Late Surge by Volleyball Snuffed Out by No. 4 Concordia in NAIA National Championship Pool Play

SIOUX CITY, Iowa — Dakota Wesleyan Volleyball squared off against familiar GPAC foe Concordia in their first matchup of pool play in the 2025 NAIA Women’s Volleyball National Championship.

Earlier in the year, the Tigers had dropped their match to the Bulldogs in three sets, but this time around, DWU kept pace for the entirety of the contest. The first set saw both teams trade scoring runs that eventually fell in favor of DWU towards the back stretch of the frame. A late Concordia momentum swing, however, gave the Bulldogs the late advantage to claim set one by a score of 25-23. Offensively, Dakota Wesleyan was led by Karly VanDerWerff, who continues to have an incredible postseason run, matching her previous game’s career-high of 20 kills on a .300 kill percentage, alongside six blocks at the net. Evy Knoblock was also heavily involved, posting 14 kills overall, and helped push the Tigers past the Bulldogs in the second set by a score of 25-22 to tie the match up at 1-1.

The GPAC Setter of the Year, Kayleigh Hybertson, recorded 45 assists between five sets alongside 17 digs to contribute on both ends. In contrast, GPAC Co-Defender of the Year Elizabeth Tyler recorded 35 digs in a performance that saw her making plays all over the court. Presly Pastian and Carlee Laubach chipped in on the defensive end, recording 19 and 13 digs, respectively. Still, even with the additional contributions, Concordia was able to rally through the third set to claim the match advantage following a 25-22 frame win.

The Tigers were able to battle through another close frame after going down 2-1, eventually getting a late boost from the offense to win 25-20, forcing a fifth and final set. Seniors Emily Dale and Lily Ranschau chipped in by combining for 15 kills and four blocks, aiding the attack that continued to be spearheaded by VanDerWerff and Knoblock. Dakota Wesleyan jumped out to a quick 5-2 lead in set five to force a Concordia timeout, but the Bulldogs were able to settle back in and reclaim the lead, 8-7, before closing out the contest on a five-point scoring streak, securing the final frame by a score of 15-9.

DWU Volleyball will be back in action for its second contest of pool play against The Master’s (Calif.) on Thursday, December 4th, at 7:30 PM at the Tyson Events Center. See the full 2025 schedule here.

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