October 17, 2025

MADISON, S.D. – The Dakota State University volleyball team prepares for their five-match road stretch, with four Frontier Conference matches in the state of Montana in five days.  There are three weeks remaining in the 2025 NAIA Women's Volleyball regular season before the conference tournament begins in mid-November.

Dakota State (S.D.) (13-6 overall record, 9-5 Frontier), who returned inside the NAIA's Top 25 national poll for the second time this season at No. 24, kicks off their road stretch Sunday afternoon at Rocky Mountain (Mont.) (1-18 overall record, 0-14 Frontier).  The match is set for 3 p.m. (Central Time)/2 p.m. (Mountain Time) at Fortin Education Center (1511 Poly Drive #107) in Billings, Mont.

The Trojans continue their action on the road Monday evening, traveling to the conference tournament's site at the PE Center (110 W Montana St.) in Helena, Mont.  DSU takes on host team Carroll (Mont.) (13-9 overall record, 8-6 Frontier, receiving votes in the national poll).  The match is set for 7 p.m. (CT)/6 p.m. (MT).

Dakota State then takes a day off before heading south on Interstate 15/90 to Butte, Mont., for another Frontier Conference match-up with Montana Tech (12-8, 8-6 Frontier, receiving votes in the national poll).  The match is scheduled for 8 p.m. (CT)/7 p.m. at Kelvin Sampson Court at Valley Bank Arena (1300 W. Park St.) on the campus of Montana Tech.

DSU wraps their Montana trip on Thursday evening, going south on Interstate 15 to visit Montana Western (9-12, 7-7 Frontier) in the Frontier Conference contest.  The match is scheduled for 8 p.m. (CT)/7 p.m. (MT) at Straugh Gymnasium (E Poindexter St.) in Dillon, Mont.

Dakota State returns to South Dakota for their final non-conference match of the season, traveling to rival Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) (13-8, receiving votes in the national poll) on Monday, Oct. 27.  The junior varsity match kicks off at 5 p.m., followed by the varsity match at 7 p.m. at Christen Athletic Center (1200 University Drive) in Mitchell.
  Frontier Conference Five-Match Home Stand Recap
Dakota State concluded their season-high Frontier Conference five-match home stand at DSU Fieldhouse with a pair of sweeps last weekend.

The Trojans kicked off their five-match home stand with a pair of sweeps, defeating Valley City State (N.D.) on Oct. 1 and Mayville State (N.D.) on Oct. 2.  Dakota State fell short in a five-set thriller with their traveling partner No. 8 ranked Bellevue (Neb.) on Oct. 8, recording their first home defeat during the Frontier Conference play.

Dakota State earned 3-0 sweeps over Bismarck State (N.D.) on Oct. 10 and Dickinson State (N.D.) on Oct. 11.  The Trojans lifted their home record to 8-2 this season, with all eight victories resulting in 3-set sweeps over Frontier Conference foes.

Dakota State averaged 15.3 kills, 16.7 digs, 12.8 set assists, 1.8 blocks, and 1.8 blocks per set during their five-match home stand.  The Trojans also hit .290, hitting well over .300 three times during the five-match home stand.  DSU held their five Frontier Conference opponents to .146 hitting percentage during the home stand.
  Trojans in the Frontier Conference ranks
Dakota State is currently in a two-way tie for third place in the Frontier Conference standings with MSU-Northern, each with 9-5 record in the league.  Providence (Mont.) leads the conference with 14-0 record, followed by Bellevue (Neb.) second with 12-2 record.

The Trojans lead the NAIA and Frontier Conference with 14.83 kills per set prior to this weekend's matches.  DSU also leads the conference with 13.15 set assists per set.  Maddi Langerock ranks fifth in the NAIA and second in the Frontier Conference with 10.92 set assists per set.

