DES MOINES, IOWA - The growth and maturation of any program takes time, persistence and execution and for the Drake volleyball team its play reflected growing pains on Tuesday evening (Oct. 14) as South Dakota registered a 3-1 (25-20, 25-20, 20-25, 25-18) victory over the Bulldogs.

“We didn't have the offense tonight to keep up with anyone, let alone a team like South Dakota, which was firing on all cylinders,” Drake head coach Phil McDaniel said.  “I'm very disappointed with our lack of focus and the inability to follow our game plan.  Right now our offense is just not good enough.”

The loss dropped the Bulldogs under .500 for the first time this season at 9-10, while propelling the Coyotes, a transitional Division 1 squad, to 18-2 overall.

South Dakota started the match full of energy and it showed as it attacked the ball at a .254 clip to take the initial set, 25-20.  The momentum continued in the second set as the Coyotes withstood a Bulldog charge late in the stanza to claim a 25-20 set-two triumph.

Drake rebounded after the intermission and outhit South Dakota in the third frame, .100 to .059, en route to a 25-20 victory in set three, to cut the deficit to 2-1.

Errors cost the Bulldogs in the final stanza as Drake committed nine miscues to just two by the Coyotes in dropping a 25-18 decision.

Junior Emily Madden (Van Meter, Iowa/Adel DeSoto Minburn) came up one dig shy of recording her second double-double of the year posting a team-high 13 kills to go along with nine digs.  Sophomore Alisa DeBerg Roth (Hudson, Iowa/Hudson) matched a career-best with 13 kills, while freshman Erika Price (Littleton, Colo./Dakota Ridge) turned in a career-high seven kills.  

Sophomore Alana Wittenburg (Readlyn, Iowa/Wapsie Valley) shattered her career mark for digs with a 34-dig performance, bettering her 26-dig effort set earlier this season against Xavier (Sept. 12).  Junior Lindsay Schryver (Williams Bay, Wis./Williams Bay) added a season-best 17 digs for the Bulldogs.  Drake finished the match with its top dig output of the season, 84.

“Alana and Lindsay did a great job tonight in the back,” McDaniel stated.  “Alisa was very good offensively and Erika (Price) made some nice swings and got us some kills when we needed them.”

Junior Chelsea Lauersdorf (Watertown, Wis./Watertown) contributed a match-high 41 assists.

Kathleen Hruska paced all players with 21 kills, while four Coyotes finished with double-figure digs.

South Dakota won the final statistical count in kills (57-53) and blocks (12.5-6.0), while the Bulldogs garnered advantages in assists (50-47), service aces (6-3) and digs (84-77).  The Coyotes finished the affair with a .217 attack mark and limited Drake to a .132 hitting percentage.

The Bulldogs look to reverse their fortunes on Friday (Oct. 17) as Drake eyes a victory over Southern Illinois. Match time against the Salukis is slated for 7:00 p.m.