SPEARFISH, S.D. – The Black Hills State University volleyball team returns home to the Young Center to host Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Opponents University of Colorado Colorado Springs and Metropolitan State University- Denver on Friday, October 27 and Saturday, October 28. First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Friday and 5:30 p.m. on Saturday.

On Friday, the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee will be selling stars for one dollar to support and raise money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Saturday will be a breast cancer awareness match and the volleyball team is asking fans to wear pink.

UCCS enters the weekend 11-9 overall, and 8-4 in RMAC action. The Mountain Lions landed one player on the Preseason All-RMAC team in Taylor Hamilton, who earned All-RMAC Second Team at the conclusion of the 2016 season. Alyssa Brinton also earned 2016 honors, as a First Team All-RMAC member, while Natasha Habert earned Honorable Mention honors.

Hamilton leads the Mountain Lions and the conference with an average of 4.50 points per set. Hamilton has notched 274 kills on the season so far, with a 3.75 per set average. Due to Hamilton's performance, she has earned Offensive Player of the Week honors twice.

Joining Hamilton on the offense, Raelynn Edge has registered 813 assists with an 11.14 assist per set average. Edge leads the team with 22 service aces, as well. Edge's performance so far on the season has earned her two RMAC Setter of the Week awards.

On defense, Natasha Habert leads the way for the Mountain Lions. Habert has tallied 328 digs with a 4.49 dig per set average. Habert joins Hamilton and Edge with an RMAC Player of the Week honor for defense. All three women swept week four of RMAC honors after a weekend sweep of Fort Lewis and Adams State. Habert surpassed the 1,500-dig mark in her career after those weekend wins to earn the Defensive Player of the Week honor.

Hamilton is crushing it on both sides of the ball, as she joins Habert on defense with 66 blocks, 13 of them are solo, which is a team high.

The Mountains Lions come to the Young Center for the fifth time since the Yellow Jackets have joined the RMAC. UCCS leads the all-time series, 8-1, and lead, 3-1, at the Young Center.

MSU-Denver comes to the Young Center with a 14-7 record on the season, and an 11-2 RMAC record. The Roadrunners landed two players on the Preseason All-RMAC Team in senior Vasati Fiatoa and junior Santaisha Struges.

Struges leads the Roadrunner offense with 317 kills and a 4.06 kill per set average. Alyssa Svalberg joins Struges on offense with 836 assists and a 10.72 assist per set average.

On defense, Jackie Lopez leads the way with 315 digs and a 4.04 per set average. Lopez has notched 31 service aces on the season, as well. Stephanie Laraway, a 2016 Second Team All-RMAC member, joins Lopez on defense with 61 total blocks and a 0.81 block per set average.

The Roadrunners lead in the All-Time series against the Yellow Jackets, 9-0, with a 3-0 record at the Young Center.

Black Hills State returns home with a 9-12 record overall, and is 6-6 in RMAC action.

Ellise Lech is leading the offense with 198 kills and a 2.33 kill per set average. Laurel Lech helps on offense with 755 assists and an 8.88 per set average. Fehrin Ward assists the offense, as well, with 25 service aces on the season.

On defense, Sydney Ederhoff owns 376 digs with a 4.42 dig per set average, while Cheyenne Palu has registered 103 total blocks with 11 of them solo. Palu averages 1.21 blocks per set.

BHSU currently sits in eighth place in the conference on the verge of making its first post-season tournament since joining the RMAC in the NCAA era. MSU Denver has clinched a spot in the tournament, while UCCS is currently in sixth place. The Yellow Jackets have four games remaining in their schedule, following the weekend.

The Green and Gold will continue its home stand on Friday, November 3 and Saturday, November 4, hosting Regis and Chadron State for a rematch at the Young Center, followed by South Dakota Mines on Tuesday, November 7 with first serve at 7 p.m. First serve on Friday is set for 7 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. on Saturday.