Mitchell, S.D. – No. 15 Dakota Wesleyan volleyball stifled No. 6 Concordia at home in three sets. The Tigers closed the third set hitting .517 percent with 17 kills and two errors while holding the Bulldogs to only nine kills and forcing six errors.
The Quick Details
Score:
#15 DWU 3 - #6 CUNE 0 (25-23, 25-23, 25-12)
Records:
#15 DWU 16-4 (GPAC 7-3)
#6 CUNE 16-3 (GPAC 7-3)
How It Happened
No. 15 Tigers got started right away in the opening set, as Madeline Else set Abigail Brunsing, Ady Dwight, Emily Dale, and Mackenzie Miller for the quick 8-4 lead. The No. 6 Bulldogs quickly closed that DWU lead with a six-point run consisting of back-to-back-to-back service aces for the 10-8 lead. CUNE; then followed that up with another five-point run forcing DWU to burn a timeout as they trailed 11-17. Concordia continued to lead as Dakota Wesleyan; was unable to find the hardwood for a kill. As the Bulldogs lead 22-17, No. 15 began putting it together, starting with a CUNE service error and closing the deficit by four. As Mariah Gloe stepped back to serve, the Tigers were in a good spot, Else connected with Miller for the kill as DWU now trailed by three, 19-22. Miller and Dale; connected for the block on the CUNE attack for another Tiger point to trail by two, forcing a Bulldog timeout. The break played worked in the Tigers favor as Concordia gave up a point on an attacking error for DWU to trail by one, 21-22. The Bulldogs were allowed one more point before Dale sent home a kill giving the Tigers a chance to serve out the set. Dannielle Burns did just that as Dwight sent three kills to the floor for the 25-23 first-set win and the 1-0 match lead.
No. 6 Concordia opened the second set in the driver's seat with an 8-5 lead. The Tigers kept the Bulldogs lead short and sweet as they followed with a six-point run flipping the score to lead 11-8, forcing a CUNE timeout. At this point: the game went back and forth as the Tigers slowly began chipping away at the Bulldogs lead. As DWU was ahead 21-20, head coach Lindsay Wilber asked for a timeout to set the game plan for the final four points needed. Dwight came out of the break in play, notching yet another kill for the Tigers to lead by two, 22-20. The Bulldogs grabbed a point back, blocking the Gloe attack to trail by one point, 22-21. Dale and Miller grabbed the next pair of points for DWU to push their lead to three points, 24-21. Concordia earned two more points in the set before a service error by the Bulldogs awarded the Tigers their 25th point to grab the win in set two 25-23 and lead the match 2-0.
The third and final set was all DWU as they began to spread the attacking efforts around the front line staying dominant on the blocks. The Bulldogs burnt their first timeout of the set after Gloe set DWU up by six, 10-4. The Tigers continued to hit well after the short break, going on a 7-1 run to lead 17-5. CUNE tried to come back, answering three of the seven points DWU put on the board before the Tiger timeout. DWU grabbed two more points pushing their lead back out to 11 before the Bulldogs earned a point on the Tiger service error and a pair of kills. With six points needed to grab the sweep over No. 6 Concordia, the Tigers went to the top kill per set hitter in the nation in Dwight. Dwight tallied four kills as Gloe grabbed one to put DWU at set point 24-12. Match point came with a big block from Gloe and Dwight to upset No. 6 Concordia in straight sets.
The Tigers hit their best in the final set with a .517 hitting percentage on 17 kills and two errors. As a team, DWU hit .385 with 49 kills and only nine errors, led by none other than Dwight with 21 kills and a .486 hitting percentage. Dwight stayed strong this afternoon on the defensive side, recording a team-high four blocks. Miller notched 11 kills, hitting .333 percent in the match, grabbing three blocks. Else moved into the top five of career assists as well with; 42. Hanna Reiff led the way in digs recording 13.
Up Next
No. 15 Tiger volleyball is back on the road for three games starting on Wednesday, October 12, when they travel to Madison. The No. 15 Tigers will square off against the (RV) Trojans of Dakota State in round two of the rivalry. DWU's road trip continues on Saturday, October 15, as they make the short drive to Yankton, facing off against the Lancers of Mount Marty.