CRETE, Neb. – The Dakota Wesleyan University volleyball team traveled south for a pair of matches against Hastings College and Doane University. DWU split the weekend matches as they defeated Hastings in five sets and lost to Doane in five sets on Friday and Saturday.
Set scores against Hastings were 22-25, 18-25, 25-22, 25-15, 16-14.
The opening set was closely contested as neither team led by more than a point until Hastings did at 10-6. The Broncos extended their lead to 17-10 to hold a commanding lead. However, DWU answered with a 7-1 run to pull within a point.
But that was all the closer the Tigers got as Hastings won the opening set of the match.
The second set was just as competitive as the score was tied at 11 thanks to a Jadie DeLange (Monument, Colo.) kill. Moments later Madeline Else (Holstein, Iowa) found Mariah Gloe (Watertown, S.D.) for another kill to hand the Tigers a 13-11 lead.
After the score was tied at 18, the Broncos finished the set on a 7-0 run to win 25-18 and take a commanding 2-0 set lead.
However, the Tigers would not go down quietly as the third set began with kills by Mackenzie Miller (Mitchell, S.D.), DeLange and Gloe. Midway through the set, Dannielle Burns (Raymond, Minn.) recorded consecutive service aces to push the Tiger lead to five points.
But the Broncos responded to hold a two-point lead late in the set. Ady Dwight (Langford, S.D.) and Else connected on back-to-back kills to close out the set to give life to the Tigers.
DWU dominated the fourth set as they opened a commanding 18-10 lead following kills by DeLange and Else. After a service ace by Else and a kill by McKenzie Buisker (Watertown, S.D.), the Tigers forced a fifth set.
The final set began with DWU opening a quick 5-2 advantage after a DeLange kill. Both teams traded blows until the Tigers took a 14-10 lead late. However, the Broncos answered with four-straight points to tie the set at 14. But DWU would not be denied, scoring the final two points with a DeLange kill closing out the match.
On Saturday, the Tigers fell to Doane in five sets with set scores being 19-25, 25-11, 25-27, 25-17, 12-15.
In the first set, both teams went back and forth as neither team led by more than four points. With Doane leading 21-19, they scored the final four points to take the opening set.
The second set belonged to the Tigers of DWU from the opening serve. After leading 9-4, DWU went on a 16-7 run to close out the set to win in convincing fashion.
Midway through the third set, Burns recorded a service ace to hand the Tigers a slim 15-14 lead. Later, Gloe notched a kill to put DWU up 25-24, but it was not enough as Doane rallied to score three-straight points and take the third frame.
The fourth set began as a close one as the teams were tied at 10 midway through. Kills by Dwight and Else helped DWU hold a slight advantage later in the set. After another kill by Dwight late gave DWU a 23-17 lead, consecutive errors by Doane handed the fourth frame to DWU.
In the fifth and final set, DWU was able to grasp an 11-10 lead thanks to a Gloe kill. However, Doane finished the set on a 5-1 run to down DWU in the five-set thriller.
Combined through the two matches, Else finished with 100 assists, 33 digs and four kills. Dwight notched 29 kills, while Reiff added 53 digs.
The Tigers return home to battle the College of Saint Mary at 7:30 p.m. on Friday at the Corn Palace.