October 7, 2021

PHOTO GALLERY - Photos credit by Cody Welu and Donald Weidler

MADISON, S.D. – Dakota State (S.D.) faced an NAIA Volleyball Top 25 nationally-ranked team for the second time in three days Thursday evening.  The Trojans fell to No. 2 ranked Viterbo (Wis.) in four sets by the scores of 22-25, 25-18, 26-24, and 25-14.

DSU dropped their overall record to 11-5 and 3-3 record in North Star matches.  VU recorded their 17th straight match and raised their overall record to 24-1 and 6-0 NSAA conference record.

Dakota State continues their home stand Friday evening as they host Waldorf (Iowa) to conclude their first half portion of the North Star Athletic Associations schedule.  First serve is set for 7 p.m.

Viterbo heads to No. 8 Bellevue (Neb.) for the battle of two remaining undefeated teams in the North Star conference.  The match is set for 6 p.m. at Gordon Lozier Center in Bellevue, Neb.

(2) Viterbo (Wis.) 3, Dakota State (S.D.) 1 – FINAL (22-25, 25-18, 26-24, 25-14)

• Viterbo kicked off the game with a 5-1 scoring run, thanks to a pair of kills by Martina McGrath and a service ace by Cassidy Spies.
• The Trojans rallied back to knot the first set at 6-6, capped by a block assist by Hannah Viet and Maddie Polzin.
• Holding a slim 13-12 lead, DSU went on a 5-0 scoring run to balloon their lead to 18-12 after an attack error committed by VU.
• Viterbo answered back with a 5-0 scoring run to regain their lead to 22-21 after McGrath's kill.
• The Trojans closed the opening set by scoring four straight points to grab a 1-0 match lead.  A block assist by Taryn Tacheny and Riley Grandpre secured a 25-22 victory for DSU.
• Dakota State hit .286 in the first set (12 kills with 4 errors in 28 swings).  Viterbo was held to .051 hitting percentage with 13 kills and committed 11 attack errors in 39 swings.  DSU had four blocks in the first set.
• The Trojans and the V-Hawks went through nine ties and two lead changes in the first 24 rallies of the second set.
• Knotted at 12-12, VU went on a 6-1 scoring tear to widen their lead to 18-13 capped by a kill by Maya Roberts. 
• DSU could get no closer than four points at 18-14 as Viterbo evened the match at 1-1 after a 25-18 set two victory.
• The V-Hawks hit .316 in the second set with 16 kills and 4 attack errors in 38 attempts.  The Trojans hit .182 (10 kills with 4 errors in 33 attempts).
• DSU had seven team blocks through the first two sets, while VU did not record a block.
• Dakota State and Viterbo went through a see-saw battle in the third set, with the lead no greater than four points by the V-Hawks early in the set.
• With DSU leading 23-21, VU went on a 3-0 scoring run to set up a set point opportunity after an attack error by the Trojans (24-23 VU leads). 
• The Trojans saved a set point after a service error by the V-Hawks, recording the ninth tie of the third set.
• A kill by Grace Rohde followed by a block assist by Kenzie Winker and McGrath gave Viterbo a 26-24 victory.  VU grabbed a 2-1 match lead.
• Viterbo outhit Dakota State 14-10 in the third set.  The V-Hawks hit .159 compared to the Trojans .094.
• After battling through seven ties and two lead changes in the early fourth set, the V-Hawks pulled away and secured the victory.
• Tied at 7-7, the V-Hawks stormed with a 9-1 outburst to widen their lead to 16-8. 
• Winker closed the match with a kill, earning a 25-14 set four victory for VU. 
• Viterbo tallied 15 kills and hit .270 in the fourth set compared to Dakota State nine kills and .083 hitting percentage.
• Viet sparked the Trojans' offense with 10 kills and hit an impressive .529.  Sydney Schell added nine kills and nine digs.  Polzin had eight kills.  Tacheny registered six kills.  Madalyn Groft and Grandpre each had four kills.
• M. Groft posted a double-double of 18 set assists and 11 digs for DSU.  Nicole Sarringar added 16 set assists.
• Peyton Groft led Dakota State's defense with 19 digs.  Viet had a match-high seven blocks.  Polzin added six blocks.  Grandpre tallied four blocks. 
• Katie Frohmader led the V-Hawks with 14 kills.  Roberts added 13 kills.  Winker tallied nine kills and three blocks.  McGrath smashed six kills and recorded four blocks.
• Abbey Johnson contributed 22 set assists and six digs for Viterbo.  Lauryn Sobasky added 18 assists and eight digs. 
• Adrianna Reinhardt collected 19 digs for VU.  Kenidi McCabe had 10 digs.  Spies and Cailie Kowal each had two service aces.
• Viterbo outhit Dakota State 58-41 in the match.  The V-Hawks hit .196 (27 attack errors in 158 swings) compared to the Trojans .155 hitting percentage (21 attack errors in 129 attempts).
• VU recorded a service percentage of 92.8 with five aces and seven errors in 97 serves.  DSU was 91.5 percent from the serving line with two aces and seven errors in 82 attempts.
• The Trojans collected 11 team blocks in the match.  The V-Hawks had six blocks.

Nick Huntimer, Dakota State University Sports Information Director