August 27, 2022

CRETE, Neb. – Dakota State (S.D.) played its second match of the Doane (Neb.) triangular Saturday afternoon at George and Sally Haddix Recreation Complex.  The Trojans wrapped up the month of August with a five-set defeat to MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) of the Heart of America Athletic Conference.  Set scores were 22-25, 25-15, 29-27, 18-25, and 15-10.

Dakota State, receiving votes in the NAIA Women's Volleyball Coaches' Top 25 national preseason poll, fell to 4-2 overall record.  MidAmerica Nazarene remained undefeated with a 2-0 overall record.

DSU plays in their second preseason tournament – College of Saint Mary (Neb.) Labor Day Classic – next weekend, facing four opponents from the Great Plains Athletic Conference (with three teams qualified for the NAIA national tournament last season).  The Trojans open the tournament play against Northwestern (Iowa) Friday at 11 a.m., followed by a match with Dordt (Iowa) at 5 p.m.   

MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) 3, (RV) Dakota State (S.D.) 2 – FINAL (22-25, 25-15, 29-27, 18-25, 15-10)

• The Pioneers used a fast start to open a 5-1 lead in the first set.  The Trojans answered with four straight points, capped by a block by Maddi Langerock and Hannah Viet to knot the first set at 5-5.
• Dakota State won a see-saw battle in the opening set as Langerock closed the set with a kill (assisted by Peyton Groft) for a 25-22 victory.
• DSU took a 1-0 match lead after outhitting MNU 14-13.  The Trojans hit .156 (7 errors in 45 attempts) while the Pioneers committed nine attack errors in 45 swings (.089 hitting percentage).
• Knotted at 12-12, MidAmerica Nazarene used 13-3 outburst including scoring the final six points to even the match at 1-1 after a 25-15 victory.
• Dakota State was held to minus .041 hitting percentage in the second set (9 kills with 11 errors in 49 swings).  The Pioneers recorded a hitting percentage of .257 (12 kills with 3 errors in 35 attempts).
• Holding a slim 8-6 lead in the third set, MNU scored four straight points to widen their lead to 12-6 after a block by Teresa Saunders and Lucie Maceckova).
• The Trojans answered with a 7-1 scoring run to rally back and tie the third set at 13-13, thanks to four consecutive kills by Sydney Schell.
• DSU and MNU battled back and forth until the Trojans reached their set point opportunity after a kill by Schell (assisted by Langerock) at 24-23.
• The Pioneers saved a set point and scored the next two points to take a 25-24 lead.  The Trojans answered back with a kill by Schell followed by a service ace by Langerock to regain their lead at 26-25.
• MNU saved another set point after an attack error by the Trojans to knot the third set at 26-26.  Schell smashed a kill to give DSU its third set point opportunity.
• The Pioneers scored the final three points of the third set to earn a 2-1 match lead after a 29-27 victory.
• MidAmerica Nazarene outhit Dakota State 17-12 in the third set.  The Trojans committed nine attack errors in 50 attempts for a hitting percentage of .060.  MNU hit .173 with eight attack errors in 52 attempts.
• Leading 11-9 in the fourth set, Dakota State went on a 9-1 outburst to earn the biggest lead at 20-10 after a kill by Brooklyn Grage (assisted by Peyton Groft).
• MidAmerica Nazarene could get no closer than six points at 24-18, as Schell closed the fourth set with a kill and force the fifth and deciding set (25-18 DSU set four victory).
• DSU hit .286 in the fourth set (13 kills with 3 errors in 35 swings) and held MNU to .140 hitting percentage (14 kills with 8 errors in 43 attempts).
• The Trojans and the Pioneers battled back and forth through the first 17 rallies in the fifth set.  Holding a 9-8 lead, MidAmerican Nazarene used a 6-2 closing run to earn a 15-10 victory after Ariana Arciniega smashed back-to-back kills to secure the victory.
• MNU outhit DSU 10-5 in the fifth set.  The Pioneers registered a .269 hitting percentage (3 errors in 26 attempts) compared to the Trojans .167 hitting percentage (2 errors in 18 attempts).
• Schell smashed a career-high 22 kills to fuel Trojans' offense attack.  She added a double-double with 11 digs.  Viet tallied nine kills and collected a season-high nine blocks (tied for seventh most single match blocks).
• Grage registered seven kills and earned a career high seven blocks for DSU.  Sophia Vanden Bosch had six kills.  Riley Grandpre recorded five kills and four blocks. 
• Langerock contributed 38 set assists and seven digs for Dakota State.  She also had three blocks. 
• Groft collected a season-high 32 digs for the Trojans.  She added six assists.  VonnaGail Schlechter had 13 digs.  Macy Wetsch added 12 digs.
• Arciniega had a double-double of 22 kills and 14 digs for MidAmerica Nazarene.  Cassidy Crist had 19 kills and six digs.  Katrina Davis registered 34 set assists and six digs.
• Brianna Moylan led the Pioneers' defense with 22 digs.  Savannah Crossland added 18 digs.
• MidAmerica Nazarene outhit Dakota State 66-53 in the match.  The Pioneers hit .174 (31 attack errors in 201 swings) compared to the Trojans .107 hitting percentage (32 attack errors in 197 attempts).
• DSU tallied a season-high 13 blocks (26 block assists).  MNU had 12 blocks.  Both teams recorded five service aces.

Nick Huntimer, Dakota State University Sports Information Director