Bellevue, Neb. – No. 17Dakota Wesleyan University volleyball dropped a heartbreaker Thursday evening on the opening day of the GoSarpy.com Tournament. After splitting the first two sets with No. 12 Bellevue, the third set went long as the Tigers needed to score 30 points to grab the match lead at 2-1.
The Quick Details
Score:
DWU 2 – BU 3 (25-22, 21-25, 30-28, 16-25, 10-15)
Records:
DWU 5-1
BU 4-2
How It Happened
The Tigers got running right away in the opening match to the GoSarpy.com Tournament in Bellevue, Neb. Thursday evening. DWU looked as if they picked up where they left off last game, putting together an 8-3 run away. While Bellevue was quick to turn that commanding Tiger lead into only a single-point lead shortly after. From that point on it was a duel between DWU and the Bruins. Neither team was able to gain a lead larger than four points after that. After a DWU attacking error, the Tigers grabbed a timeout as BU was starting to make a comeback 18-20 late in the first set. The Bruins later tied the game at 22-22 after a second timeout by DWU, but the Tigers had a game plan when play resumed earning the final three points needed to grab the 25-22 first set win and go ahead 1-0 in the match.
Bellevue commanded the second set early on with an 11-6 lead over the Tigers. DWU closed the deficit to two points as they approached the midway point of the second set after Taylee Indahl connected with a set from Madeline Else to trail by two, 15-13. Dakota Wesleyan then put together a 6-2 run to tie the second set at 20-20. Proceeding back-to-back BU points and a kill from Mackenzie Miller, the Bruins asked for a pause in play to regroup as they were up 23-21 over the Tigers. Once play resumed, BU collected the two points needed to even up the match after a kill and a solo block.
The third set was a grueling 30-28 set. Making it the longest set the Tigers have played in this season so far. Both DWU and BU took their shots and made several runs during the set, including, the Tigers 6-2 run for the 24-22 lead. DWU was near perfect through that run, only having one attacking error. Mariah Gloe, Indahl, and Ady Dwight all recorded a kill. Bellevue tied the game at 24-24 shortly after on a Tiger error and a Bruin kill. After the 24-24 tie, the Tigers and Bruins saw four more ties before DWU earned two final points on a pair of attacking errors, one of which was a block from Miller and Dwight to win the set 30-28; and the match lead 2-1.
Dakota Wesleyan did not hit their best in the fourth and fifth sets, while the Bruins were opposite. DWU was held to only 16 points in the fourth set while they hit .069 percent with eight kills on 29 attempts. The fifth set ran like the fourth in that DWU hit .095 percent posting five kills on 21 attempts.
Dwight led the Tigers in kills, notching 14 with a .179 hitting percentage and seven total blocks. Indahl tallied 13 kills with a team-leading .435 hitting percentage. Gloe also recorded double-digit kills with ten, while also posting 13 digs and five total blocks. Else set up 47 assists as Hanna Reiff posted 15 digs.
Up Next
Tigers volleyball is back in action tomorrow as they play their final doubleheader of the regular season. DWU will take on Montana Tech at 3 p.m., then starting at 7 p.m., the Tigers will battle with Benedictine as they look to get back on track heading into GPAC play next week.