (an ace by Madalyn Groft, Polzin, and Nicole Sarringar). 
• The Bruins trimmed the Trojans lead to 16-13.  DSU went on a 4-1 scoring run to stretch their lead to 20-14 after a kill by Sarringar.
• Bellevue answered back with a 9-4 run to cut DSU's lead to 24-23 after a kill by Athen.  Viet smashed a kill (assisted by Sarringar) to secure the third set by the score of 25-23, earning a 2-1 match lead for the Trojans.
• Dakota State outhit Bellevue 15-13 in the third set.  The Bruins hit .243 compared to the Trojans .154.
• Both teams went through a see-saw battle through the first 21 rallies of the fourth set.  Leading 11-10, Bellevue went on a monstrous 14-2 outburst run to force the fifth and deciding set.  Lipovsky smashed five kills during BU's scoring run.
• The Bruins smashed 18 kills in the fourth set and hit an impressive .382.  The Trojans were held to negative .067 hitting percentage (4 kills with 6 errors in 30 swings).
• Dakota State opened the fifth set with a 2-1 lead after a kill by Grabowska and a block assist each by Madalyn Groft and Viet.
• Bellevue went on a 9-3 scoring run to grab a 10-5 lead after a kill by Fountain.  The Trojans scored the next two points after a kill by Riley Grandpre followed by a block assist each by Abigail Van Ruler and Viet, trimming BU's lead to 10-7.
• Bellevue closed the match by scoring the final five points of the match, thanks to a pair of kills by Andrea Carson and Sienna Black and a kill by Athen.
• The Bruins outhit the Trojans 13-4 in the final set.  Bellevue registered .417 hitting percentage (3 errors in 24 swings) and held Dakota State to .077 hitting percentage (2 errors in 26 attempts).

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Grandpre and Viet each tallied 11 kills for Dakota State.  Polzin added 10 kills.  Van Ruler smashed six kills. 
• Madalyn Groft contributed 18 set assists, three block assists and two service aces for the Trojans.  Sarringar produced a double-double of 16 assists and 15 digs. 
• Grandpre led the Trojans' blocks with six block assists.  Viet and Van Ruler each added four block assists.  Peyton Groft collected 18 digs.  Tayler Corey added 10 digs.
• Fountain smashed a match-high 26 kills and hit .412 for Bellevue.  She recorded a double-double with 19 digs.  Lipovsky added 13 kills and hit .407.  She had four block assists.  Carson produced a double-double of 12 kills and 17 digs.  Athen had a double-double of 11 kills and 11 digs.
• Galas posted a double-double of 59 set assists and 20 digs for the Bruins.  She also had seven kills and two blocks.  Anna Koehler had 20 digs. 

TEAM COMPARISONS

• Bellevue outhit Dakota State 75-46 in the match.  The Bruins hit .298 (24 attack errors in 171 swings) compared to the Trojans .096 hitting percentage (29 errors in 177 attempts).
• DSU was 95.5 percent from the serving line with five aces and four service errors in 88 serves.  BU was 90 percent from the serving line with two aces and 11 errors in 110 attempts.
• The Bruins collected 94 digs compared to the Trojans 65 digs.  DSU had 10 team blocks (20 block assists), their sixth straight match with a double-digit in blocks.  BU had eight blocks (4 solo, 8 assists).

UP NEXT

Dakota State wraps up their season-high five-match NSAA home stand with a pair of matches this weekend at DSU Fieldhouse.  The Trojans host Valley City State (N.D.) in the annual Dig Pink match on Friday evening at 7 p.m.  On Saturday, DSU hosts Dickinson State (N.D.) at 11 a.m. with a brief seniors' day ceremony prior to the match.

Bellevue concludes their fall schedule next weekend as they visit Presentation (S.D.) next Friday and Mayville State (N.D.) next Saturday.

Nick Huntimer, Dakota State University Sports Information Director