MITCHELL, S.D. — No. 24 Dakota Wesleyan Volleyball fell to the Dordt Defenders at home in a conference matchup.
The Tigers and the Defenders would have a competitive match throughout, with both sides finding a rhythm to gain an advantage over the opposition at multiple points in the contest. Dordt would strike first, taking the first set 25-21. Dakota Wesleyan would not be able to capitalize on Defender mistakes early. Still, the offense would show flashes that would become full runs later on in the contest, with Lily Ranschau leading the scoring effort. Ranschau nailed a team-leading 12 kills throughout the contest and registered three digs and three blocks, while Emily Dale and Karly VanDerWerff followed closely behind with nine kills each. The offensive output would serve the team well in the second set as the Tigers caught fire, putting together an impressive 25-16 frame to bring the match score to one set apiece. The third set required extra points to determine who went up 2-1, with the Defenders claiming the middle frame 27-25, but the Tigers continued to fight as the match continued.
Defensively, the Tigers would put up an impressive effort, with four separate athletes putting up double-digit digs, including 24 from Elizabeth Tyler, while Dale would lead the team with 11 blocks on the evening. Madisyn Grimsrud would put up seven blocks at the net as she continues to see her role expand within the program. The group effort would propel the Tigers to a win in the fourth frame by a score of 25-19. Kayleigh Hybertson once again took on most of the team's setting responsibilities, tallying 33 total assists by the end of the contest. The final set would see the Tigers take an early advantage, pushing the lead to 12-8, before the Defenders would rattle off five-straight points to claim a late lead. Dakota Wesleyan would tie it up the point after, but a final two points for Defenders would give Dordt the set and match win by a score of 15-13.
DWU Women's Volleyball will be back in action against Briar Cliff on Saturday, September 20th, at 5:00 PM. See the full 2025 schedule here.