MADISON, S.D. — Dickinson State fell in straight sets to (RV) Dakota State on Saturday afternoon at the DSU Fieldhouse, 25-11, 25-15, 25-17, in Frontier Conference volleyball action.
The Blue Hawks (9-9, 5-8 Frontier) were unable to find offensive rhythm against one of the league's top defensive teams, finishing with a .033 hitting percentage as a unit. Dakota State (13-6, 9-5 Frontier) hit .376 and recorded eight team blocks in a balanced effort that limited Dickinson State to 23 kills across three sets.
Sophomore Carmen Pallone and junior Ashtynn Egan led Dickinson State with five kills apiece, while junior setter Rylee Kogolshak directed the offense with 20 assists and added eight digs. Senior middle blocker Samantha Oasechipped in three kills and two block assists, and sophomore Macie Wheeler provided a spark off the bench with four kills on .375 hitting.
Defensively, libero Geraldyne Fernandez paced the Blue Hawks with six digs, and Abigail Beddes and Taylor Fischereach contributed three. Dickinson State finished with 30 digs and two team blocks on the day.
The opening set was all Dakota State as the Trojans jumped out to an early 10-2 lead and never looked back, holding the Blue Hawks to seven kills and a .030 attack percentage in the frame. Dickinson State's offense showed brief momentum in the second set with a pair of service aces from Aubrey Allison helping close the gap midway through, but the Trojans responded behind efficient hitting from their front line to claim the 25-15 win.
The third set proved to be Dickinson State's most competitive stretch of the match, as the Blue Hawks posted 11 kills on .250 hitting. Pallone, Egan, and Wheeler combined for nine of those kills, and Kogolshak added several well-placed assists to keep the set close before Dakota State closed the match on a 6-2 run.
Dakota State was led by Halle Bruflat with 13 kills on .458 hitting, while Tristyn Maras added nine kills and three blocks. Setter Maddi Langerock guided the Trojan offense with 31 assists and six kills.
Dickinson State finished the match with five service aces, two each from Allison and Pallone, and four service errors. The Blue Hawks' defense forced 10 Trojan attack errors but were unable to slow Dakota State's balanced attack, which featured four players with at least five kills.
