March 19, 2021

FOREST CITY, Iowa – Dakota State (S.D.) hit a season-high .309 Friday evening as they cruised to their sixth straight North Star Athletic Association volleyball match, sweeping Waldorf (Iowa) in three straight sets.  The Trojans won by the scores of 25-19, 25-18, and 25-23.

Dakota State raised their overall record to 12-6 and moved into one match within NSAA's conference leader No. 12-ranked Bellevue (Neb.) with an 8-2 record.  The Bruins suffered its first league setback (9-1 NSAA conference record) Friday night, falling in four sets to Viterbo (Wis.).  Waldorf dipped their overall record to 4-12 and 2-10 record in North Star contests.

The Trojans had won six times in the last seven matches.  The victory also secured at least a home match in the opening round of the NSAA volleyball postseason tournament, which is set to kick off on March 30. 

DSU had won eight times in the last nine meetings with the Warriors, including Trojans' fifth straight win over WU.

Dakota State travels to Viterbo, who also had won the last six NSAA volleyball matches.  First serve is set for 1 p.m. at R.W. Beggs Gymnasium in La Crosse, Wis.  Visiting fans are not allowed in the match.

Dakota State (S.D.) 3, Waldorf (Iowa) 0 – FINAL (25-19, 25-18, 25-23)

• Dakota State and Waldorf battled back and forth in the opening set.  Leading 13-12, the Trojans went on a 5-1 scoring run.  DSU used four different players with a kill (Madalyn Groft, VonnaGail Schlechter, Maddie Polzin, and Riley Grandpre) to balloon their lead to 18-13.
• The Warriors answered by scoring three straight points, capped by back-to-back service aces by Kenzie Kidd, trimming DSU's lead to 18-16.
• The Trojans closed the first set with a 7-3 run as Hannah Viet smashed a kill to secure a 1-0 match lead after a 25-19 victory.
• Dakota State hit an impressive .625 in the first set (17 kills with 2 errors in 24 swings).  Waldorf registered a .400 hitting percentage (9 kills with 1 error in 20 attempts).
• Knotted at 9-9 in the second set, the Trojans roared by scoring eight straight points to grab a 17-9 lead.  During the outburst, DSU collected a kill by McKenna Kranz, back-to-back kills by Polzin, back-to-back service aces by Tayler Corey, and a kill by Viet.  The scoring run was capped by a block assist by Polzin and Viet.
• The Warriors could get no closer by six points as the Trojans rolled to a 25-18 victory.  Viet smashed a kill to secure a 2-0 match lead for DSU.
• Both teams 10 kills in the second set.  DSU hit .156 (5 errors in 32 swings) while holding WU to .000 hitting efficiency (10 errors in 40 attempts).
• Dakota State and Waldorf went through 13 ties in the first 38 rallies of the third set, with Kranz smashing a kill to tie at 19-19. 
• Ariel Pindegayosh smashed back-to-back kills, followed by a block assist by Abygail Wood and Pindegayosh to give the Warriors a 22-19 lead.
• Dakota State answered back by scoring the next five points.  Polzin smashed a kill, followed by a service ace by Gracie Kluever and a kill by Madalyn Groft to record the 14th tie of the third set at 22-22.
• After WU's timeout, the Trojans' surge continued with two straight attack errors by the Warriors to set up a match point for DSU at 24-22.
• Waldorf's Pindegayosh smashed a kill to save a match point at 24-23.
• Grandpre closed the match with a kill, winning the third set at 25-23.
• Dakota State outhit Waldorf 16-13 in the third set.  The Trojans eclipsed .237 (7 errors in 38 swings) compared to the Warriors' .176 hitting percentage (7 errors in 34 attempts).
• Polzin led DSU's offense attack with 12 kills and hit .320 in the match.  Viet added 10 kills and hit a career-high .533.  Kranz registered eight kills.  Grandpre tallied six kills and hit .333. 
• Madalyn Groft contributed 33 set assists for the Trojans.  Schlechter had five kills and four service aces.  She also recorded 10 digs.  Peyton Groft led DSU's defense with 11 digs. 
• Kidd smashed 13 kills for Waldorf.  She added six digs, two blocks, and two aces.  Wood recorded seven kills and three bloks.  Pindegayosh collected five kills and three block assists.
• Kaitlyn Bakke produced 29 set assists and nine digs for WU.  Kaylee Kidd had 10 digs and two service aces. 
• DSU outhit WU 43-32 in the match.  The Trojans committed 14 errors in 94 swings and held the Warriors to .149 hitting percentage (18 errors in 94 attempts). 
• Dakota State recorded nine service aces compared to Waldorf seven aces.  The Warriors earned seven blocks, while the Trojans had one block.

Nick Huntimer, Dakota State University Sports Information Director