SPEARFISH, S.D. – The Black Hills State University volleyball team prepares to take on Fort Lewis College and Adams State University in southern Colorado, on Oct. 12 and 13.  First serve is set at 7 p.m. in Durango, Colo., on Friday, and 5 p.m. on Saturday, in Alamosa, Colo.
 
The Yellow Jackets will take on the Fort Lewis Skyhawks to start off the weekend.  The Skyhawks are 4-11 this season, and 4-7 in conference play, after falling to Colorado Christian and Regis, 3-0.
 
Leading Fort Lewis on offense is senior Haley Christiansen, with 153 kills.  The Arizona native averages 3.19 kills per set. Beside Christiansen, Kendra Swackenberg leads in assists, holding 307, in 51 sets. 
 
Defensively, Christiansen also leads the Skyhawks with 208 digs, in front of teammate Megan Graefe with 197, in 48 sets.  Upperclassmen Bailey Longacre and Maddie LeBlanc lead the way in blocks for Fort Lewis, both totaling 27.  Longacre tallies up 10 solo blocks, while LeBlanc has four.
 
Following Friday's game, the Green and Gold will move to Alamosa, Colo., to face Adams State.  The Grizzlies currently have a 3-8 conference record, and 6-13 overall, after also falling to Colorado Christian and Regis. 
 
The Grizzlies are led by Hannah Goddard with 196 kills, averaging 2.76 kills per set.  Sophomore Shannon Mulkey follows close behind with 185 kills this season.  Alongside Goddard and Mulkey, Rachael Ringler totals 721 assists.  Ringler averages 10.01 assists per set for Adams State.
 
On defense, Mackenzie Swanson racks up 279 digs for the Grizzlies, averaging 3.82 digs per set.  Mulkey leads defensively, totaling 50 blocks, six of them being solo. 
 
Black Hills State enters the weekend after sweeping Western State and suffering a tough, 3-0, loss against Colorado Mesa, who now sit in second in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference standings.  The Yellow Jackets are now ranked sixth in the standings, alongside New Mexico Highlands, Westminster and Fort Lewis.
 
Freshman Jadie DeLange leads the Green and Gold with 138 kills, followed by teammate Sierra Stugelmeyer with 126.  With DeLange and Stugelmeyer, Laurel Lech leads the way with 515 assists.  Lech is currently eighth on the RMAC leader board, averaging 8.31 assists per set. 
 
For the Yellow Jacket defense, Valerie Blake leads 208 digs, averaging 3.35 digs per set.  Seniors Carisa Becerra and Stugelmeyer lead BHSU in blocks.  Becerra totals 46, five of them being solo, and Stugelmeyer has 45 blocks, two of them solo. 
 
The Yellow Jackets will continue to travel on the road the following weekend to face Colorado Christian and Regis on Oct. 19 and 20.  Game time is set for 7 p.m. on Friday, in Lakewood, Colo., and 5 p.m. in Denver, Colo., on Saturday.