DWU ATHLETICS ANNOUNCES TEAM OF THE FALL SEMESTER

Mitchell, S.D. – The Dakota Wesleyan University Tiger Team of the Semester is the 2021 DWU Volleyball squad. After proving many "first" in the 2021 season including hosting a GPAC playoff game, NAIA Women's Volleyball Opening Round game, and reaching the highest national ranking of 13.

Through the first two months of the season; Tiger volleyball was 15-2 for the best start in recent years. Their two losses came at the hands of No. 11 at the time Central Methodist and Northwestern who fell from the top-25 rankings at the end of September. 

As DWU volleyball entered the middle of October, they were put to the test, with five home matches in seven days. This homestand included two top-25 teams with No. 18 Dordt and No. 23 Doane, with a Hastings team that was receiving votes. The Tigers went 5-0 during that homestand.

In the post-season, Dakota Wesleyan volleyball picked up their first five-set win of the post-season against Northwestern at home in the conference quarterfinal match. The Tiger defeated Saint Xavier (Ill.) of the Chicagoland Conference, punching their ticket to the 2021 national tournament pool play rounds. In pool play, DWU grabbed their first pool play win 3-0 against Grand View (Iowa). Dakota Wesleyan volleyball's historic season came to an end against Park University in a tough and heartbreaking fashion. Despite the 3-0 match score, six different players from Coach Wilber tallied at least one kill.

DWU volleyball also garnered several individual awards, from Ady Dwight, Madeline Else, Hanna Reiff, Mariah Gloe, and Mackenzie Miller. Dwight led the team receiving All-Conference First-Team, CoSIDA First-Team Academic All-District, CoSIDA First-Team Academic All-American, and an NAIA All-American honor. Else and Reiff were tabbed as GPAC All-Conference Second-Team players. Gloe and Miller received GPAC Honorable Mention.