Mitchell, SD (DWUAthletics.com) — The No. 13 Dakota Wesleyan Tigers grabbed a pair of 3-0 victories to kick off their Florida trip and the 2023 season. The Tigers were led by returners Ady Dwight, Abigail Brunsing, and Tya Weideman during the contest, but also got a big lift from a couple newcomers in Kayleigh Hybertson and Elizabeth Tyler. Dwight led the attackers with 28 kills between the two games followed by Brunsing with 17. Hybertson stepped up in her debut with 59 assists in just the six sets played to go with five kills. Defensively Weideman led with her 34 digs followed by Tyler who had 17 digs and nine kills. The Tigers improve to 2-0 on the season.
The Quick Details game one vs. William Carey
Score:
No.13 DWU 3 –WC 0 (25-10, 25-17, 25-16)
Records:
No. 13 DWU 1-0
WC 0-1
Recap
Set one:
The Tigers came out blazing in set one with a 25-10 win to back up their No. 13 national preseason ranking. Ady Dwight picked up right where she left out with eight kills on 10 swings in the set. Freshman setter, Kayleigh Hybertson started off her collegiate career strong with 13 assists and one service ace. DWU opened the match on a 5-0 run with a heavy dose of Dwight, collecting three kills during the run. Dakota Wesleyan didn’t back off the pedal pushing the score to 11-3 drawing a William Carey timeout. Elizabeth Tyler recorded her first collegiate kill during the stretch while Dwight picked up her first service ace to add to her milestone career. The Tigers just kept attacking and playing strong defense resulting in grabbing the first set 25-10.
Set two:
In set two it was William Carey that jumped out to an early 3-0 lead on the Tigers. DWU quickly responded knotting it up at three by taking advantage of a trio of Lady Crusaders errors. Both squads went back and forth point for point leaving it at 12-12 midway through the second set. The Crusdaers figured out a way to slow down Dwight in the second set with her only recording one kill early in the set but, Abigail Brunsing took over as the spark for the Tigers recording five kills in the set alone to go along with one service ace. With most of the defensive focus on Dwight, the Tigers went for a more well-balanced attack collecting kills from Emily Dale, Tyler, Hailey Bleeker, and even Hybertson collected one for herself. The Tigers closed the set on a 13-5 run to grab the 25-17 set two victory.
Set three:
Set three continued the same script as set two with both teams going point for point. Tyler got the Tigers on the board with her kill to start the set. DWU really pulled away in the set at the 12-9 mark in the game when the Tigers would go on a 5-0 run to put the game out of reach and result in a 25-16 final in set three and 3-0 sweep in the match to start the 2023 season 1-0. Dwight led in kills with 14 followed by Brunsing with 10. Hybertson started her career off strong with 33 assists. On the defensive side Weideman led with 17 digs followed by Tyler with 13.
The Quick Details game two vs. Cumberland
Score:
No.13 DWU 3 –CU 0 (25-18, 25-15, 25-16)
Records:
No. 13 DWU 2-0
WC 1-1
Recap
Set one:
The Tigers started off cold versus Cumberland University going point for point in the first set but were able to pull away late, 25-18. Dwight and Brunsing had three kills a piece in the first set. Errors were the theme for each team combining for 19 total errors. The Tigers were able to create a small run off those errors in the middle of the set and build a gap that Cumberland was unable to close.
Set two:
The Tigers came out firing in the second set after two quick kills from Brunsing. After being tied 1-1, the Tigers went on a 12-0 run with six of the points being off kills. Cumberland went on a small run after a timeout but were unable to get any closer than five points. Returners Dwight and Brunsing combined for nine of the ten total kills in the set to pull away 25-15. Errors continued for Cumberland, with thirteen total errors. Hybertson added seven assists.
Set three:
Set three the Tigers really let loose, with the largest lead being twelve points, 20-8. The Tigers’ offense was able to capitalize on the big run being led by Tyler and Dwight. Cumberland cleaned up their errors, but the deficit was too much to overcome as they fell in the third by nine points (25-16). Dwight led in kills having 14 of the 31 team kills, Weideman was a force at libero picking up seventeen digs for the second straight game, and freshman setter Hybertson had twenty-six assists. Callie Slagter served three aces and added nine digs.
Up Next
No. 13 Dakota Wesleyan Tigers turn around and play two more games to conclude their Florida trip against Life University at 8 a.m. and Mobile University at 10 a.m. The Tigers then take a week off before returning to the court for their Missouri tournament road trip.