August 21, 2025
This Week's Preview
MADISON, S.D. (Aug. 21, 2025)—The Dakota State University Trojan volleyball team (18-13 overall record in 2024, receiving votes—RV—in the 2025 NAIA Women's Volleyball Coaches' Preseason Top 25 Poll) makes their 2025 season debut in the two-day Siouxland Invitational. The tournament is being played in North Sioux City, S.D., at CNOS Fieldhouse (300 Centennial Dr.).
Dakota State will play four different teams from three different conferences. The Trojans kick off the tournament Friday against a pair of Heart of America Athletic Conference, facing Missouri Valley (16-16 overall record in 2024) at 2 p.m. and William Penn (Iowa) (2-0 overall record at 7 p.m. DSU continues their action versus Doane (Neb.) (9-20 overall record in 2024) of the Great Plains Athletic Conference and Bethany (Kan.) (8-18 overall record in 2024) of the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference at 3:30 p.m.
The Trojan junior varsity team will also play in the Siouxland Invitational with three matches. DSU faces Briar Cliff (Iowa) at 11 a.m. and Dordt (Iowa) at 1 p.m. on Friday. They will close out the tournament on Saturday versus Doane at 8 a.m.
Dakota State is coming off from another double digit's victories for the 14
th time in the past 15 seasons. The Trojans qualified for the NAIA National Tournament for the third time in the past six seasons, highlighted by their third appearance in the North Star Athletic Association Postseason Tournament's championship match.
Up Next: Dakota State takes a week off before opening their home schedule at DSU Fieldhouse on Tuesday, Sept. 2. The Trojans welcome rival Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) in a non-conference match, starting with a junior varsity match at 5 p.m. followed by the varsity match at 7 p.m. DSU opens their Frontier Conference era on the road on Sept. 5-6, visiting Dickinson State (N.D.) and newcomer NAIA member Bismarck State (N.D.) respectively.
This Week's Quick Hits
+Dakota State (S.D.) will be making their fifth consecutive year playing in a weekend tournament at the CSON Fieldhouse (United Sports Academy) since 2021-22.
+The Trojans play a total of seven non-conference matches on their 2025 schedule, including a home-and-away series with rival Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.).
+Dakota State is playing their lone preseason tournament of the season this weekend in the Siouxland Invitational.
+The Trojans are facing Missouri Valley for the first time in the series meeting. William Penn (Iowa) defeated DSU 3-0 in the last meeting held in the Viterbo (Wis.) tournament on Sept. 9, 2023. Their previous four meetings were held at neutral sites.
+Dakota State won the previous meeting with Doane (Neb.) on Aug. 27, 2022, as part of Doane triangular. The Trojans will face Bethany (Kan.) for the first time in series meeting.
+The Trojans will have 12 matches on their 2025 home schedule, starting on Sept. 2 versus rival Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.). Eleven of the 12 home matches are against members of the expanded Frontier Conference, which includes the former members of the North Star Athletic Association, Bismarck State (N.D.), and six Montana schools.
+The Siouxland Invitational will feature six Frontier Conference schools including DSU, Bismarck State, Dickinson State (N.D.), Mayville State (N.D.), Rocky Mountain (Mont.), and Valley City State (N.D.).
2024 Season in Review
Madison, S.D. (Aug. 21, 2025)—Dakota State (S.D.) had another stellar season in 2024, closing the North Star Athletic Association era with an appearance in the postseason tournament championship match after their signature victory over perennial powerhouse Jamestown (N.D.) in a thrilling five-set marathon match in Bellevue, Neb.
The Trojans fell to eventual NAIA national runner up Bellevue (Neb.) in the final NSAA postseason tournament's championship match. DSU then earned at-large invitation to the NAIA Women's Volleyball National Tournament Opening Round, falling short to Midland (Neb.) in four sets. It was the third time in the past six seasons that DSU had advanced to the NSAA postseason tournament and NAIA National Tournament.
Sydney Schell and
Kate VanRooyan were named to NSAA All-Conference First Team.
Madalyn Groft and
Macey Wathen earned the Second Team All-Conference distinction. Schell and Groft each joined Carly Rozell as the only four-time North Star Athletic Association All-Conference selection in conference history.
The Trojans were listed in the NAIA Women's Volleyball Coaches' Top 25 Poll in the receiving votes (RV) sections throughout the season.
