October 6, 2023

MADISON, S.D. – Dakota State (S.D.) ignited their three-match North Star Athletic Association by pounding 45 kills in their 3-0 rout over Dickinson State (N.D.) Friday evening at DSU Fieldhouse.  The Trojans kicked off the first set by hitting an impressive .481 and finished the match with nearly .300 hitting percentage.  The Blue Hawks were held to a negative .047 hitting efficiency.

Set scores were 25-5, 25-22, and 25-10.

Dakota State snapped their two-match losing skid of five-set matches, improving to 9-10 overall record and 2-3 NSAA conference record.  Dickinson State fell to 1-17 overall record and 1-5 record in the league.

The Trojans stay home Saturday afternoon as they wrap up their first half portion of the North Star women's volleyball schedule.  Dakota State hosts (RV) Valley City State (N.D.) with the first serve set for 1 p.m. at DSU Fieldhouse.  Green Out is the theme for the volleyball match, encouraging the fans to wear green color clothing to the match to help raise mental health awareness.

Dakota State (S.D.) 3, Dickinson State (N.D.) 0 – FINAL (25-5, 25-22, 25-10)

The Trojans erupted for an 11-1 lead in the opening set, capped with four straight kills from Dakota State (including a pair from Brooklyn Grage).  Sydney Schell also added a service ace and a pair of kills during DaSU's scoring run.

Leading 17-4, Dakota State would close the first set with an 8-1 scoring outburst.  The Trojans also scored seven straight points to set up the set point opportunity at 24-4 after smashing four straight kills, starting with back-to-back kills from Gwendolyn Vongkasemsiri followed by a kill from Schell and Maddi Langerock.

DaSU smashed 15 kills with two errors in 27 swings in the opening set, earning a 25-5 victory to grab a 1-0 match lead.  DiSU was held to minus .147 hitting percentage, recording just three kills with eight errors in 34 attempts.

Dakota State and Dickinson State battled back and forth in the second set, featuring five ties and three lead changes.  Holding a slim 19-18 lead, the Trojans went on a 5-1 scoring run to set up their set point opportunity at 24-19 after a block from Hannah Evans and Langerock.

The Blue Hawks scored the next three points to trim DaSU's lead to 24-22 after a kill from Abigail Suiter.  Schell followed up with a kill as Dakota State secured the second set at 25-22 and extended their match lead to 2-0.

DaSU hit .159 (14 kills with seven errors in 44 swings) in the second set compared to DiSU .024 hitting percentage (nine kills with eight errors in 41 attempts).

Knotted at 4-4 in the third set, Dakota State roared with a 7-0 outburst to balloon their lead to 11-4.  The Trojans accumulated six kills (three kills from Vongkasemsiri, two kills from Grage, and a kill from Groft) and a service ace from Madalyn Groft during their scoring run.

Dakota State used another monstrous scoring run with an 8-0 run to stretch their lead from 15-8 to 23-8, capped by a kill from Grage. 

Vongkasemsiri smashed a kill to seal the match in three straight sets after winning the third set at 25-10 for the Trojans.

Dakota State outhit Dickinson State 16-5 in the third set.  The Trojans hit an amazing .324 (five errors in 34 swings) and limited the Blue Hawks to a negative .032 hitting percentage (six errors in 31 attempts).

Grage smashed a season-high 13 kills for Dakota State.  She hit .323 in the match.  Schell added 10 hits and hit .318.  Groft tallied eight kills and collected 14 digs.  Vongkasemsiri also had eight kills and recorded a hitting percentage of .412.  She had thre blocks.

Langerock contributed a season-high 38 set assists for the Trojans.  She also had seven digs, three blocks, and three kills.  Kate VanRooyan led DaSU's defense with a match-high 22 digs.  Reagan VanRooyan added eight digs. 

McKenzie Moser led the Blue Hawks with seven kills.  She had 10 digs.  Brooklyn Wyllie added four kills.  Bailey Pearcy registered 16 set assists.  Haydin Henschel had 15 digs.

Dakota State outhit Dickinson State 45-17 in the match.  The Trojans produced 41 assists to the Blue Hawks 16 assists.  DaSU collected 62 digs to DiSU 40 digs. 

Dakota State was 94.6 percent from the serving line with three service aces and four errors in 74 serves.  Dickinson State was 97.4 percent from the service line with two aces and one error in 36 attempts.