SPEARFISH, S.D. – The Black Hills State University volleyball team travels to Colorado Springs, Colorado, for its final regular season match against the University of Colorado Colorado Springs on Friday, November 10. First serve is slated for 7 p.m.
UCCS has clinched a postseason berth, as it currently ranks sixth with a 13-4 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference record and a 13-11 overall record.
Taylor Hamilton leads the Mountain Lion offense with 315 kills, a 3.62 kill per set average, and a .318 hitting percentage. Hamilton has earned RMAC Player of the Week honors twice this season. Alyssa Brinton is right behind Hamilton with 301 kills and a 3.46 per set average. Raelynn Edge works alongside Hamilton and Brinton and has notched 985 assists with an 11.32 per set average. Edge has received RMAC Player of the Week honors three times.
On defense, Natasha Habert has tallied 406 digs with a 4.67 dig per set average. Alongside Hamilton and Edge, Habert has grabbed two RMAC Player of the Week honors. Hamilton plays defensively for the Mountain Lions as well, as she has blocked 89 shots, with 18 of them solo. Hamilton averages 1.02 blocks per set.
This is the second meeting between the Mountain Lions and Yellow Jackets this season. Last time out, the Green and Gold defeated UCCS at home in a five set thriller, 3-2.
Black Hills State enters the final match in eighth place, a match ahead of Chadron State. The Yellow Jackets own an 8-9 RMAC record and an 11-15 record on the season. The Green and Gold grabbed the go-ahead win after defeating South Dakota Mines in a five set thriller, 3-2, on Tuesday, November 7.
Ellise Lech leads the Yellow Jacket offense with 258 kills and a 2.42 kill per set average.
Kenzie Kazmer is right behind E. Lech with 230 kills and a 2.35 per set average.
Laurel Lech works alongside E. Lech and Kazmer, as she has tallied 949 assists with an 8.95 per set average.
Defensively,
Sydney Ederhoff leads the way with 478 digs and 4.51 per set average.
Cheyenne Palu helps on the defense, as she has blocked 129 shots with 14 of them solo. Palu averages 1.22 blocks per set.
Following the weekend, and if BHSU makes the postseason, the first round of playoffs would take place on Tuesday, November 14 at the No. 1 seed. However, this is dependent on how Chadron State finishes this weekend. Chadron takes on the No. 2 and No. 4 ranked teams in the conference, Colorado Mines and Colorado Christian, respectively. The Yellow Jackets need Chadron State to lose both to make it into the postseason.
