Carroll sweeps Dakota State to close first day of FC Volleyball quarterfinals

November 12, 2026

HELENA, Mont. - Host team and sixth-seeded Carroll (Mont.) (20-10 overall record) swept third-seeded Dakota State (S.D.) 25-16, 25-17, 25-19 on Thursday, Nov. 12, at PE Center to close out the a thrilling first day of quarterfinal action in the Frontier Conference Women's Volleyball Postseason Tournament. Carroll finished with a .342 hitting percentage.

Jansyn Carrizales served two aces during a five-point run that broke an 8-8 tie in the opening set, with Kaylen Hay's kill putting Carroll ahead 13-8. Consecutive kills by Tristyn Maras later narrowed the margin to 15-12, but Carroll pulled away. Birdie Heuiser and Hay combined to block Raya Van Beek for a 21-14 lead, and McKaila Balcom delivered the set-ending kill off Carrizales' assist. Carroll totaled 15 kills and hit .343 in the set.

Dakota State erased a 10-7 deficit in the second set with three straight points, including a Kate VanRooyan ace, before a Carroll attack error tied it at 10. Carroll responded with another five-point run. Lauren Heuiser contributed a kill and an ace, Alli Devine added a kill and a solo block, and a Dakota State setting error made it 15-10. Carroll committed only one attack error in the set and hit .324, closing it on a kill assisted by Lauren Fox.

Carroll never trailed in the third set, building a 7-2 lead and later going ahead 21-15 on Hay's kill. Dakota State answered with two Lauryn Kloth kills around a block by Kloth and Kaylee Evenson, cutting the deficit to 21-18 and prompting a Carroll timeout. Devine stopped the run with a kill, and a Dakota State attack error restored a five-point margin. Hay's kill brought match point at 24-19 before a Kloth attack error completed the sweep.

Balcom led Carroll with 11 kills on .455 hitting and three blocks. The Heuisers each recorded 10 kills, with Birdie hitting .450 and contributing three blocks, while Lauren hit .348. Hay added nine kills. Carrizales finished with 20 assists and two aces, and Fox supplied 18 assists. Sofia Kimmel and Norah Allen shared the team lead with 11 digs apiece.

Macey Wathen paced Dakota State with eight kills on .389 hitting. Maras finished with seven kills, while Annika Cantrell and Kloth each had six. Gabi Borresen distributed 14 assists and Emily Nelson added 13. VanRooyan led the defense with 12 digs, followed by Sydney Wathen with 10 and Reagan VanRooyan with nine.

Carroll recorded 45 kills against seven attack errors, while Dakota State finished with 36 kills and 21 errors for a .130 hitting percentage. Carroll also held advantages of 8-1 in blocks, 5-1 in service aces and 53-51 in digs.

Dakota State ended their season at 19-10 overall record, despite winning 10 times in the last 11 matches before heading to the postseason tournament.