SPEARFISH, S.D.—Prior to Friday night's contest with Fort Lewis College, the Black Hills State University volleyball team owned a 2-0 record when beginning a home stand this season. This four-game home stand happens to be the largest of the season for BHSU.
First on the docket for the Yellow Jackets was Fort Lewis College. The Skyhawks sat in the RMAC's Mountain Division cellar prior to the contest. The Yellow Jackets extended their record to 3-0 when beginning a home stand with a 3-0 victory over Fort Lewis College on Friday night.
BHSU improves to 7-13, 4-8 RMAC while the Skyhawks fall to 5-15, 2-10 RMAC.
Yellow Jackets 3, Fort Lewis 0
The Yellow Jackets and Skyhawks were on each other's heels throughout the opening stages of set one as four different lead changes took place. The Yellow Jackets took the lead for good when Brynn Eckhardt and Shelby Mayer each registered a kill to make the score 15-13.
Shelby Lehman and Gabriella Hickman each added three kills to tie the set 22-22 and 23-23 before BHSU closed the deal. A Fort Lewis error followed by an Eckhardt kill locked a 25-23 BHSU set-one victory.
The Yellow Jackets stormed to a 12-1 lead in set two thanks to a well-balanced attack. Mayer, Danielle Torpey, Ellise Lech and Eckhardt each registered kills to pace BHSU in the run.
It was a lead Fort Lewis College couldn't rebound from. Fehrin Ward registered back-to-back kills to end set two and give the Yellow Jackets a 25-13 victory.
Three attack errors in the third frame haunted BHSU as they found themselves in an 8-2 hole. The Yellow Jackets stormed back and tied the set 11-11 thanks to kills from Torpey, Ward, Sierra Stugelmeyer and Fort Lewis attack errors.
Stugelmeyer and Kenzie Kazmer each registered a kill to give BHSU the lead at 14-12, which forced the Skyhawks to call a timeout.
Six Yellow Jacket errors down the stretch helped Fort Lewis tie them on three occasions. Kazmer put a stop to that with a pair of kills at the end to give BHSU a 25-23 win.
Torpey led BHSU with 12 kills while Eckhardt notched 33 assists.
The Yellow Jackets will return to the Young Center tomorrow, October 24 against Adams State University. Game time is set for 5:00 p.m. Tomorrow's game will be Dig Pink Night.
