November 6, 2021

La CROSSE, Wis. – Dakota State (S.D.) concluded their volleyball regular-season schedule Saturday afternoon, taking on the North Star Athletic Association leader No. 2 ranked Viterbo (Wis.).  The Trojans battled hard during the match, falling short in four closely tight sets to the V-Hawks.  Set scores were 25-22, 25-22, 18-25, and 25-23.

Dakota State, receiving votes in the latest NAIA Women's Volleyball Coaches' Top 25 national poll, saw its five-match winning streak come to an end.  The Trojans are 20-7 overall record and 9-5 record in the league.  Viterbo extended their winning streak to 28 matches, raising their overall record to 35-1 and finished the NSAA schedule with a perfect 14-0 record.

Dakota State, coupled with Valley City State's (N.D.) five-set setback at Presentation (S.D.) Saturday, secured the No. 3 seed for the upcoming North Star Athletic Association Volleyball Super Six tournament next weekend in Watertown, S.D.  The Trojans take on No. 6 seed Presentation with the first serve at 10 a.m. Friday morning in the Civic Arena.  The winner of the match will move on to the semifinal session at 5 p.m. Friday versus second-seeded Bellevue (Neb.).

Viterbo, the league's top-seeded team, plays the winner of the 12 p.m. match between No. 4 seed Valley City State and No. 5 seed Mayville State (N.D.).  The second semifinal is set for 7 p.m. Friday in Watertown.

(2) Viterbo (Wis.) 3, (RV) Dakota State (S.D.) 1 – FINAL (25-22, 25-22, 18-25, 25-23)

• Trailing 3-1 in the opening set, Dakota State stormed by scoring six straight points to grab a 7-3 lead capped by a kill by Hannah Viet and forced Viterbo to call its first timeout.
• The V-Hawks came out of the timeout with a 6-1 scoring run to regain their lead at 9-8 after a kill by Grace Rohde.
• Leading 17-15, VU stretched its lead to 21-15 as part of their 4-0 scoring run highlighted by back-to-back kills by Rohde.  The Trojans were forced to burn their second timeout.
• DSU answered with a 4-0 scoring run after the timeout, trimming VU's lead to 21-19 after a block assist by Hannah Viet and Maddie Polzin.
• Both teams alternate a point in each rally as the V-Hawks closed the first set with a 1-0 match lead.  Maya Roberts smashed a kill to record a 25-22 victory.
• Viterbo smashed 18 kills in the first set compared to Dakota State 16 kills.  The Trojans hit an impressive .351, while the V-Hawks hit .245.
• Dakota State and Viterbo went through a see-saw battle in the second set, with the lead no greater than three points by both teams. 
• Down 15-14, the V-Hawks went on a 4-0 scoring run to earn an 18-15 lead after Kenzie Winker's kill. 
• Viet smashed a kill as the Trojans trailed 23-22 in the second set.
• Miah Garant smashed back-to-back kills to give Viterbo a 25-22 set two victory, extending their match lead to 2-0. 
• Viterbo outhit Dakota State 21-9 in the second set. 
• The Trojans and V-Hawks battled through nine ties in the third set. 
• Leading 20-18, Dakota State extended the match into the fourth set after scoring five straight points.  Madalyn Groft smashed a kill to secure the third set victory by the score of 25-18.
• Both teams struggled offensively in the third set.  DSU hit .097 with nine kills with six errors in 31 swings.  VU was held to .000 hitting efficiency with 10 kills and committed 10 attack errors in 41 attempts.
• Dakota State and Vitebo battle back-and-forth in the fourth set, with the lead no greater than three points by the V-Hawks.  There was a total of 10 ties, with the 10th tie coming at 22-22 after a kill by Riley Grandpre for the Trojans.
• DSU committed an attack error followed by a kill by Katie Frohmader to give Viterbo a match point opportunity at 24-22.
• Polzin smashed a kill as the Trojans saved a match point, trailing 24-23. 
• Roberts closed the match with a kill as the V-Hawks held on to a 3-1 victory, defeating the Trojans 25-23 in the fourth set.
• Viterbo registered 17 kills in the fourth set compared to Dakota State 14 kills. 
• Polzin led the Trojans with 13 kills and six blocks.  Viet added 11 kills and registered a hitting percentage of .320.  She contributed nine blocks (tied career-high), which tied for sixth-most blocks in a single match.
• M. Groft produced a double-double of 20 set assists and 14 digs for DSU.  She also had eight kills and two blocks.  Sydney Schell recorded seven kills and collected 21 digs.  Grandpre had six kills and three blocks.  Brooklyn Grage recorded three blocks.
• Nicole Sarringar produced 18 set assists and six digs for Dakota State.  Peyton Groft tallied 22 digs, four set assists, and two service aces.  VonnaGail Schlechter added 12 digs.
• Garant, Roberts, and Frohmader each smashed 14 kills for Viterbo.  Roberts hit .342 in the match.  Rohde had 13 kills and five blocks.  Winker added nine kills.  Garant had four blocks.
• VU's Lauryn Sobasky produced a double-double of 28 set assists and 10 digs.  Callie Kowal added 27 assists and eight digs.
• Adrianna Reinhardt collected 26 digs for the V-Hawks. 
• Viterbo outhit Dakota State 66-48 in the match.  The V-Hawks hit .183 (30 attack errors in 197 swings) compared to the Trojans .185 (20 attack errors in 151 attempts).
• VU committed 10 service errors compared to DSU four service errors.
• Dakota State was credited for 24 block assists (12 total blocks) compared to Viterbo six blocks (1 solo, 10 assist).

Nick Huntimer, Dakota State University Sports Information Director