The Dordt Defenders hosted three matches and played in two on Friday, February 6 and earned a pair of sweeps over Viterbo and Jamestown to build their record to 6-2. Dordt will face Hastings and Arizona Christian on Saturday, February 7 in Sioux Center.
Dordt 3, Viterbo 0
Box Score (PDF)
Dordt controlled the afternoon match from the opening serve, using early scoring bursts and a balanced attack to sweep Viterbo in straight sets. The Defenders built a 10–5 lead in the first set behind kills from
Lance Vermeer and
Joel Van Groningen, then separated for good with a 7–2 run fueled by steady sideout play and two late kills from Kuperus and Van Groningen.
Set two was tighter —Viterbo surged ahead 4–2 and later tied the frame 17–17, but Dordt responded with a composed 8–4 finishing push. Chapman and Elliott delivered key kills, and Van Groningen steadied the group with terminal swings in transition.
The third set again saw Dordt fall behind 5–2 before flipping momentum with a 7–1 run sparked by Chapman's serving and a pair of Elliott kills. From 12–12, Dordt closed the match on a 13–6 run, highlighted by Vermeer's terminal swings and a late block-and-defend stretch that broke Viterbo's rhythm.
Dordt's offense hit .284 for the match and produced five players with at least seven kills, while the defense held Viterbo to .024 and forced 19 attack errors. Van Groningen's 16 kills and 17.5 points led all players, and setters
McCullough Unruh and
Joseph Jang combined for 39 assists to keep the attack balanced and efficient.
THE NUMBERS
Team Comparison
- Kills — Dordt 45, Viterbo 21
- Digs — Dordt 39, Viterbo 25
- Aces — Dordt 2, Viterbo 0
- Blocks — Dordt 9 (1 BS, 8 BA), Viterbo 9 (1 BS, 8 BA)
- Kill Efficiency — Dordt .284, Viterbo .024
Top Dordt Performers
- Kills — Van Groningen 16; Chapman 8; Elliott 7; Vermeer 7; Kuperus 3
- Assists — Jang 23; Unruh 16; Hofman 2; Hartke 1; Chapman 1
- Digs — Schmidt 15; Van Groningen 6; Jang 2; Elliott 2; Chapman 3
- Blocks — Van Groningen 3 BA; Vermeer 2 BA; Kuperus 1 BS, 1 BA; Chapman 1 BS; Elliott 0–0–0–0
- Aces — Schmidt 1; Neff 1
Dordt 3, Jamestown 0
Box Score (PDF)
Dordt delivered one of its most complete performances of the season in a sweep of Jamestown, using long scoring runs and a dominant offensive rhythm to control all three sets. The Defenders opened the match with a 10–5 surge sparked by kills from Vermeer, Kuperus, and Van Groningen.
After Jamestown briefly closed to 11–10, Dordt responded with a decisive 9–2 run that included a Van Groningen ace, a Chapman kill in transition, and a series of Jamestown attack errors forced by disciplined block touches. Unruh closed the set with back-to-back aces for a 25–13 win.
Set two required more patience. Jamestown jumped ahead 3–0 and later 7–6, but Dordt steadied behind Elliott and Kuperus, then broke the frame open with a 6–1 run to lead 17–11. Vermeer and Chapman combined for four kills in that stretch, and Dordt's block—led by Vermeer, Chapman, and Kuperus—turned away multiple Jamestown swings. The Defenders closed the set 25–19 after a late Van Groningen kill and a Jamestown service error.
The third set saw Jamestown briefly take a 6–5 lead, but Dordt immediately answered with a 7–0 run fueled by Unruh's serving pressure and three straight kills from Elliott. Van Groningen then took over from the service line, delivering five aces in a six-point span to push the lead to 22–10. Chapman and Neff finished the match with consecutive kills for a 25–11 final.
Dordt hit .378 as a team and out-blocked Jamestown 12–2 while producing 13 service aces. Van Groningen led the way with 15.5 points, and Vermeer added 12.5 on an .818 hitting percentage.
Team Comparison
- Kills — Dordt 40, Jamestown 13
- Digs — Dordt 34, Jamestown 19
- Aces — Dordt 13, Jamestown 5
- Blocks — Dordt 12 (2 BS, 10 BA), Jamestown 10 BA
- Kill Efficiency — Dordt .378, Jamestown –.045
Top Dordt Performers
- Kills — Vermeer 9; Elliott 7; Van Groningen 7; Chapman 5; Kuperus 5
- Assists — Jang 17; Unruh 13; Schmidt 3; Chapman 1; Hofman 1
- Digs — Schmidt 13; Van Groningen 9; Chapman 3; Neff 4; Jang 0
- Blocks — Vermeer 2 BS, 3 BA; Schmidt 3 BA; Kuperus 2 BA; Chapman 1 BA; Elliott 0
- Aces — Van Groningen 8; Unruh 3; Neff 1; Schmidt 1
