Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) Triumphs Over The Master's (Calif.) in Five Sets
SIOUX CITY, Iowa [BOX SCORE | SCHEDULE] - In a Pool C matchup at the 2025 NAIA Women's Volleyball Championship, the Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) Tigers emerged victorious against The Master's (Calif.) Mustangs with a narrow 3-2 (19-25, 25-23, 21-25, 25-11, 15-13).
Dakota Wesleyan, with a season record of 20-20, faced off against The Master's, who entered the match with an impressive 23-4 record.
The Master's took an early lead, winning the first set 25-19, capitalizing on their offensive strength with 16 kills compared to the DWU eight. The Tigers bounced back, narrowly clinching the second set 25-23, with a notable improvement in their attack percentage from .081 in set one to .237. TMU regained the upper hand, taking the third set 25-21, displaying its strong hitting performance of the set with a .351 attack percentage. Dakota Wesleyan responded in the fourth set, winning 25-11, with a perfect defensive performance, holding The Master's to a .026 attack percentage. The final set was a nail-biter, with Dakota Wesleyan edging out a 15-13 win, securing their victory with a balanced team effort.
Keatyn Liebsack led DWU with an outstanding 15 kills and a .394 hitting percentage, while Evy Knoblock and Karly VanDerWerff both added 12 kills. Emily Dale also recorded double-digit kills at 10. Setter Kayleigh Hybertson was instrumental, contributing a double-double of 43 assists and 15 digs.
Macy Gebhards of TMU led all attackers with 17 kills with a .343 hitting percentage. Isabella Amet also contributed significantly with 16 kills. McKenna Brady also posted double-digit kills with 13 kills. Setter Kate Wagner directed the offense with a total 40 assists.
Elizabeth Tyler of DWU led all defenders with 26 digs, while Sierra Hale and Isabella Amet also contributed 20+ digs for the Mustangs at 25 and 20, respectively.
With the loss, The Master's will have to win their match on December 5 against Concordia (Neb.) in order to send the pool to a tie-break scenario. The match will take place on court two at 6:30 p.m. CT. Dakota Wesleyan will await the result of the Concordia vs The Master's match to see if they will compete in a tie-break scenario.
Tie-breaks will take place on December 5 at the conclusion of pool play and will be played on the first court available. For more on the tie-break scenario CLICK HERE.
