DENVER – The Dakota Wesleyan University volleyball team split a pair of five-set matches on the first day of the Johnson & Wales Classic Friday in Denver, Colo.
The Tigers got the event started with a win over McPherson College (Kan.), 25-18, 26-24, 21-25, 18-25, 15-13, for the second five-set win for DWU in less than a week.
In the second match of the day, the Tigers again went to a decisive set. After saving three match points in the fifth, DWU (7-3) fell to Embry Riddle Aeronautical University (Ariz.) 25-21, 23-25, 28-26, 23-25, 15-12.
Junior Lauren Tadlock (Rapid City, S.D.) led the Tigers in kills for the ninth straight match to start the season in the win over McPherson. Tadlock finished with 17 kills, while adding 11 digs for the double-double.
The Tigers had three other players finish with double-digit kills including 16 from junior Dana Misiaszek (Mitchell, S.D.). Junior Shelbie Budmayr (Belle Fourche, S.D.) picked up a career-high 12 kills, while junior Sammy Fluck (Becker, Minn.) added 11.
The DWU offense was orchestrated by junior Michelle Van Epps (Lakefield, Minn.) who finished with a season-high 55 assists. The Tiger defense was led by senior Maggie Stehly (Sioux Falls, S.D.) with 25 digs, while Fluck, Van Epps and Budmayr each chipped in with three block assists. Junior Taylor Spence (North Branch, Minn.) added 16 digs and six kills in the win.
Against ERAU, DWU was led by someone other than Tadlock in kills for the first time in 2015. Fluck put up 15 kills to go along with two solo blocks and six block assists. Misiaszek continued her strong performance this season with 14 kills.
Three Tigers finished with a double-double in the loss. Tadlock racked up 12 kills and 11 digs, while Spence totaled 11 kills and 16 digs. Van Epps went over 100 assists on the day with 53 against the Eagles, to go along with 13 digs.
Stehly posted a team-high 20 digs to move into fifth on the DWU all-time digs list. She has 1,286 in her career.
The Tigers play two more Saturday, starting with Kansas Wesleyan University at noon and finishing up the tournament against Oklahoma Wesleyan at 4 p.m.