NORTH SIOUX CITY, S.D. — Dickinson State opened the 2026 season with a split Friday at the Siouxland Invitational, sweeping Clarke before falling to No. 7 McPherson at CNOS Fieldhouse.
The Blue Hawks defeated Clarke 25-10, 25-17, 25-20 in the opener before McPherson earned a 25-22, 25-23, 25-17 victory in the nightcap. Dickinson State finished opening day 1-1.
Dickinson State controlled the net against Clarke, finishing with 37 kills and 10 team blocks while holding the Pride to 19 kills and a -.080 hitting percentage.
Carmen Pallone led the Blue Hawks with 10 kills on 20 attacks and hit .300 while adding one solo block and three block assists. Aubrey Allison finished with nine kills, seven digs and an ace, while Rylee Kogolshak directed the offense with 25 assists to go with six digs and two aces. Paige Rose led Dickinson State with 10 digs.
The Blue Hawks established control early in the opening set. An ace from Rose started the match, and Dickinson State used a pair of extended runs to build a double-digit advantage. The Blue Hawks scored the final four points to close a 25-10 win, limiting Clarke to five kills while forcing 10 attack errors.
Dickinson State carried that momentum into the second set, scoring the first eight points behind Rose's serve. Cameron Gouw and Pallone each had two kills during the opening run as the Blue Hawks eventually stretched their advantage to 16-4.
Clarke responded with a 6-0 run to pull within 18-14, but Tiara Sands stopped the surge with a kill. Dickinson State settled back in from there, with Pallone recording two late kills before Alexandra Guzman closed the 25-17 win.
The Pride gave Dickinson State its strongest challenge in the third and erased a four-point deficit to tie the set at 19. The Blue Hawks answered at the net.
Macie Wheeler broke the tie with a kill, Cate Floy followed with consecutive kills and the two combined for a block as Dickinson State won six of the final seven points. Ashtynn Egan added a kill before Pallone finished the sweep with a solo block.
The Blue Hawks saved their best offensive set for the third, recording 16 kills and hitting .290.
Floy finished the opener with five kills and four block assists, while Wheeler had two kills and five block assists. Egan added four kills and an ace.
Dickinson State faced a different test in the nightcap against McPherson, which entered the season ranked No. 7 in the NAIA preseason coaches' poll.
The Bulldogs hit .288 with 41 kills, but the Blue Hawks stayed within reach throughout the first two sets. Dickinson State finished with 34 kills, six aces and 46 digs.
McPherson built a 17-12 advantage in the first before Dickinson State responded behind Taylor Gaer's serve. Pallone had a kill and teamed with Kogolshak for two blocks during a four-point run that pulled the Blue Hawks within 17-16.
McPherson pushed the margin back to 23-20, but Dickinson State answered again. Floy and Egan delivered consecutive kills to make it 23-22 before the Bulldogs scored the final two points for a 25-22 win.
The second set was even tighter.
Dickinson State erased an early deficit and drew even several times before a Kogolshak ace gave the Blue Hawks a 19-18 lead. The teams traded points until McPherson broke a 21-21 tie with three straight points.
Dickinson State fought off two set points, the second on a Geraldyne Fernandez ace that cut the deficit to 24-23, but McPherson closed the set on the next rally to take a 2-0 match lead.
The Blue Hawks again put themselves in position in the third, taking a 15-13 lead midway through the set. McPherson responded with seven consecutive points to take control, turning the two-point deficit into a 20-15 advantage before closing the match 25-17.
Floy led Dickinson State with 10 kills against the Bulldogs. Pallone added six kills and three block assists, while Kogolshak finished with 27 assists, four kills, seven digs and three block assists.
Rose anchored the back row with 18 digs. Gaer added five digs and two aces, and Fernandez finished with six digs and an ace.
"It was a fun first day," head coach Stormy Owsley said. "Getting out and getting a quick win was great for our confidence. Going then into a tough match has showed us what we need to really work on. Excited to see our competition tomorrow."
Kogolshak totaled 52 assists across Friday's two matches, while Rose collected 28 digs. Pallone finished opening day with 16 kills, and Floy added 15.
Dickinson State returns to action Saturday for the second day of the Siouxland Invitational with matches against Hastings and Morningside.
