Dixie State spikers end invitational on high note with straight-set win

Written by or for St. George News
September 3, 2016
Dixie State University vs. Cal State Monterey Bay University, Volleyball, St. George, Utah, Sept. 3, 2016, | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News

ST. GEORGE — Dixie State put a wrap on the 2016 DSU/Crystal Inn Volleyball Invitational Saturday with a convincing three-game sweep (25-14, 25-18, 25-23) of Cal State Monterey Bay at the DSU Student Activities Center. The Trailblazers finished the round-robin event with a 2-1 record, while the Otters went 1-2 overall.

1trailblazers1DSU won the opening set thanks to a decisive 17-6 run that broke an 8-8 tie en route to a quick 1-0 lead in the match. DSU kept the momentum going by scoring four of the first five points in set two and pushed its lead to as many as 10 points at 21-11 before settling for the seven-point win and a two-set lead.

The Otters made a game of it in set three as the two teams battled back and forth throughout, though the Trailblazers managed to pull away for a 21-17 advantage late in the stanza. CSUMB fought back with a 5-1 spurt to knot the game at 22-22, but DSU scored three of the last four points of the stanza to close out the match.

Dixie State's Taylor Duryea (4), Dixie State University vs. Cal State Monterey Bay University, Volleyball, St. George, Utah, Sept. 3, 2016, | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News
Dixie State’s Taylor Duryea (4), Dixie State University vs. Cal State Monterey Bay University, Volleyball, St. George, Utah, Sept. 3, 2016, | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News

DSU had 10 players register at least one kill in the match, led by freshman rightside hitter Lauren Gammel who put away a team and career-high nine kills in just her third collegiate match, while senior outside hitter Delayne Daniel added seven kills and 12 digs, and sophomore OH Taylor Duryea recorded five kills, six digs and a match-high three aces.

Dixie State opened the tournament with split of its first two matches. DSU swept Black Hills State (25-17, 25-16, 25-22), but the Trailblazers could not preserve a 2-1 set lead in the nightcap vs. Northwest Nazarene as the Crusaders rallied for the five-set win (28-26, 22-25, 18-25, 25-14, 15-12).

Against Black Hills, Daniel posted a double-double with 10 kills and 21 digs, while Duryea collected nine kills and nine digs, and setter Kailey Frei finished with 28 assists, four kills and two blocks.

In the finale vs. NNU, the Crusaders held off a Trailblazer rally to outlast DSU in the opening set, 28-26. Dixie State fought back with a three-point win in set two and claimed set three by a 25-18 count. NNU bounced back to handle DSU in set four, 25-14, and finished off the match victory with a 15-12 win in set five.

“Each set we lost, we came out flat,” said said DSU coach Robyn Felder. “We can’t give good teams big leads and expect to come back every time.”

Dixie State's Jaclyn Condie (5), Dixie State University vs. Cal State Monterey Bay University, Volleyball, St. George, Utah, Sept. 3, 2016, | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News
Dixie State’s Jaclyn Condie (5), Dixie State University vs. Cal State Monterey Bay University, Volleyball, St. George, Utah, Sept. 3, 2016, | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News

Duryea led the way vs. NNU with a team-high 15 kills to go with eight digs, while Daniel notched her second double-double of the season with 11 kills and 10 digs.

Dixie State will open up the road portion of its 2016 regular season slate next weekend as the Trailblazers travel to Rohnert Park Calif., for the annual D2 West Region Volleyball Showcase, hosted by Sonoma State Sept. 8-10.

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2016, all rights reserved.

 

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