September 5, 2025
DICKINSON, N.D. – No. 24 Dakota State (S.D.) dropped a hard-fought Frontier Conference opener Friday night, falling 3-2 to Dickinson State at Scott Gymnasium. It was the second straight match this week that the Trojans went to five sets.
The Blue Hawks (6-1, 2-0 Frontier) rallied after losing the opening set and outlasted the Trojans (4-2, 0-1 Frontier) by scores of 20-25, 25-20, 25-21, 16-25, and 19-17.
Match Summary
Dakota State came out strong, hitting .200 with 15 kills in the first set, capped by key swings from
Sophie Tuttle and
Macey Wathen, to take a 25-20 win. Dickinson State countered in the second and third frames, limiting errors and using balanced attacking to claim 25-20 and 25-21 victories.
The Trojans dominated the fourth set, hitting .536 with 17 kills and only two errors, forcing a decisive fifth. In the final frame, both sides traded points deep into extra rallies. Dakota State held off two match points before Dickinson State sealed it, 19-17.
Trojan Leaders
- Sophie Tuttle paced Dakota State with a career-high 18 kills, hitting .304, while also contributing two blocks and 19.5 total points.
- Macey Wathen was a force at the net with a career-high 16 kills and a stellar .410 hitting percentage, adding two solo blocks.
- Tristyn Maras provided 15 kills and career-high 20 digs, delivering a double-double performance that fueled the Trojans' fourth-set surge.
- Lauryn Kloth hit .348 with 12 kills and three total blocks, giving the Trojans balance in the middle.
- Setter Maddi Langerock dished out career-high 61 assists, orchestrating an offense that produced 73 team kills. She also chipped in 18 digs and three service aces.
- Libero Kate VanRooyan anchored the back row with a match-high 23 digs, while her sister Reagan VanRooyan added 12 digs.
As a team, Dakota State tallied 73 kills and hit .210 overall, adding 96 digs and 7 service aces.
Dickinson State Leaders
The Blue Hawks were led by Aubrey Allison with 18 kills and 15 digs, while Cate Floy and Macie Albrecht combined for 21 kills and nine blocks. Setter Rylee Kogolshak handed out 40 assists and 19 digs.
By the Numbers
- Kills: DSU 73, DiSU 58
- Digs: DSU 96, DiSU 84
- Blocks: DiSU 12, DSU 6
- Service Aces: DSU 7, DiSU 5
- Hitting Percentage: DSU .210, DiSU .201
Up Next
Dakota State continues Frontier Conference play Saturday afternoon, visiting Bismarck State (N.D.). The first serve is set for 2 p.m. at BSC Armory in Bismarck.
