No. 5 seed Montana Tech outlasts No. 4 seed Dakota State in four sets to advance to Frontier semifinals

November 13, 2025 HELENA, Mont. — No. 5 seed Montana Tech rode a balanced, efficient offensive performance and several late-set surges to defeat fourth-seeded Dakota State (S.D.) 3–1 (25-22, 25-21, 23-25, 25-23) in Thursday afternoon’s Frontier Conference second quarterfinal match at the Carroll College PE Center. The Orediggers (17–12 overall record) hit .261 as a team and tallied 63 kills, using a strong middle attack and timely serving to hold off the Trojans in a tightly played match. Dakota State countered with a powerful duo in Tristyn Maras and Sophie Tuttle, combining for 32 kills, but Tech’s ability to string together long runs—especially behind the setting of Rhys Layton—proved decisive. ________________________________________ Set 1 — Tech pulls ahead after early DSU lead (25–22) DSU jumped out to a quick 3–0 start behind an ace and kill from Sophie Tuttle, but Montana Tech responded with a 14–6 run fueled by Kinnidi Willmore, Kennedy Oman, and Payton Treadwell. The Trojans trimmed a 19–11 deficit to 20–17 with blocks by Ashley Wangler, but Tech held strong, clinching the opener on a kill by Madison Biery. • Treadwell (5 kills), Oman (4 kills) powered Tech. • DSU hit .250 with Maras and Tuttle leading the offense. ________________________________________ Set 2 — Another mid-set run gives Tech control (25–21) DSU again hung close early, trailing just 6–5, before Tech used a 7–1 run built on timely swings from Willmore, Treadwell, and Dodson. A late DSU push—including kills from Maras, Bruflat, and Tuttle—cut the deficit to 20–19. But Tech closed the door with a kill, an ace by Rhys Layton, and a final swing from Dodson to take a 2–0 match lead. • Tech hit .350 in the frame with only three errors. • DSU’s Maddi Langerock collected 12 assists and a service ace during the comeback attempt. ________________________________________ Set 3 — Trojans fight back in a thriller (25–23 DSU) Dakota State found its rhythm in Set 3, trailing 18–14 before storming back with an 11–5 finish. Maras delivered six kills in the set, including two during the closing push, while Tuttle added four. Back-to-back blocks and a Macey Wathen ace helped DSU complete the comeback. A Montana Tech attack error at 24–23 sealed it, extending the match. • DSU held Tech to .216—its lowest hitting mark of the match. • The Trojan block posted 4.0 team blocks in the frame. ________________________________________ Set 4 — Orediggers close out tight final set (25–23) Montana Tech started fast, building a 6–2 advantage with aggressive swings from Treadwell and Oman and capitalizing on DSU errors. DSU chipped away behind kills from Tuttle, Maras, and Langerock, eventually tying the set at 21–21. But the Orediggers responded with three straight points—highlighted by a Brooklynn Hayes ace and a kill from Treadwell—to regain control. Talan Dodson finished the match with her 10th kill, sending Tech to the semifinals. ________________________________________ STATISTICAL LEADERS Montana Tech • Payton Treadwell: 14 kills, .393; 4 blocks • Kinnidi Willmore: 15 kills, .132; 1 block; 16.0 points • Kennedy Oman: 12 kills, .667; 3 blocks • Talan Dodson: 10 kills • Madison Biery: 5 kills, 3 blocks • Rhys Layton: 37 assists, 7 digs • Brooklynn Hayes: 28 digs, 2 aces • Team: 63 kills, .261 hitting; 8.0 blocks; 5 aces; 72 digs ________________________________________ Dakota State • Tristyn Maras: 17 kills, .324; 3 blocks • Sophie Tuttle: 15 kills, .222; 1 block • Macey Wathen: 9 kills; 3 blocks • Maddi Langerock: 34 assists, 14 digs; 2 aces • Ashley Wangler: 4 blocks • Sydney Wathen: 10 digs; 1 ace • Team: 50 kills, .167 hitting; 11.0 blocks; 69 digs; 5 aces ________________________________________ Up Next Montana Tech advances to the Frontier Conference semifinals, while Dakota State finishes its season at 16–13.