October 5, 2024

MADISON, S.D. – Dakota State (S.D.) smashed 50 kills Saturday afternoon at DSU Fieldhouse, earning their fifth win in the last six volleyball matches after earning a 3-0 North Star Athletic Association sweep over Mayville State (N.D.).  Set scores were 26-24, 25-21, and 25-18 as both teams concluded their first half portion of the NSAA conference schedule.  It was the Dig Pink volleyball match, where both teams wore pink jerseys to help raise cancer awareness during the month of October.

The Trojans, receiving votes (RV) in the NAIA Women's Volleyball Coaches' Top 25 national poll, raised their overall record to 13-7 and 3-2 record in the league.  Mayville State dropped their fourth straight NSAA matches, falling to 8-10 overall record and 1-4 NSAA conference record.

Dakota State won the junior varsity match in three straight sets (25-18, 25-13, and 15-7), ballooning their winning streak to seven matches.  The Trojans, who are 13-1 record in junior varsity matches, will travel to Sisseton Wahpeton (S.D.) on Wednesday, Oct. 16 with the first serve set for 6 p.m. in Agency Village, S.D.

DSU steps aside their North Star conference play as they play their final non-conference matches of the season.  The Trojans play a pair of games in the Marvel Bruin Classic next Saturday (Oct. 12), facing (RV) Columbia (Mo.) at 2 p.m. and Grand View (Iowa) at 4:30 p.m.  Both matches will be held at Gordon Lozier Athletic Center in Bellevue.

(RV) Dakota State (S.D.) 3, Mayville State (N.D.) 0 – FINAL (26-24, 25-21, 25-18)

Hailey Wathen smashed a kill (assisted by Maddi Langerock) opened with a 6-4 lead in the first set for the Trojans.

Mayville State used a 6-0 scoring outburst to overtake a 9-6 lead, capped by a service ace from Samantha Passa in the first set.

Both teams battled back and forth in the opening set, recording ten ties and six lead changes.  Wathen smashed a kill to give DSU a 23-21 leading, forcing the Comets to call a time out.  MSU answered with a 3-0 scoring run to earn a set point opportunity at 24-23 after a block each from Passa and Andrea Majchrzak.

After a pair of timeouts, DSU stormed back by scoring the final three points to secure the first set at 26-24.  Macey Wathen sparked the Trojans' scoring run with a kill followed by back-to-back blocks from M. Wathen and Sydney Schell for a 1-0 DSU match lead.

DSU smashed 18 kills compared to MSU 16 kills in the opening set.  The Trojans hit .212 (7 errors in 52 swings), while the Comets hit .188 (7 errors in 48 attempts).

Dakota State and Mayville State went through five ties and a lead change in the early going of the second set.  Knotted at 5-5, Schell ignited DSU's 4-0 scoring run with a kill to open a 9-5 lead.

H. Wathen smashed a kill to widen DSU's lead to 15-10, forcing the Comets to call a timeout.  MSU answered by scoring four straight points, highlighted by a block from Abby Cox and Majchrzak to cut DSU's lead to 15-14.

Dakota State never trailed for the rest of the second set, thanks to their 7-2 scoring run after a kill from Brooklyn Grage for a 22-16 lead.

M. Wathen smashed a kill to secure a 25-21 set two victory, extending Dakota State's match lead to 2-0.

DSU outhit MSU 14-13 in the second set.  Both teams struggled offensively with the Trojans hitting .140 (88 errors in 43 attempts) to the Comets .106 hitting percentage (8 errors in 47 attempts).

Tied at 3-3 in the third set, Dakota State used a 4-0 scoring run by four consecutive kills (a pair from Grage and a kill each by H. Wathen and Schell) to earn a 7-3 and forced MSU to burn their first timeout.

An attack error committed by the Comets allowed the Trojans to grab a 10-4 lead in the third set.  Dakota State maintained their lead for the rest of the third set, earning a 25-18 victory after closing the match with a kill from Gwendolyn Vongkasemsiri.

DSU outhit MSU 18-9 in the final set.  The Trojans hit nearly .300 (.298 with four attack errors in 47 attempts).  The Comets hit .128 with four errors in 39 attempts.

H. Wathen and Grage each smashed 11 kills for Dakota State.  M. Wathen added nine kills and three blocks.  Tristyn Maras tallied seven kills.  Schell and Vongkasemsiri each recorded six kills.

Madalyn Groft contributed 25 set assists and seven digs for the Trojans.  Langerock added 19 assists and six digs.  Schell led the defense with 17 digs.  Kate VanRooyan added 15 digs.  Schell, Vongkasemsiri, and Grage each recorded two blocks.

Passa led the Comets with a double-double of 11 kills and 15 digs.  Majchrzak, Cox, and Madison McKinnon each registered seven kills.  Lindsey Nyhagen had 18 set assists and eight digs.  Noelle Erickson added 17 assists and six digs.  Emily Condon had 11 digs. 

Majchrzak recorded four blocks in the match for Mayville State. 

DSU had 12 more kills and MSU (38 kills).  The Trojans hit .218 (142 swings) compared to the Comets .142 hitting percentage (both teams had 19 attack errors).

Both teams registered five blocks in the match. 

Dakota State was 94.6 percent from the serving line, with a service ace and four errors in 74 serves.  Mayville State was 92.3 percent at the serving line with two aces and five errors in 65 attempts.