MITCHELL, S.D. - After easily winning the opening set, the Dakota Wesleyan University volleyball team came from behind to take the second set and cruised past Mount Marty College in the third set to defeat their in-state rival in Great Plains Athletic Conference action on Wednesday at the Corn Palace in Mitchell.
Set scores were 25-11, 27-25, 25-17.
The opening set was handled with ease for the Tigers (12-3, 1-3 GPAC) as they began on a 12-6 run, capped off by an Emily Brunsing (Wagner, S.D.) kill. With DWU leading 16-9, the Tigers flurried down the stretch to score nine of the final 11 points to take the first set.
The second set was a different story as the Lancers (7-11, 0-4 GPAC) took a 14-10 lead. Moments later the Lancers led 16-12, but DWU scored four-straight points to tie the set after Mallory Cooper (Orchard, Neb.) assisted Jadie DeLange (Monument, Colo.) for a kill.
MMC later led 25-24 in the same set, but a Rebecca Frick (Yankton, S.D.) kill that evened the score was enough to turn the momentum towards the Tigers. Two points later, DeLange recorded another kill that handed the set to DWU.
The Lancers jumped out to another early lead in the third set after an 8-6 lead. However, DWU responded with a 7-1 run that saw a pair of Mariah Gloe (Watertown, S.D.) service aces. The Tigers used the run to cruise to victory over the Lancers as they took the third set.
Frick tallied 11 kills and 15 digs, while DeLange and Brittany Bergquist (Wolsey, S.D.) chipped in six kills apiece. Bridgett Knobbe (Norfolk, Neb.) recorded 25 assists and eight digs, as Cooper notched 16 digs.
DWU travels to take on York College and Sterling College beginning at 3 p.m. on Saturday in York, Neb.
