August 16, 2024

Photo credit by SportsMediaDB

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Dakota State (S.D.) was unable to overcome NAIA's nationally ranked St. Thomas (Fla.) .331 hitting percentage Friday evening, falling short in three straight sets at Student Life Center on the campus of Keiser (Fla.) in the Vipers Sports Academy Classic.  The Bobcats outhit the Trojans 51-33 in the match, earning set scores of 25-21, 26-24, and 25-17 victories.

Dakota State, receiving votes (RV) in the NAIA Women's Volleyball Coaches' Top 25 Preseason Poll, split a pair of matches on their season-opening day (1-1 overall record).  St. Thomas, ranked No. 19 in the NAIA preseason poll, stayed undefeated with a 4-0 record.

DSU closes out the tournament Saturday with another two-match slate.  The Trojans face No. 11 ranked Missouri Baptist at 2 p.m. (Eastern Time)/1 p.m. (Central Time), followed by a match versus Taylor (Ind.) at 6 p.m. (ET)/5 p.m. (CT).

#19 St. Thomas (Fla.) 3, (RV) Dakota State (S.D.) 0 – FINAL (25-21, 26-24, 25-17)

Dakota State opened the first set with a 5-3 lead, highlighted by scoring four straight points after trailing 3-1.  Both teams went through a see-saw battle before the Bobcats pulled away. 

Hailey Wathen smashed a kill as the Trojans trailed 17-16 in the opening set.  STU went on a 4-1 scoring run to stretch their lead to 21-17 and never looked back.

St. Thomas secured the opening set with a 25-21 victory for a 1-0 match lead.  The Bobcats outhit the Trojans 17-11 in the first set.

STU fueled to a 6-1 lead in the second set, forcing DSU to call their first timeout of the set.  The Bobcats extended their lead to 8-2, while the Trojans roared back by scoring five straight points.  DSU capped the final three points in the scoring run with a kill from three different players – Kate VanRooyan, Macey Wathen, and Tristyn Maras – as DSU trimmed their deficit to 8-7.

Trailing 14-9, Dakota State used a 4-0 scoring run capped by Macey Wathen's service ace to cut the Bobcats' lead to 14-13.

St. Thomas extended their lead by four points at 20-16 before DSU stormed back.  Down 24-21, the Trojans saved three set points chanced by the Bobcats sparked by a kill from Sydney Schell, followed by a pair of blocks by Gwendolyn Vongkasemsiri (and Brooklyn Grage).  STU was forced to call a timeout with the second set tied at 24-24.

Tayla Barnes smashed back-to-back kills as St. Thomas secured the second set by the score of 26-24, extending their match lead to 2-0.

The Bobcats outhit the Trojans 21-13 in the second set.  STU registered a hitting percentage of .294 (6 errors in 51 swings) compared to DSU .213 hitting efficiency (3 errors in 47 attempts).

After a closely early contest in the third set, St. Thomas used a 3-0 scoring run to widen their lead from 11-9 to 14-9 after a service ace by Bianca Grassi. 

DSU could get no closer than four points at 14-10 as STU secured the match victory after posting a 25-17 set three win.  St. Thomas powered the third set with a .593 hitting percentage (17 kills with 1 error in 27 attempts) compared to Dakota State .231 hitting efficiency (9 kills with 3 errors in 26 attempts).

H. Wathen smashed eight kills for Dakota State.  Schell added seven kills.  Vongkasemsiri and Tristyn Maras each added five kills.  Madalyn Groft and Maddi Langerock each registered 13 set assists.

VanRooyan and Schell each collected 12 digs for the Trojans.  M. Wathen had four kills and two service aces.  Langerock and Reagan VanRooyan each recorded seven digs.  Grage tallied three blocks.

Barnes fueled the Bobcats' offense attack with 14 kills and hit .440.  Hope Leavy-Gaskins added 13 kills and .462 hitting percentage.  Maria Eduarda Ramos had nine kills and 10 digs.  Grassi had 29 digs and eight set assists.

Payton Bertke contributed 41 set assists and eight digs for St. Thomas. 

STU had a hitting percentage of .331 (55 kills with 13 errors in 127 swings) compared to DSU .215 hitting percentage (33 kills with 10 errors in 107 attempts).