Dakota State joins new conference era; ranks fifth in Frontier preseason poll
Madison, S.D. (Aug. 21, 2025)—Dakota State (S.D.) begins a new conference era this season, expanding the Frontier Conference from six teams to 12 full time institutions. The North Star Athletic Association closed their chapter at the end of the 2024-25 season, sending five schools to the Frontier Conference, including Bellevue (Neb.), Dakota State, Dickinson State (N.D.), Mayville State (N.D.), and Valley City State (N.D.).
Bismarck State (N.D.) became the NAIA member this season and joined the Frontier Conference. Those six schools join the six Montana schools in the expanded conference – Carroll (Mont.), Montana State-Northern, Montana Tech, Montana Western, Providence (Mont.), and Rocky Mountain (Mont.).
Each Frontier Conference member will be playing a total of 22 conference matches, playing a home-and-away schedule. Each team will be playing 11 home contests and 11 road contests.
Dakota State was picked to finish fifth in the Frontier Conference Volleyball Coaches' Preseason Poll. The top five teams in the preseason poll were listed in the NAIA Women's Volleyball Coaches' Preseason Poll, including DSU in the receiving votes section.
2025 Trojan Volleyball Schedule overview
Madison, S.D. (Aug. 21, 2025)—Dakota State is slated to play a total of 29 matches on their 2025 schedule, with 22 matches being counted as the Frontier Conference matches. The Trojans are playing in most conference teams and matches in program history.
Dakota State will play more than ten matches at DSU Fieldhouse for the first time since the 2022-23 season (7-3 record at home). In addition, it's the first time since the 2020-21 season that the Trojans played 11 home matches at DSU Fieldhouse.
DSU plays their first five matches against non-conference foes before opening a busy Frontier Conference schedule. The Trojans play four matches in the Siouxland Invitational this weekend and take a week off before hosting rival Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) at DSU Fieldhouse on Sept. 2.
Dakota State kicks off their Frontier Conference schedule with three straight matches on the road, visiting Dickinson State (N.D.), Bismarck State (N.D.), and Bellevue (Neb.). The Trojans play their first Frontier Conference home matches, kicking off their four-match stretch on Sept. 12 versus Carroll (Mont.).
The Trojans highlight their 2025 schedule with a week in the state of Montana during their Frontier Conference play. DSU opens their slate at Rocky Mountain on Oct. 19 and travels to Carroll on Oct. 20. After taking a day off, the Trojans visit Montana Tech on Oct. 22 and Montana Western on Oct. 23 before returning to South Dakota for the final non-conference contest at Dakota Wesleyan on Oct. 27.
The top eight teams in the Frontier Conference standings will play in the postseason tournament, being held at Carroll on Nov. 13 through Nov. 15. There will be two automatic bids for the NAIA National Tournament from the Frontier Conference, including a regular-season champion.
The Trojan junior varsity volleyball team has scheduled 20 matches on their schedule this season. After playing three matches in the Siouxland Invitational, DSU heads to Minnesota West on Wednesday and returns home on Sept. 2 versus rival Dakota Wesleyan.
Dakota State will play in the Midland (Neb.) Tournament on Sept. 14 and host their triangular with Mount Marty (S.D.) and Iowa Lakes CC on Sept. 22. Check out their schedule on dsuathletics.com.
2025 DSU Volleyball Team Overview
Madison, S.D. (Aug. 21, 2025)—
Amy Veenhof, who holds the most victories by any coach in volleyball program history at Dakota State, enters her 17
th season as the head coach. She is assisted by first-year assistant coach
Alaina Harkins and graduate assistant
Ashley Hill (2
nd year with the program).
Maddi Langerock and
Leilani Weber are the seniors on the Trojan volleyball team this season. The Trojans have four juniors –
Keira Murdock, twin sisters
Kate VanRooyan and
Reagan VanRooyan, and
Macey Wathen.
Also returning for Dakota State are sophomores
Gabi Borresen,
Halle Bruflat,
Tristyn Maras,
Sophie Tuttle, and
Ashley Wangler.
DSU welcomes 12 newcomers to the squad this year. They are
Kaylee Evenson,
Ariel Hagen,
Aubry Hurst,
Lauryn Kloth,
Shay Michalski,
Maren Nelson,
Adeline Plagge,
Andie Rislov,
Kaedyn Sapp,
Rylee Thompson,
Sydney Wathen, and
Daynica Witzel.
2025 DSU Trojan Volleyball Returning Team Leaders
