DICKINSON, N.D. — Dickinson State erased a 2-0 deficit and completed a reverse sweep of No. 8 Providence on Saturday afternoon, winning 3-2 (24-26, 25-27, 25-18, 26-24, 15-12) in Frontier Conference play at Scott Gymnasium.
The Blue Hawks (4-10, 3-4 Frontier) dropped the first two sets by the minimum 2-point margin before winning three straight against the Argos (10-4, 4-3). Dickinson State never trailed in the deciding fifth set and secured the victory when its challenge of a touch on the final rally was successful, giving the Blue Hawks the deciding point.
The victory marked the second straight season Dickinson State has defeated a top-10 opponent at Scott Gymnasium. The Blue Hawks knocked off then-No. 3 Bellevue in five sets on Sept. 6, 2025.
Despite trailing 2-0 in the match, Dickinson State spent much of the afternoon playing from in front. The Blue Hawks held the lead following 147 of the match's 222 points, compared with 36 for Providence, with the score tied following 39 points.
That control did not translate to set victories early.
Dickinson State rallied from a 19-14 deficit in the opening set and eventually moved ahead 24-22, but Providence scored the final 4 points to steal a 26-24 victory. The Blue Hawks again spent much of the second set in front before the Argos pulled even at 25-25 and scored the final 2 points for a 27-25 win.
Rather than allowing the two narrow losses to decide the afternoon, Dickinson State responded.
The Blue Hawks won the third set 25-18 to begin the comeback, then survived another tight finish in the fourth. Dickinson State's 26-24 victory evened the match at two sets apiece and sent the teams to a fifth.
"What a battle! We fought our way back and took down a great team in 5 sets. The resiliency, grit, and belief this group showed tonight was special. Now we take this momentum, carry this confidence with us, and keep building," head coach Stormy Owsley said.
Dickinson State took command of the fifth early. After the teams were tied at 1 and 2, the Blue Hawks moved ahead 3-2 and never relinquished the lead. They created separation at 8-3 and later held a 10-5 advantage.
Providence made one final push, closing the gap to 14-12 and forcing a Dickinson State timeout. The ensuing rally initially did not give the Blue Hawks the match, but Dickinson State challenged for a touch. The challenge was successful, awarding the Blue Hawks the final point and completing the comeback.
Aubrey Allison led Dickinson State with 22 kills and 19 digs, adding an ace and a block assist. Carmen Pallone finished with 15 kills and 7 block assists while hitting .233.
Rylee Kogolshak directed the offense with 41 assists and also contributed 19 digs, 5 block assists and 2 aces. Paige Rose led Dickinson State with 21 digs, while Geraldyne Fernandez and Ashtynn Egan collected 15 each.
The Blue Hawks also generated pressure at the net throughout the match. Macie Wheeler led Dickinson State with 8 block assists, Pallone had 7 and Kogolshak and Cameron Gouw added 5 apiece. Gouw also contributed 8 kills and 2 aces.
That defensive work helped offset Providence's advantage in offensive volume. The Argos finished with 64 kills to Dickinson State's 55 and collected 115 digs to the Blue Hawks' 103, but Providence committed 35 attack errors and hit .122 for the match. Dickinson State finished with 15 total blocks.
Cabry Badley led Providence with 20 kills on .302 hitting, while Martyna Fiedler added 18. Araleigh Arnold finished with 50 assists and Kyra Saiers recorded 31 digs.
