October 20, 2025

HELENA, Mont. — No. 24 ranked Dakota State (S.D.) pushed (RV) Carroll (Mont.) to the brink inside the PE Center before falling 3–2 (25-27, 25-22, 25-20, 22-25, 18-16) in Frontier Conference volleyball action.  Both teams split their two meetings (DSU swept Carroll in three straight sets last month at DSU Fieldhouse).

Dakota State is 14-7 overall record and 10-6 record in Frontier contests.  Carroll improved to 14-10 overall record and 9-7 Frontier.
  Match Summary
Dakota State opened the night by claiming a thrilling 27-25 first set. The Trojans survived multiple set points, thanks to key kills from Sophie Tuttle and Tristyn Maras, capped by a Tuttle put-away and a pair of Carroll attack errors to secure the opener.

Carroll bounced back to even the match with a 25-22 win in the second. The Saints used a strong mid-set service run by Jansyn Carrizales—who notched two aces and helped the hosts pull away 17-9—before DSU mounted a late charge led by Macey Wathen's pair of kills. The Trojans trimmed the deficit to 23-21, but Carroll held on behind Taysa Conger's kill.

The third set saw Carroll seize control with efficient offense, hitting .302 as a team. Conger and McKaila Balcom combined for 13 kills in the frame to put the Saints up 2-1 (25-20). Dakota State stayed close early before Carroll's balanced attack proved decisive.

The Trojans stormed back in the fourth. Kate VanRooyan's pinpoint serving turned the momentum—three aces during a 5-0 run flipped an 8-4 Carroll lead into a 10-8 DSU advantage. Later in the set, Wathen and Tuttle delivered consecutive kills to close out a 25-22 victory and force the deciding fifth frame.

The tiebreaker showcased both teams' defensive determination. Dakota State built a 12-9 lead behind Lauryn Kloth's block and a Tuttle kill, but Carroll answered with four straight points capped by a Sidney Gulick attack from the left pin.

Carroll saved two match points by Dakota State, tying the fifth set at 14-14.  Tuttle smashed a kill to give DSU their third match point opportunity at 15-14.  The Saints scored the next two points for 16-15 lead before the Trojans tied at 16-16 after Kloth's block.

McKaila Balcom smashed a kill for the Saints, followed by an attack error by the Trojans to give CC an 18-16 set five victory.
  Individual Leaders – Dakota State

• Macey Wathen: 16 kills (career high), .342 hitting (16-3-38), 2 block assists, 3 service aces, 20 total points
• Sophie Tuttle: 18 kills on 56 swings, 2 block assists, 19 points
• Lauryn Kloth: 10 kills, 4 total blocks (2 solos, 2 assists), 13 points
• Halle Bruflat: 8 kills, 1 block assist
• Maddi Langerock: 49 set assists, 9 digs, 2 kills
• Kate VanRooyan: Team-high 26 digs, 5 service aces (career-high), 3 assists
• Sydney Wathen: 16 digs (season-high)

Individual Leaders – Carroll

• Taysa Conger: 16 kills on .289 hitting, 7 digs
• McKaila Balcom: 15 kills on .294 hitting, 1 block solo, 16 points
• Sidney Gulick: 12 kills, 21 digs, 2 blocks, 14.5 points
• Lauren Heuiser: 7 kills, 4 block assists (4.0 total blocks)
• Jansyn Carrizales: 32 assists, 11 digs, 2 aces
• Sofia Kimmel: 20 digs, 3 assists
• Lauren Fox: 11 assists, 2 aces

Inside the Numbers
Dakota State tallied 60 kills to Carroll's 64 and led in service aces (8-7). The Trojans hit .162 team in the match and racked up 85 digs, with five players reaching double-digit digs.

Carroll earned the edge at the net with 7.0 total blocks and consistent middle hitting from Conger and Balcom. The Saints registered a .201 team hitting efficiency.
  Next Up
Dakota State stays on the road in Montana as they continue their Frontier Conference action.  The Trojans head south on Interstate 15 towards near Interstate 90 as they visit (RV) Montana Tech Wednesday evening.  The match is scheduled for 8 p.m. (Central Time)/7 p.m. (Mountain Time) at Kelvin Sampson Court at Valley Bank Arena in Butte, Mont.