Viterbo Takes Five Set Thriller Over Dakota State

LA CROSSE, Wis. – The Viterbo University Women's Volleyball team, ranked eighth in the most recent NAIA Top 25 Coaches' Poll, defeated Dakota State University (S.D.), receiving votes, 3-2 (22-25, 25-14, 25-20, 15-25, 15-5) at home on Thursday Night. The V-Hawks improve to 16-6 and 6-0 in North Star Athletic Association (NSAA) play, while the Trojans drop to 12-12 (2-4 NSAA).

A close opening set would begin with consecutive kills by Marissa Kleman, but Viterbo could not muster more than a three-point lead before Dakota took their first lead 11-10. Mariah Calkins and Jada Mitchell would put down kills to retake the lead 12-11, but after trading points, a 6-1 run helped but the Trojans up 15-19. Kenidi McCabe's ace and a Kleman-Calkins block helped bring Viterbo back within one, 20-21, but Viterbo errors and Madelyn Groft's ace ended the set 22-25.

After falling behind 2-4 early in the second set, the V-Hawks quickly turned the game around by rattling off six straight points, including two Adrianna Reinhart aces, and a Lauryn Sobasky dig-kill. Though the Trojans stopped the run. They wouldn't slow down Viterbo as a Mitchell solo block and kill put the, up 14-6, and a Kleman block extended that lead to 19-10. Despite a couple Viterbo errors, Grace Rohde's and McGrath's kills easily put away the second set 25-14.

DSU would get up early in the third set as well, 5-9. But an 8-2 run, with five different V-Hawks contributing kills, put Viterbo back up 13-11. Winker and McGrath's kills helped extend the lead, and Taylor Larson's ace made it 19-14 before a Dakota Sate rally brought the score to 21-20. Kleman, Winker, and Calkins stopped the rally there, and took the set 25-20.

The fourth set started very back-and-forth, with seven ties by the time the score reached 8-8. But the Trojans would take the set over from there, going up 11-18. Winker would manage a few more kills, but Dakota State would ultimately take even the match 2-2 by taking the set 14-25.

The deciding set would be all Viterbo, with the V-Hawks going up 7-2 on Winker kills and a McCabe ace. Mitchell and McGrath would each contribute two more kills, and the set would end 15-5 on a Trojan attack error.

Kenzie Winker led all players with 14 kills, and Mitchell (12), Kleman (12), and Rohde (10) each posted double digits as well. Sobasky had a season-and game-high 33 assists and Cailie Kowal added 23 of her own. Reinhart had 37 digs, and Mitchell and Calkins matched each other with four total blocks (one solo, three assisted).

Brooklyn Grage led the Trojans with 12 kills, Maddi Langerock had 30 assists, five different players had double digit digs, led by Peyton Groft with 18, and Vanessa Schroeder put up seven blocks (one solo, six assisted).

The V-Hawks finish their first run through the NSAA on Friday, October 7, as they host #14 Bellevue University (Neb.) at 6 PM.