Sophie Tuttle leads the league with 3.42 kills per set for Dakota State.  She is third in the conference with 205 total kills.  Tristyn Maras also ranks fifth in the conference with 3.0 kills per set. 
  Opponent Breakdown & Context

• Rocky Mountain (Mont.): Rocky Mountain hosts No. 7 ranked Bellevue (Neb.) Friday (tonight) before hosting Dakota State (S.D.) on Sunday afternoon.  The Battlin' Bears have not won a conference contest this season (14 contests).  RMC's lone victory of the season came on Sept. 30 when they defeated NCAA Division II Montana State-Billings.  The Trojans won the first Frontier Conference meeting earlier this season in three straight sets on Sept. 13.
• (RV) Carroll (Mont.): Carroll (Mont.), who fell outside of the NAIA Top 25 national poll after being ranked No. 24 in the previous poll, snapped their three-match losing skid with a 3-0 road sweep at Rocky Mountain on Oct. 15.  The Fighting Saints are 6-1 record at home this season, with their lone setback to conference's leader Providence (Mont.) in three straight sets.  CC is scheduled to host No. 7 Bellevue Saturday evening before their match with Dakota State on Monday.  The Trojans swept the Saints in three straight sets in the first Frontier Conference meeting at DSU Fieldhouse.
• (RV) Montana Tech: Montana Tech went 4-5 record in the last nine Frontier Conference matches, including their 3-0 defeat at Dakota State in the first Frontier Conference meet last month.  The Orediggers held on to defeat Montana Western to kick off the second half of the conference schedule in a five-set thriller on Oct. 8.  MT fell to Valley City State (N.D.) in three straight sets on Oct. 10 and held on to defeat Mayville State (N.D.) in four sets on Oct. 11.  Montana Tech visits Dickinson State (N.D.) on Friday (tonight) and Bismarck State (N.D.) on Saturday.
• Montana Western: Montana Western is 1-3 record in the last four Frontier Conference matches, falling to Valley City State in their last contest on Oct. 11.  The Bulldogs play Bismarck State and Dickinson State this weekend and return home on Wednesday versus No. 7 ranked Bellevue (Neb.).  UMW is 4-3 record on their home court this season.  Dakota State earned a 3-0 home sweep over Montana Western in the first Frontier Conference meeting last month.
• (RV) Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.): Dakota Wesleyan is scheduled to host No. 3 ranked Concordia (Neb.) Saturday, visit Waldorf (Iowa) Wednesday, and welcome No. 2 ranked Northwestern (Iowa) before their final home match with DSU.  The Tigers are 7-4 record in the Great Plains Athletic Conference and 4-2 record on their home court this season.  Dakota Wesleyan held on to defeat Dakota State in the first meeting earlier this season in a five-set thriller at DSU Fieldhouse.  The Trojans won the last road meeting in Mitchell on Sept. 10, 2024.  The match between DSU and DWU went to five sets for a total of five times in the previous seven meetings.

Up Next

• Oct. 31 (Halloween): Dakota State returns home on Halloween as they host the Frontier Conference's leader No. 2 ranked Providence (Mont.).  The match is set for 5:30 p.m. at DSU Fieldhouse.
• Nov. 1 (Seniors Day): The Trojan volleyball teams will be holding their Seniors Day on their final home regular season contest at DSU Fieldhouse.  Dakota State welcomes MSU-Northern in another Frontier Conference action.  The match is set for 2 p.m.

2025 DSU Trojan Volleyball Team Leaders

• Kills/Kills Per Set: Sophie Tuttle - 205 kills / 3.42 kills per set
• Assists/Assists Per Set: Maddi Langerock – 710 assists / 10.9 assists per set
• Digs/Digs Per Set: Kate VanRooyan - 305 digs / 4.9 digs per set
• Total Blocks: Lauryn Kloth - 57 blocks / 0.9 blocks per set
• Service Aces/Aces Per Set: Sydney Wathen - 21 service aces / 0.3 service aces per set
• Receptions: Kate VanRooyan - 246 receptions