RAPID CITY, S.D. – The Black Hills State University volleyball team could not overcome a slow start enroute to a 3-1 loss to rival South Dakota School of Mines in Rapid City, South Dakota, Tuesday evening.
The nonconference contest drops the Yellow Jackets to 5-10 on the season while the Hardrockers improve to 8-5.
The Yellow Jackets dropped set one after falling behind 11-4 and the Hardrockers building a nine-point lead at 20-11. It became a hole too big for the Yellow Jackets to climb out of in the 25-14 setback.
The second set saw the score knotted up five times through each team's first six points and saw another tie at 8-8. South Dakota Mines then opened up the largest lead of the set at 15-9. However the Yellow Jackets fought back in the set and got to within three points at 23-20 behind a kill from Danielle Torpey.
However, it was too late as the Hardrockers hit the next two points for a set two victory.
After falling behind 6-1 in set three, the Yellow Jackets rallied to take an 18-14 lead behind six-straight Green and Gold points. In the run, Holly Hamlin had a pair of blocks while Meghan Sipe added a block and kill and Sydney Ederhoff had an ace.
Mines fought back behind five points of their own to retake the lead at 19-18. From that point on, it was a free-for-all with 15 ties or lead changes until the Yellow Jackets gained the advantage at 28-26 behind a kill from Hamlin and a service ace to win the set.
The fourth set featured much of the action as the end of the third set with neither team able grab a hold of a lead and carry it. After falling behind 16-12, the Yellow Jackets steadily tied the score at 18-18, with the tying point coming from a service ace from Lacey Stevens.
However, the Hardrockers countered with three-straight points to regain a 21-18 lead. Black Hills methodically battled back, utilizing a pair of attack errors and a pair of kills sandwiched around a Mines point to tie the game at 22 apiece.
South Dakota Mines then scored the next three points to take the set, 25-22, and match 3-1.
The Yellow Jackets return to Spearfish for a pair of RMAC contests this weekend against the University of Colorado Colorado Springs on Friday and Regis University on Saturday.
Quick Hits
- Holly Hamlin had a team-high 13 kills for the Yellow Jackets
- Brynn Eckhardt assisted on 27 BHSU points
- Hamlin had three blocks for the Green and Gold
- Lacey Stevens added a match-high two service aces
- Samantha Johnson had a match-high 16 kills for the Hardrockers
- Carsyn Garcia had a match-high 43 assists
