November 12, 2026

FRONTIER CONFERENCE WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL POSTSEASON TOURNAMENT
THE MATCHES AT A GLANCE

Date: Thursday, November 12, 2026 vs. [6] Carroll (Mont.) Location: PE Center / Helena, Mont.
Start Time: 8:30 p.m. (CT)/7:30 p.m. (MT)

 

Date: Friday, November 13, 2026 vs. [7] Bismarck State (N.D.)/[2] Montana Tech Location: PE Center / Helena, Mont.
Start Time: 8:30 p.m. (CT)/7:30 p.m. MT)

 

Date: Saturday, November 14, 2026 - Frontier Championship Match Location: PE Center / Helena, Mont.

Start Time: 8 p.m. (CT)/7 p.m. (MT)

THIS WEEK
Dakota State (S.D.) (19-9 overall record, No. 3 seed in Frontier Conference postseason tournament) prepares for the 2026 Frontier Conference Women's Volleyball Postseason Tournament at PE Center in Helena, Mont., hosted by Carroll (Mont.).  The Trojans face sixth-seeded and host team Carroll (19-10 overall record) at 8:30 p.m. (Central TIme)/7:30 p.m. (Mountain Time).

The winner moves on to take on the winner of [7] Bismarck State (N.D.) (13-14 overall record) or [2] Montana Tech (22-6 overall record) Friday evening at 8:30 p.m. (CT)/7:30 p.m. (MT), vying for a spot to the Frontier Conference's championship match on Saturday a 8 p.m. (CT)/7 p.m. (MT).

All Frontier Conference Women's Volleyball Postseason tournament's matches will be broadcast through SWX Local SPorts.

QUICK HITS
*Carroll (Mont.) will be the host for the Frontier Conference Women's Volleyball Postseason Tournament for the second straight year at PE Center.  The conference tournament will be located in Bellevue (Neb.) for the next two years.

*Dakota State is seeking for their first win in the Frontier Conference postseason tournament since the league expanded to 12 teams in 2025-26.

*The Trojans are entering the Frontier Conference postseason tournament with 10 wins in the last 11 matches.  DSU had a pair of five-match winning streak during that stretch.  

*Dakota State had four players named to the Frontier Conference Women's Volleyball All-Conference list during their awards night on Wednesday evening.  Lauryn Kloth, Kaeyden Sapp, and Kate VanRooyan were named to the Second Team All-Conference, while Macey Wathen earned Honorable Mention recognition.

*DSU had produced the most conference victories in school history with 16 league wins this season.  DSU's 19 wins are the most since 2021 season.
 

Record	19-9	19-10	13-14	22-6
Kills	1438	1497	1255	1401
Kills Per Set	13.2	13.0	11.8	12.6
Hitting %	.180	.188	.149	.231
Assists	1319	1421	1156	1276
Assists Per Set	12.1	12.4	10.9	11.5
Digs	2036	2107	1830	1792
Digs Per Set	18.7	18.3	17.3	16.1
Blocks	174.0	188.5	219.0	264.5
Blocks Per Set	1.6	1.6	2.1	2.4
Service Aces Per Set	1.2	1.6	1.5	1.9
Receptions	2093	2289	2106	2055

SCOUTING THE CARROLL FIGHTING SAINTS
No. 6 seed Carroll (Mont.) enters Thursday's Frontier Conference Tournament quarterfinal with a 19-10 overall record after finishing tied for fourth in the league standings at 14-8. The Fighting Saints closed the regular season by winning five of their final six matches, including a five-set victory at No. 2 seed Montana Tech.

Dakota State and Carroll split their two regular-season meetings. The Saints earned a five-set victory Sept. 12 in Helena, winning the deciding set 15-8. Dakota State answered Oct. 16 at the DSU Fieldhouse with a 29-27, 25-21, 20-25 and 25-23 four-set victory.

Third-seeded Dakota State enters the tournament at 19-9 overall after finishing 16-6 in Frontier play. Thursday's quarterfinal is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Mountain Time at the Carroll College PE Center in Helena.

BOTTOM HALF BRACKET  — NO. 7 SEED BISMARCK STATE
No. 7 seed Bismarck State (N.D.) enters the tournament with a 13-14 overall record and an 11-11 mark in Frontier play. The Mystics finished the regular season strong, winning six of their final 10 matches and securing a postseason berth in their second season as a Frontier Conference member.

Dakota State swept the regular-season series against Bismarck State. The Trojans rallied for a five-set victory Sept. 5 at the DSU Fieldhouse before earning a straight-set road victory Oct. 9 in Bismarck.

Bismarck State faces No. 2 seed Montana Tech in Thursday's 5 p.m. Mountain Time quarterfinal. The winner advances to Friday's second semifinal against the winner of Dakota State and Carroll.

BOTTOM HALF BRACKET — NO. 2 MONTANA TECH
No. 2 seed Montana Tech enters the Frontier Conference Tournament with a 22-6 overall record after finishing second in the league standings. The Orediggers closed the regular season with road victories over MSU-Northern and Providence after falling in five sets to Carroll in their final home match.

Montana Tech swept both regular-season meetings with Dakota State. The Orediggers earned a four-set victory Sept. 19 at the DSU Fieldhouse before defeating the Trojans in four sets again Oct. 23 in Butte.

