MITCHELL, S.D. — RV Dakota Wesleyan University Volleyball faced the College of Saint Mary (Neb.) in a GPAC contest.
The Tigers started with the hot hand in the first set with contributions across the board from the team's most prominent offensive threats. Evy Knoblock led Dakota Wesleyan once again in kills with 17 in total, while Emily Dale registered 12 of her own while putting up two blocks at the net. The Flames would scrap back to keep it competitive, but the Tigers pulled away late to claim the first frame 25-22. Kayleigh Hybertson fed the offense with her setting prowess, totaling 48 assists through five sets, while also contributing three kills and 11 digs. Even with the added effort, the Flames took control of the second set and kept momentum through their scoring runs to claim set two by a score of 25-22 and bring the match score to 1-1. Dakota Wesleyan would be able to fire back thanks to Lily Ranschau and Karly VanDerWerff, who both heated up in the third set with 11 and 10 kills, respectively. The added firepower propelled the Tigers to a 2-1 match lead after winning the third frame, 25-21.
Later sets saw longer rallies from both sides, with defensive play becoming crucial in the final portion of the match. Libero Elizabeth Tyler led the way defensively with 21 total digs, while Presly Pastian contributed 16 of her own as she continues to see her role increase. Abigail Zegar and Carlee Laubach also helped anchor the defense with 25 combined digs in five sets. With opportunities running slim for both teams in the final two sets, however, the group's defensive effort would ultimately be outpaced by the Flames, who rode a wave of late momentum to claim the last two sets. College of Saint Mary took the fourth set 25-19 to force a set five, and an early run of points in the final set put the Tigers on the back foot late in the contest. A series of scores from Dale, Hybertson, and Madisyn Grimsrud closed the gap to as close as 12-10, but a final push from the Flames sealed the victory for College of Saint Mary, 3-2. The loss bumps Dakota Wesleyan to a 3-4 GPAC record and 9-8 overall.
DWU Volleyball will be back in action for the annual Pink Match against Mount Marty on Saturday, October 4th, at 3:00 PM. View the full 2025 schedule here.