September 6, 2023
This Week's Preview
MADISON, S.D. (Sept. 6, 2023)—The Dakota State University Trojan volleyball team (6-4 overall record) wraps up their challenging preseason tournament tune-ups with three matches this weekend in the North Star Athletic Association's fellow Viterbo (Wis.) Tournament. Both NSAA members (DSU and VU) will be facing two NAIA's nationally ranked teams in the tournament, playing a total of three matches. The tournament is being played at Viterbo's Varsity Athletics Center (900 Viterbo Drive) in La Crosse, Wis.
The Trojans open the tournament on Friday afternoon, taking on NAIA's ranked No. 11 Columbia (Mo.) (8-1 overall record) of the American Midwest Conference. First serve is set for 4 p.m.
Dakota State continues their action on Saturday as they play another NAIA's ranked team, No. 10 Montana Tech (6-0 overall record) of the Frontier Conference at 9 a.m.  It will be the first all-time series meeting between DSU and Montana Tech. DSU closes out the tournament against William Penn (Iowa) (6-4 overall record) of the Heart of America Athletic Conference.
The Trojans went 3-2 record for the week last week. DSU suffered a 3-2 home setback to rival No. 13 Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) on Aug. 29. DSU then went to earn three straight wins in the College of Saint Mary (Neb.) Labor Day Classic, with wins over Dordt (Iowa) and Bethel (Kan.) on Sept. 1. Dakota State followed up with a 3-1 victory over No. 17 ranked Jamestown (N.D.) on Sept. 2 before falling short to Mount Mercy (Iowa) in the final match of the tournament at the United Sports Academy in North Sioux City, S.D.Â
Next Up:  Dakota State officially opens their North Star Athletic Association play on Wednesday evening. The Trojans make a trip to Gordon Lozier Center in Bellevue, Neb., to take on their traveling partner No. 1
3 ranked Bellevue (Neb.). First serve is set for 6 p.m.
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This Week's Quick Hits
+ Dakota State (S.D.) is 4-1 record on neutral sites this season, despite a 3-1 setback to Mount Mercy (Iowa) in the College of Saint Mary (Neb.) Labor Day Classic on Sept. 2.
+ The Trojans met Columbia (Mo.) for the first time on Sept. 13, 2019, in the Kansas Wesleyan Tournament. The Cougars held on to a 3-2 thriller over the Trojans.
+ DSU and Montana Tech will be meeting for the first time in all-time series meeting on Saturday morning. Both teams will meet again in October in the Bellevue (Neb.) Tournament in Bellevue, Neb.
+ Dakota State is set to face their second opponent from the Heart of America Athletic Conference this season on Saturday, taking on William Penn (Iowa).Â
+ The Statesmen won the last meeting with the Trojans in a five-set thriller on Sept. 1, 2018, in the KWU Invitational. WPU won the first two sets before DSU won the next two sets to force the fifth set. William Penn held on to win the fifth set by the score of 16-14.
+ Dakota State ranks 17th in the NAIA with 18.2 digs per set and 18th in the nation with 690 total digs.
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Madalyn Groft and
Sydney Schell are inching closer to a milestone at Dakota State for 1,000-dig category. Groft is two digs shy of reaching the milestone, while Schell is 13 digs away to reach 1,000-digs.
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DSU earns weekly honor for second straight week
Madison, S.D. (Sept. 4, 2023)—Dakota State (S.D.) earned a weekly honor from the North Star Athletic Association for the second consecutive week, this time
Sydney Schell as the Attacker-of-the-Week.
Schell smashed double digits kill in all five matches to help the Trojans go 3-2 record for the week. She also produced three double-doubles while hitting double digits in digs..
She kicked off the week with a career-high 25 kills and hit .352 with 14 digs, despite a 3-2 setback to rival Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) on Aug. 29. She followed up with 23 kills and 16 digs as DSU swept season series with Dordt (Iowa) on Sept. 1. She had 15 kills in 3-0 victory over Bethel (Kan.) on the same day, while adding 12 kills in 3-1 win over No. 17 ranked Jamestown (N.D.) on Sept. 2.
