FOREST CITY, Iowa — RV Dakota Wesleyan Volleyball headed down to Iowa to take on the Waldorf Warriors in one of the final GPAC contests of the season.
After a quick trio of opening points from Waldorf, the Tigers got to work offensively to take control of the first set. Evy Knoblock led Dakota Wesleyan with 19 kills in total, tying her second-highest scoring mark of the season on a .333 hitting percentage. She was aided by Karly VanDerWerff, who put 11 kills of her own in an impressive effort. The tandem helped keep momentum in favor of Dakota Wesleyan, as the Tigers secured a 25-22 victory in the first set to go up 1-0 in the match. The second set would see DWU have to fight back into the frame, as Waldorf claimed the advantage, forcing an early timeout from the Tigers. The added scoring efforts of Lily Ranschau helped DWU claw back into the set, and the Tigers would eventually keep pace to force extra points, claiming a hard-fought 26-24 victory and going up 2-0 on the Warriors.
The third set would see Waldorf pick up some momentum after the Tigers won the first two frames. An early scoring run from DWU was countered by WU successfully, leading to Waldorf claiming a lead in the middle of the set. The Tigers stayed close, but the Warriors remained a step ahead, and would take set three by a score of 25-20. Waldorf looked to continue that momentum into set four, which would look to be the case, but a group effort from the Tigers put DWU back in control. Kayleigh Hybertson recorded her third consecutive double-double during the contest with 35 total assists and 17 digs. Back-to-back GPAC Defender of the Week Elizabeth Tyler led the Tigers defensively with 20 digs in total, while Abigail Zegar chipped in with 13 digs, and Carlee Laubach helped the backline with 12 of her own. The defensive effort was also prevalent at the net, as VanDerWerff, Emily Dale, and Madisyn Grimsrud combined for 15 blocks in total. The team's rallied effort got them through the fourth and final set in extra points, 28-26, and won the match, 3-1. Dakota Wesleyan moves to 14-9 on the year and 8-5 in conference play.
DWU Volleyball will host the third-ranked Northwestern Red Raiders for Homecoming & Alumni Night on Friday, October 24th at 7:30 PM. See the full 2025 schedule here.