September 1, 2023

NORTH SIOUX CITY, S.D. – Dakota State (S.D.) kicked off the month of September by going 2-0 record in the annual College of Saint Mary (Neb.) Labor Day Classic Friday at United Sports Academy.  The Trojans opened the morning session by holding off Dordt (Iowa) in four sets for the second win in six days (DSU won the first meeting on Aug. 26 at DSU Fieldhouse).  Dakota State added a 3-0 sweep over Bethel (Kan.) of the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference in the second match of the tournament.

Dakota State improved their overall record to 5-3, while Dordt fell to 0-4 overall record in DSU's season series sweep over the Defenders.  The Threshers dropped their overall record to 4-6.

The Trojans play two more matches in the tournament Saturday, facing another Great Plains Athletic Conference and nationally ranked No. 17 Jamestown (N.D.), who is the NAIA's defending national champion from last fall.  First serve is set for 9 a.m.

Dakota State closes out the tournament against a member of the Heart of America Athletic Conference, Mount Mercy (Iowa), scheduled for 5 p.m. first serve.

Dakota State (S.D.) 3, Dordt (Iowa) 1 – FINAL (25-15, 25-22, 18-25, 27-25)

Hailey Wathen ignited the Trojans' 4-0 opening run with a kill.  Madalyn Groft added a kill followed by Wathen's service ace during the DSU's scoring run.

The Defenders would answer back to knot the game at 7-7, capped by kill from Campbell Marshall. 

Holding a slim 13-12 lead, the Trojans roared with a 12-3 monstrous closing run to take a 1-0 match lead over the Defenders.  Groft closed the first set with a service ace, giving DSU a 25-15 victory.  Dakota State took advantage of 11 attack errors, including eight attack errors during Trojans' strong closing run.

Trailing 5-2 in the second set, Dakota State went on to score six straight points highlighted by two service aces from Groft and capped with a block assist from Keira Murdock and Macey Wathen for an 8-5 lead.

At 15-12, the Trojans went on another scoring run and exploded for seven consecutive points at 22-14.  A kill from Sydney Schell gave Dakota State the biggest lead of the second set at 23-14.

Dordt mounted a furious comeback by scoring seven straight points to cut DSU's lead to 23-21 after Ellie Dokter's kill.  The Trojans ended their scoring drought with a service ace by the Defenders, setting up the set point at 24-22.

DSU extended their match lead to 2-0 after winning the second set at 25-22.  Both teams had 13 kills in the second set, while the Trojans hit .154 to the Defenders .102.

Dordt used a fast start in the third set, scoring four straight points to open a 4-0 lead and 7-1 to force Dakota State to call a timeout.  The Defenders hit .351 (16 kills with 3 errors in 37 attempts) to earn a 25-18 victory and extended the match into the fourth set.  DSU hit .171 in the third set (12 kills with 5 errors in 41 swings).

Dakota State battled back and forth in the fourth set with series of runs by both teams.  Brooklyn Grage smashed a kill to give the Trojans a 23-21 lead.

The Defenders answered with a 3-0 scoring run to set up the set point at 24-23, forcing the Trojans to call a timeout.  DSU saved a set point after DU's service error to knot at 24-24.

After an attack error by the Trojans to give the Defenders a 25-24 lead in the fourth, Dakota State closed the match with a 3-0 run.  H. Wathen hit back-to-back service aces to win the match at 27-25.
Dakkota State and Dordt each smashed 18 kills in the fourth set.  The Defenders hit .312 compared to the Trojans .273.

Schell powered the Trojans with 23 kills and hit .358 in the match.  She posted a double-double with 16 digs.  Groft added 25 set assists and 15 digs for a double-double.  She also had eight kills and hit a season-high six service aces (tied for eighth most single-match service aces in the record book).  H. Wathen had nine kills and four service aces.  Maddi Langerock produced 11 set assists and eight digs.

Kate VanRooyan tallied 21 digs to pace DSU's defense.  Sophia Vanden Bosch added 11 digs.  Hannah Thorsen had two service aces.  M. Wathen registered four blocks. 

Dokter led the Defenders with 16 kills and hit .368.  Riley Doenhoefer added 14 kills.  Tarren Spartz had 10 kills.  Sophie Johnson contributed a double-double of 33 set assists and 11 digs.  Makenna Kooima led the defense with 28 digs.  Lydia Van Kley and Madison Vis each had 14 digs.

DU outhit DSU 57-49 in the match.  The Defenders hit .188 (25 attack errors in 170 swings) compared to the Trojans .179 (20 errors in 162 attempts). 

Dakota State hit a season-high 13 service aces in the match.  Both teams had five blocks. 

Dakota State (S.D.) 3, Bethel (Kan.) 0 – FINAL (29-27, 25-20, 25-15)

After going through a tightly close first set in the first 20 rallies (tied at 10-10), Bethel went on a 5-0 scoring run to open a 15-10 lead.

DSU would answer back with a 6-1 scoring run to tie the first set at 16-16 after a kill by M. Wathen.  Trailing 23-22, DSU scored the next two points after a kill from H. Wathen and Schell to set up a set point at 24-22.

The Threshers would save a set point after a kill from Darla Crow to tie at 24-24.  Both teams alternated points in the next seven rallies with DSU leading 28-27 after a kill from Grage.  H. Wathen closed the first set with a kill to give the Trojans a 1-0 match lead after a thrilling 29-27 victory.

BU outhit DSU 18-15 in the opening set.  The Threshers committed 10 attack errors (.170 hitting percentage), compared to the Trojans .163 hitting percentage (8 errors in 43 swings).

Dakota State and Bethel went through a see-saw battle early in the second set before the Trojans stretched their lead.  Holding a slim 16-15 lead, DSU went on a 5-0 scoring run capped by a kill from Grage for a 21-16 lead. 

DSU never trailed for the rest of the second set, earning a 2-0 match lead after closing the set with a kill from Schell for a 25-20 victory.  The Trojans hit nearly .300 in the second set (16 kills with 5 errors in 37 swings) compared to the Threshers .242 hitting percentage (13 kills with 5 errors in 33 attempts).

The Trojans only trailed once in the third set (fell behind 1-0) and raced to an 11-4 lead after Julia Drietz's service ace, forcing the Threshers to burn a timeout.

BU could get no closer than four points at 16-12 and 17-13 as the Trojans closed the third set with an 8-2 run to secure the victory.  Dakota State hit .300 in the third set (12 kills with 3 errors in 30 attempts) and held Bethel to .049 hitting efficiency.

Schell paced DSU's offense attack with 15 kills and hit .278.  She had three blocks.  Groft added a double-double of 11 kills and 19 set assists.  She also hit an impressive .588 and collected seven digs.  Grage tallied six kills and three blocks. 

VanRooyan led the Trojans' defense with 14 digs.  Drietz had two service aces.  M. Wathen recorded four blocks. 

Kylah Carter led the Threshers with 12 kills and hit .320.  Cam Offerle added a double-double of 10 kills and 12 digs.  Harlie Hunton had eight kills.  Kaitlyn Shima produced 20 set assists and eight digs.  Mia Roman added 14 assists and six digs.  Brookie Russel had 10 digs.  Crow registered seven kills and five blocks.

Dakota State had one more kill than Bethel (43-42).  The Trojans hit .245 (16 errors in 110 swings) compared to the Threshers .149 hitting percentage (24 errors in 121 attempts).