Tigers cruise in non-conference action

YORK, Neb. – Stepping out of conference play, the Dakota Wesleyan University volleyball team swept their opponents in the York College Triangular on Saturday from York, Neb.

 Set scores from the Sterling College game were 25-16, 25-8, 25-19.

 The Tigers (14-3) cruised in the opening set as they jumped out to a 6-0 lead. The Warriors (7-11) closed the gap as they made it a 9-6 game moments later. But DWU went on a 4-0 run quickly that was capped off by an Emily Brunsing (Wagner, S.D.) kill. The Tigers never looked back on their way to an opening set victory.

 It was much of the same for DWU in the second set as they jumped out to a 7-1 lead. Jadie DeLange (Monument, Colo.) put away a pair of kills followed by a pair of Brunsing kills that guided the Tigers amidst a 10-1 run that closed out the second set.

 Sterling would not go away in the third set after taking a 10-9 lead. After DWU regained the lead, both teams traded points until the Tigers scored the final three points of the set to sweep the Warriors. 

 Brunsing led the charge with 11 kills and 2.5 blocks, while Rebecca Frick (Yankton, S.D.) finished with 14 kills and 10 digs. Bridgett Knobbe (Norfolk, Neb.) recorded 31 assists and eight digs, as Mallory Cooper (Orchard, Neb.) added 17 digs.

 Set scored from the York College matchup were 25-11, 25-16, 25-10. 

 Knobbe found Brunsing for back-to-back kills midway through the first set to give the Tigers a 12-point cushion. DWU never looked back as they went on to take an opening set victory that was finished with a Miah Kunkel (Adrian, Minn.) kill.

 In the second set, Chaydon Metzger (Larchwood, Iowa) joined the action as she recorded a kill to put DWU up 12-5. Later in the same set, Knobbe set the ball for Brittany Bergquist (Wolsey, S.D.) who put away the kill. Frick and DeLange closed out the set with consecutive kills to put the Tigers up two sets to none.

 Elena Svingen (Pierre, S.D.) opened the third set with a service ace followed by a Bergquist kill as DWU took a 5-1 lead. Three straight kills by Mackenzie Miller (Mitchell, S.D.), Bergquist and Madeline Else (Holstein, Iowa) put the game away as the Tigers won in straight sets. 

 Frick tallied 14 kills and 11 digs, while Knobbe chipped in 25 assists and DeLange added eight kills. Brunsing and Bergquist notched seven kills each, while Else finished with eight assists.

 The Tigers return to conference action against No. 2 Northwestern College at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday in Orange City, Iowa.