ELSE HIGHLIGHTS TIGERS SWEEP OVER SAINTS REACHING 3K CAREER ASSISTS

Aberdeen, S.D. – No. 15 Dakota Wesleyan University volleyball grabs yet another three-set sweep on Tuesday night over nonconference opponent Presentation College as another individual milestone is clipped. Coming into the match tonight, senior setter, Madeline Else needed only 22 assists to reach 3,000 career assists; and she does that with ease, grabbing 43 in the match.

The Quick Details

Score:

#15 DWU 3– PC 0  (25-17, 25-20, 25-23)

Records:

#15 DWU 14-4 Overall

PC 4-17 Overall

How It Happened

The No. 15 Tigers fell behind early in the match on a pair of attacking errors that allowed the Saints to grab the early lead. Hanna Reiff got DWU headed back towards the lead as Else set up Mariah Gloe for the first kill of the rotation. PC gave up an attacking error that allowed DWU to tie the score at 5-5 before putting up four more points collecting the 9-5 lead. Dakota Wesleyan was able to keep the lead after that, pushing it out to 11-7 on some Presentation errors. Else connected with Ady Dwight and Mackenzie Miller on back-to-back rallies, extending the Tigers lead to six points, 14-8. As PC was still down by seven points, 17-10, they called for a timeout, only helping the Tigers as the next point was awarded to DWU on a block assist by Dwight and Else. DWU reached set point on another assisted block by Abigail Brunsing and Dwight, before Else collected the final kill needed to grab the first set win 25-17.

DWU jumped ahead early in the second set with a 12-7 lead before the Saints began to limit their errors and climb back into the match. Once the Saints got back to serve, they put together a four-point run, trying the game at 12-12, only to give the lead right back to the Tigers on a service error. PC was able to tie the set once more at 13-13 before going up by two points on a pair of kills in consecutive rallies. After a short pause in play from DWU, they put together a four-point run with Dwight leading the way notching a pair of kills as Gloe grabs one herself. The bad set by PC, set DWU on top 19-15. After that point, the Saints were unable to win the race to 25, despite some Tiger attacking errors. Else connected with Miller for two of the final four points needed, while Gloe sent over a service ace further helping DWU grab a commanding 2-0 match lead over PC.

The Saints put up a battle in the third set of the match, setting the Tigers in a hole early at 10-6. DWU slowly began climbing their way back into the set with kills from Abigail Brunsing, Dwight and Gloe, cutting the Saints lead to 13-10. Head coach Lindsay Wilber called timeout after two PC points for the 15-10 lead over DWU. The Tigers cut the deficit back to three points after the hiatus in play on a kill by Gloe and a bad Saints set, but PC turned around and pushed their lead back to six points, 18-12. No. 15 Dakota Wesleyan once again battled and clawed their way back into the set as Callie Slagter stepped back to serve. The Tigers stayed strong on the defensive side of the ball as their next three points all came on PC attacking errors, cutting the Saints lead to one point, 21-20. PC was able to scrounge up two more points in the final set, before Dwight and Gloe went kill for kill to end the set 25-23 and the match 3-0.

The Tigers hit their best in the opening set of the match, with a .441 attacking percentage on 17 kills and only two errors. Overall, DWU posted a .273 hitting percentage with 47 kills on 121 errors. Dwight led the Tigers with 16 kills as Gloe posted a team best .429 hitting percentage. Else was the storyline of the night as she eclipsed 3,000 career assists as a Tiger, posting 43 total in the match. Tya Weideman and Hanna Reiff led DWU in digs notching 17 and 15, respectively.

Up Next

No. 15 Tiger volleyball returns home at the end of this week as they gear back up for a tough weekend of GPAC play against two more top-10 opponents. On Friday, the No. 15 Tigers will welcome in No. 3 Midland to the jungle. The Tigers and Warriors are set to get underway at 7:30 p.m. in the Christen Family Athletic Center. On Saturday, the No. 15 Tigers will take on No. 6 the Concordia Bulldogs. DWU and the Bulldogs will square off at 3 p.m. in their annual pink match.