Dakota Wesleyan volleyball secured a hard-fought 3-2 victory over No. 23 Park University on Saturday, prevailing 25-19, 25-23, 22-25, 19-25, 15-8 in the first round of the NAIA national volleyball tournament.
The match unfolded with DWU taking early control, with a consistent attack led by Karly VanDerWerff, who recorded 20 kills on a .283 hitting percentage. VanDerWerff’s precision and court awareness helped DWU claim the first two sets, capitalizing on Park’s unforced errors and service struggles.
Park responded in the third and fourth sets, led by senior hitter Indi Zetic, who had 25 kills and a .298 hitting percentage. Zetic’s aggressive play sparked Park’s comeback, along with strong serving from Daniela Gomez and Jullia Alvarez, who combined for several aces that disrupted DWU’s rhythm.
The decisive fifth set was dominated by DWU, who quickly built a lead through solid blocking and timely kills from VanDerWerff and Madisyn Grimsrud. Park faltered under pressure, committing multiple attacking errors that DWU converted into points. Elizabeth Tyler’s service ace and effective setting facilitated DWU’s late surge.
Kayleigh Hybertson finished with 46 assists, while Tyler added 23 digs.
The victory improves Dakota Wesleyan’s record to 19-11, while Park ends the season at 19-10.
The Tigers advance to the NAIA national tournament on Dec. 3-9 in Sioux City, Iowa.