NAMPA, Idaho — Dickinson State faced a pair of nationally ranked opponents Friday at the College of Idaho Tournament, falling to No. 2 Eastern Oregon in three sets before taking No. 15 The Master's to four in the evening match.
The Blue Hawks opened the day with a 25-17, 25-18, 25-23 loss to Eastern Oregon before falling to The Master's 25-21, 25-23, 23-25, 25-20.
Eastern Oregon took control of the opening match with wins in the first two sets, but Dickinson State stayed within reach throughout the third. The Blue Hawks built an early 10-8 advantage and later led 20-18 before the Mountaineers made their move late.
With Dickinson State ahead 21-19, Eastern Oregon scored four straight points to take a 23-21 lead. The Blue Hawks twice pulled back within one, the last on a Carmen Pallone kill that made it 24-23, before the Mountaineers took the final point.
Rylee Kogolshak finished with 25 assists and five kills on eight attempts for Dickinson State. Pallone also had five kills without an attack error, hitting .385, while Aubrey Allison led the Blue Hawks with six kills and 13 digs. Paige Rose added 11 digs.
Dickinson State returned to the court Friday evening and played a tighter match against The Master's.
The opening set featured six ties and three lead changes before the Mustangs broke away in the middle of the frame. Dickinson State cut an eight-point deficit to three late, but The Master's closed out a 25-21 win.
The Blue Hawks led 15-10 midway through the second set and remained in front 18-17 before The Master's moved ahead late. Dickinson State pulled within 24-23, but the Mustangs took the next point for a 25-23 win and a 2-0 match lead.
Dickinson State built its largest lead of the night early in the third, using a 7-0 stretch to turn a 2-2 tie into a 9-3 advantage. The Master's eventually pulled even at 15 and again at 17, but the Blue Hawks regained the lead and reached set point at 24-21. After the Mustangs scored twice, Ashtynn Egan finished the set with a kill for a 25-23 Dickinson State win.
The Master's opened the fourth with a 6-1 advantage and kept Dickinson State from drawing closer than three the rest of the way. The Blue Hawks scored three straight late to cut the margin to 23-20 before the Mustangs closed the match with the final two points.
Pallone and Allison led Dickinson State with 14 kills apiece. Pallone hit .310 on 29 attacks, while Allison added 15 digs. Cate Floy finished with six kills, and Taylor Gaer and Macie Wheeler each added five.
Kogolshak directed the offense with 42 assists and added three kills, five digs and three block assists. Rose led the Blue Hawks defensively with 25 digs, while Egan and Geraldyne Fernandez each had nine. Wheeler finished with five block assists.
"Although the results didn't go our way today, I'm proud of how our team competed," said head coach Stormy Owsley. "We faced two very talented teams and battled in both matches. We did a lot of great things and have plenty to build on moving forward."
Dickinson State recorded 51 kills, 66 digs, four service aces and six team blocks against The Master's.
The two losses moved the Blue Hawks to 1-5 on the season.
Dickinson State closes the College of Idaho Tournament on Saturday against No. 18 College of Idaho.