For the week, Schell racked up 85 kills and averaged 4.3 kills per set for DSU. She hit .243 and collected 112 receptions. She recorded 59 digs (3.0 digs per set) and registered 11 blocks.
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(13) Tigers hold off Trojans in five-set thriller
Madison, S.D. (Aug. 29, 2023)—Dakota State (S.D.) and Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) finished with a wild finish at DSU Fieldhouse. Deadlocked at 2-2 going in the deciding set, DWU raced to a six-point lead at 9-3 before DSU roared back with 9 straight points to take a 12-9 lead. The Tigers then went on to score six straight points to close the match to secure a 3-2 thrilling victory in DSU's home opener.
Dakota State grabbed a 1-0 match lead after winning the first set 25-21 before Dakota Wesleyan took the next two sets at 25-19 and 25-23 to earn a 2-1 match lead. The Trojans held on to defeat the Tigers 25-22 in the fourth set to force the fifth and deciding set.  Â
Sydney Schell paced the Trojans' offense attack with a career-high 25 kills and posted a double-double with 14 digs.Â
Madalyn Groft contributed 24 set assists and 13 digs for a double-double. She smashed nine kills, one kill shy for reaching a triple-double.Â
Maddi Langerock tallied 25 assists, nine digs, and two service aces.
Macey Wathen and
Gwendolyn Vongkasemsiri each had four kills and four blocks for DSU.Â
Kate VanRooyan had a season-high 26 digs, while
Sophia Vanden Bosch added 15 digs.  Â
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DWU outhit DSU 70-63 in the match. DSU hit .266 compared to the Trojans .197 hitting percentage. DSU was 94.3 percent from the serving line with seven service aces. DSU had nine blocks to DWU five blocks.Â
DSU sweeps season series with Dordt (Iowa); beats Bethel (Kan.)
North Sioux City, S.D. (Sept. 1, 2023)—Dakota State (S.D.) began the month of September with a 2-0 record after sweeping a season series with Dordt (Iowa) and swept Bethel (Kan.) in three straight sets on the first day of the College of Saint Mary (Neb.) Labor Day Classic. The tournament was being played at the United Sports Academy.
The Trojans won the first match of the tournament, defeating the Defenders for the second time in six days. DSU won by the scores of 25-15, 25-22, 18-25, and 27-25. The Trojans highlighted with a season-high 13 service aces, with six aces from
Madalyn Groft and four aces from
Hailey Wathen.Â
Sydney Schell smashed 23 kills in the match for DSU.Â
Kate VanRooyan tallied 21 digs.
The Trojans rolled past Bethel (Kan.) in the second match of the tournament by the scores of 29-27, 25-20, and 25-15. DSU hit .245 in the match while holding the Threshers to .149 hitting percentage.
Schell had 15 kills and hit .278 for DSU. Groft added 19 set assists and 11 kills, recording .588 hitting percentage.Â
Macey Wathen had four blocks.Â
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Trojans beat NAIA's defending champion, finish 3-1 record
North Sioux City, S.D. (Sept. 2, 2023)—Dakota State (S.D.) began their second day of the College of Saint Mary (Neb.) Labor Day Classic by taking down the NAIA's national defending champion Jamestown (N.D.) in four sets. It was the first DSU's win over UJ since 2005, snapping their 27-match losing skid.    Â
DSU won by the set scores of 25-16, 25-18, 18-25, and 25-23.Â
Hailey Wathen led the Trojans with 15 kills.Â
Madalyn Groft had 29 set assists and 13 digs.Â
Maddi Langerock tallied 19 assists and 13 digs.Â
Sydney Schell registered 12 kills and 15 digs.Â
Kate VanRooyan collected 20 digs.Â
Hannah Evans and
Gwendolyn Vongkasemsiri each recorded four blocks.
Mount Mercy closed out the tournament with a 3-1 victory over Dakota State (25-17, 23-25, 25-13, and 25-14). Wathen had 11 kills, while Schell added 10 kills. Groft had 17 set assists and nine digs. Langerock had 16 assists and 11 digs. VanRooyan led the defense with 20 digs.
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2023 DSU Trojan Volleyball Team Leaders
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