Dixie State opened its 2016 season with split of its first two games of the Trailblazers' Crystal Inn Volleyball Invitational Friday at the DSU SAC. DSU opened the round-robin tourney with a 3-0 sweep of Black Hills State (25-17, 25-16, 25-22), but the Trailblazers could not protect a 2-1 set lead in the nightcap vs. Northwest Nazarene as the Crusaders rallied for the five-set win (28-26, 22-25, 18-25, 25-14, 15-12).

DSU trailed just twice the entire match vs. BHSU to roll to the victory. Senior OH Delayne Daniel (Pleasant Grove, Utah/Pleaseant Grove HS) posted a double-double with 10 kills and 21 digs, while sophomore OH Taylor Duryea (Logan, Utah/Sky View HS) collected nine kills and nine digs, and senior setter Kailey Frei (Orem, Utah/Timpanogos HS) finished with 28 assists, four kills and two blocks.

In the finale vs. NNU, the Crusaders held off a furious Trailblazer rally to outlast DSU in the opening set, 28-26. Dixie State fought back with a three-point win in set two and claimed set three by a 25-18 count. NNU bounced back to handle DSU in set four, 25-14, and finished off the match victory with a 15-12 win in set five.

Duryea led the way vs. NNU with a team-high 15 kills to go with eight digs, while Daniel notched her second double-double of the young season with 11 kills and 10 digs.

Dixie State will host two more matches on Saturday, beginning with NNU taking on BHSU at 9:30 a.m., and the Trailblazers will wrap up the round-robin event with a date vs. Cal State Monterey Bay at 12 noon. Both matches will be played in the DSU SAC.