HELENA, Mont. — Dickinson State opened the Frontier Conference Tournament with a strong first set and battled nationally ranked Bellevue through a close fourth, but the top-seeded Bruins earned a 3-1 (19-25, 26-24, 25-15, 25-23) victory Thursday afternoon at the PE Center, bringing the Blue Hawks' 2026 season to a close.
Junior Carmen Pallone led all players with a career-high 23 kills, while Rylee Kogolshak reached 3,000 career assists during the quarterfinal matchup.
The eighth-seeded Blue Hawks came out aggressively against No. 13 Bellevue, building a 13-5 lead in the opening set behind contributions from Pallone, Cate Floy, Aubrey Allison and Ashtynn Egan.
Dickinson State extended its advantage to 18-7 and later led 21-10 before the Bruins began working their way back. Bellevue trimmed the margin to 24-19, but Pallone delivered the final kill off an assist from Kogolshak to secure the 25-19 victory.
The Blue Hawks hit .306 in the opening set, finishing with 14 kills and only 3 attack errors while limiting Bellevue to .047 hitting.
The second set provided the match's biggest turning point.
Bellevue established an early 13-7 advantage before Dickinson State began closing the gap. The Blue Hawks pulled within 15-14, tied the score at 16 and eventually moved ahead 19-17 following a Bellevue attack error.
The Bruins responded with 4 consecutive points during a stretch that put them in front 22-19, but Dickinson State continued to fight back.
A Pallone kill and a block by Pallone and Floy helped the Blue Hawks pull even at 23. After Bellevue regained the lead, Pallone answered again with a kill to tie the set at 24.
Bellevue's A'Lailah Perry delivered consecutive kills to close out the 26-24 victory, evening the match at one set apiece.
The Bruins carried that momentum into the third. With Bellevue leading 6-5, a 7-point run created a 13-5 advantage. Dickinson State worked back within 15-10, but Bellevue maintained control and finished the set with 4 straight points for a 25-15 win.
Bellevue committed no attack errors in the third set, recording 13 kills on 36 attempts for a .361 hitting percentage.
Dickinson State responded with another strong start in the fourth, building an 11-7 advantage before a Pallone kill extended the lead to 14-9.
Bellevue scored 5 consecutive points to tie the set at 14, setting up a tightly contested finish. The teams traded points until a Bruins attack error put Dickinson State ahead 21-20.
Bellevue answered and eventually moved ahead 23-21. Floy kept the Blue Hawks within reach with a kill, and Pallone later pulled Dickinson State within 24-23, but Perry delivered the match-winning kill to give Bellevue the 25-23 victory.
Pallone's 23 kills surpassed her previous career high of 21, recorded against Bismarck State on Oct. 14. The second-team All-Frontier selection was a consistent offensive presence throughout the match, delivering key points in Dickinson State's opening-set victory and both narrow set finishes.
Kogolshak reached a significant career milestone in the third set, recording her 3,000th assist on a kill by Floy. She entered the tournament needing 29 assists to reach the mark and finished with 42 assists and 15 digs, bringing her career total to 3,013.
The Frontier Conference Setter of the Year and first-team All-Frontier selection added another assist-dig double-double to a season in which she helped direct the Blue Hawk offense.
Floy provided additional offensive production with 12 kills on .333 hitting, while Allison finished with 11 kills and 21 digs. The Blue Hawks also received strong defensive contributions from Taylor Gaer, who collected 23 digs, and Geraldyne Fernandez, who added 20.
Dickinson State finished with 59 kills compared with Bellevue's 56, but the Bruins held an 11-6 advantage in blocks. Perry led Bellevue with 18 kills, including several decisive points in the second and fourth sets.
I couldn't be more proud of this group," said head coach Stormy Owsley. "We fought extremely hard, left everything we had on the court, and unfortunately came up just a little short. While the outcome isn't what we wanted, I'm incredibly proud of the heart, grit, and determination these girls showed. This team has worked hard all season, overcome challenges, and continued to compete. The result doesn't take away from everything we've accomplished or the growth we've made. I'm proud of this group and grateful for the opportunity to coach them."
The Blue Hawks concluded the 2026 season with a 9-21 overall record and an 8-14 mark in Frontier Conference play. Dickinson State earned the eighth and final berth in the conference tournament after winning three of its last four regular-season matches.
