Tiger volleyball starts season with four tough matches

ORANGE CITY, Iowa. – The Northwestern Red Raider Classic is traditionally one of the toughest volleyball tournaments in the NAIA, and the 2010 version was no exception. Seven of the teams at the tournament were ranked in the top 25 in the NAIA preseason poll, and three more were receiving votes.

The Dakota Wesleyan University volleyball team was matched up with on ranked team and two more that were receiving vote over the course of the two-day tournament and went 0-4 on the weekend.

The only team not mentioned in the preseason coaches poll that the Tigers played was Indiana Wesleyan in their first game of the tournament. IWU beat the Tigers, 3-0. Game scores were 25-21, 25-13 and 25-17. Ashley Kley had nine kills to lead the Tigers. Brooke Warne had 13 digs and Carina Fesenmaier had 17 set assists.

In Friday’s second round, DWU played Bellevue College, ranked No. 17 in the NAIA. Bellevue beat the Tigers 3-0 (25-14, 25-17, 25-9). Kley led the Tiger offense again, this time with five kills. Fesenmaier added four kills and 13 set assists. Warne had 12 digs.

Saturday morning, Dakota Wesleyan took on Jamestown College, which is receiving votes in the NAIA. The Jimmies beat DWU, 3-1. Game scores were 25-17, 25-11, 22-25 and 25-15. Cronberg paced the Tigers with nine kills and Andrea Johnson added seven. Kley had six kills and Kacie Sanderson had five. Fesenmaier had 18 set assists and 11 digs and Warne finished with 16 digs.

Dakota Wesleyan’s closest game of the weekend was in its final game of the tournament against Black Hills State University – another team receiving votes in the NAIA. The Tigers won two of the first three sets, but lost the last two and fell 3-2. Game scores were 21-25, 25-23, 23-25, 25-16 and 15-12.

The two teams combined for 106 kills in the match. The Tigers had 51 kills and two players hit double digits. Cronberg led the way with 14 kills and Sarah Stahlke added 12. Kley finished with eight kills. Fesenmaier had 39 set assists and nine digs. Nikki Gleich led the defense with 16 digs. Warne added 15, Stahlke had 13 and Kley had 11.

DWU (0-4) will take part in another tournament this weekend when it travels to the Sioux Falls Tournament in nearby Sioux Falls, S.D. The Tigers play Waldorf College Friday at noon and Valley City State University at 4 p.m. Friday. Saturday, DWU plays Grand View College at noon and South Dakota School of Mines and Technology at 2 p.m.