The Orediggers face Bismarck State in Thursday's quarterfinal. The teams split their regular-season meetings, with Montana Tech winning in four sets in Butte before Bismarck State answered with a five-set victory Oct. 17.

TOP HALF BRACKET - FRONTIER TOURNAMENT
The opposite half of the Frontier Conference Tournament bracket features No. 1 Bellevue (Neb.) against No. 8 Dickinson State (N.D.) and No. 4 Providence (Mont.) against No. 5 Montana Western. The winners meet in Friday's first semifinal, with the survivor advancing to Saturday's championship match.

Bellevue earned the No. 1 seed and the Frontier Conference's first automatic berth to the NAIA National Tournament by winning the regular-season championship. Providence and Montana Western each finished 14-8 in conference play, while Dickinson State claimed the final tournament berth at 8-14.

Dakota State went 5-3 during the regular season against the four teams on the opposite half of the bracket, sweeping Montana Western and Dickinson State, splitting with Bellevue and Providence. The Frontier Conference championship match is scheduled for Saturday at 7 p.m. Mountain Time. The tournament champion earns the league's second automatic berth to the NAIA National Tournament; if Bellevue reaches the championship match, the winner of Dakota State's side of the semifinal bracket would secure that automatic bid.

LAST TIME OUT
Dakota State (S.D.) closed the regular season with a pair of Frontier Conference road victories in North Dakota, sweeping Mayville State before rallying past Valley City State in five sets. The Trojans finished the regular season with a 19-9 overall record and a 16-6 mark in Frontier play, earning the No. 3 seed in the conference tournament. DSU enters postseason play on a five-match winning streak and has won 10 of its last 11 matches.

Dakota State opened the week Nov. 4 with a straight-set victory over Mayville State. The Trojans held the Comets to a .037 hitting percentage while forcing 31 attack errors. Raya Van Beek led DSU with eight kills, while Macey Wathen added seven and Kaedyn Sapp finished with six. Kate VanRooyan recorded a match-high 19 digs as the Trojans improved to 18-9 overall and 15-6 in conference play.

The Trojans closed the regular season Nov. 7 with a five-set victory at Valley City State, winning 21-25, 25-14, 28-30, 25-20 and 15-4. Dakota State responded twice after falling behind in the match and dominated the deciding fifth set, holding the Vikings to one kill and a negative hitting percentage. Macey Wathen and Sapp each recorded 13 kills, Kaylee Evenson added 11, and VanRooyan posted a career-high 39 digs. DSU held advantages of 61-50 in kills, 58-47 in assists, 121-114 in digs and 9-4 in service aces.

The victory was especially significant for Dakota State, marking its first win at Valley City State since March 12, 2021, when the Trojans swept the Vikings in three sets. DSU had gone more than five and a half years without a victory inside W.E. Osmon Fieldhouse before ending the drought in Saturday's regular-season finale.

AROUND THE FRONTIER CONFERENCE
No. 12 Bellevue (Neb.) captured the Frontier Conference regular-season championship with a 20-2 league record and a 24-4 overall mark. The Bruins earned the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament and secured the league's first automatic berth to the NAIA National Tournament.

Montana Tech finished second at 17-5 in conference play and 22-6 overall, followed by Dakota State at 16-6 and 19-9. Providence (Mont.), Montana Western and Carroll (Mont.) each finished 14-8 in league play, with Providence earning the No. 4 seed, Montana Western the No. 5 seed and Carroll the No. 6 seed through the conference tiebreaker.

Bismarck State (Mont.) earned the No. 7 seed at 11-11 in conference play, while Dickinson State (Mont.) claimed the final tournament berth at 8-14. MSU-Northern, Valley City State, Rocky Mountain (Mont.) and Mayville State saw their seasons come to an end.

Dakota State opens the Frontier Conference Tournament Thursday at 7:30 p.m. Mountain Time against No. 6 seed Carroll at the Carroll College P.E. Center in Helena, Mont. The winner advances to Friday's semifinal against the winner of No. 2 Montana Tech and No. 7 Bismarck State.

DSU IN THE FRONTIER CONFERENCE RANKS
According to the NAIA-PrestoStats website as of Thursday, Dakota State leads the Frontier Conference in overall and conference kills per set this season.  The Trojans average 13.19 kills per set overall and 13.59 kills per set during the conference season.

Lauryn Kloth ranks fifth in the Frontier Conference with 105 total blocks this season for the Trojans.  Kate VanRooyan is sixth in the league with 4.92 digs per set.  Emily Nelson averages 5.57 set assists per set, which is fifth best in the Frontier Conference.  Gabi Borresen is 12th in the league with 4.89 set assists per set.

Kaedyn Sapp ranks 10th in the league with 285 total kills this season for Dakota State (8th in the conference with 2.85 kills per set).

2026 DSU Trojan Women's Volleyball Team Leaders

• Kills/Kills Per Set:  Kaedyn Sapp - 285 kills / 2.89 kills per set
• Assists/Assists Per Set:  Emily Nelson - 607 set assists / 5.57 set assists per set
• Digs/Digs Per Set:  Kate VanRooyan - 521 digs / 4.92 digs per set
• Blocks/Blocks Per Set:  Lauryn Kloth - 105.0 blocks / 0.97 blocks per set
• Service Aces/Service Aces Per Set:  Kate VanRooyan - 25 service aces / 0.23 service aces per set
• Receptions:  Sydney Wathen - 474 receptions