GUNNISON, Colo. – Behind a season-high 17 kills from Holly Hamlin, the Black Hills State University volleyball team opened its Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference season with a 3-2 victory over Western State Colorado University Thursday night in Gunnison, Colorado.
It took all five sets, but the Yellow Jackets (3-6, 1-0 RMAC) prevailed in the fifth, and decisive, set. Black Hills State fell behind 1-0 but quickly knotted the game up at 1-1 with a kill from Hamlin and seized the lead with a kill from Meghan Sipe.
After WSCU (0-5, 0-1 RMAC) knotted the set at 2-2, the Yellow Jackets took a lead they would not relinquish at 3-2 behind another kill from Hamlin. The closest the Mountaineers would get in the final set would be a 6-5 deficit but four-straight Green and Gold points powered the Yellow Jackets to the set and match victory.
Playing for the first time this year, Brynn Eckhardt had 39 assists on the evening.
After Western State took the opening set 25-17, the Yellow Jackets took the next two sets 25-21 and 25-19, respectively. The Mountaineers had a come-from-behind victory in the fourth set, 26-24, before the Yellow Jackets took the final set for the match victory.
The Yellow Jackets continue action on the road at No. 23 Colorado Mesa tomorrow night at 7 p.m.
Quick Hits
- Holly Hamlin tied for a match high with 17 kills
- Hamlin had a season-best .438 hitting percentage
- Hamlin had a match-high four blocks, all of them solo
- Meghan Sipe joined Hamlin with double-digit kills with 14
- Brynn Eckhardt had a team-high 39 assists to go with a .357 hitting percentage
- Shelby Mayer had three blocks in the match
