SPEARFISH, S.D. – The Black Hills State University volleyball team steps out of conference play to take on Augustana University on Tuesday, September 26, in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. First serve is slated for 5 p.m.

Augustana, a member of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference, enters the match 9-5 overall, and 1-4 in conference. The Vikings currently sit in 12^th place in the NSIC.

Courtney Place leads the Vikings with 159 kills and a 3.46 kill per set average. Place ranks third in the conference for kills. Alongside Place, Alex Banker has tallied 508 assists with a 10.81 per set average, good enough to rank second in her conference. Banker is tied for third on the team for service aces, with nine.

On defense, Tahlyr Banks has notched 217 digs with a 4.62 dig per set average in 47 sets played for the Vikings. Ashley Wilson, who ranks second in the conference for blocks, has registered 49 blocks with just four errors. Wilson averages 1.42 blocks per set.

Black Hills State enters the match with a 6-6 record on the season, and a 3-1 record in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference play. BHSU is currently in a three-way tie for fourth place in the conference.

Cheyenne Palu leads the offense with 114 kills and a 2.19 per set average. Palu owns a .283 hitting percentage as well. Sophomore Laurel Lech has registered 465 assists with an 8.94 assists per set average.

Senior Sydney Ederhoff leads the defense with 221 digs and a 4.25 per set average. The Centennial, Colorado, native ranks second on the team for service aces with 12. Palu works alongside Ederhoff on the defense, tallying 57 blocks and a 1.10 block per set average. The Gillette, Wyoming, native ranks second in the conference for total blocks.

This is the third meeting between the two teams, dating as far back as 2012, since BHSU joined the RMAC. The Yellow Jackets trail 0-2 in the series.

The Green and Gold return home to the Young Center on Friday and Saturday, September 29 and 30 to host Chadron State and Regis University. First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Friday and 5:30 p.m. on Saturday.