SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The Black Hills State University volleyball team defeated Fort Hays State University and the University of Mary on Friday at the Augustana Invite. The Yellow Jackets (3-3) swept the Tigers to begin the day, before winning a five-set thriller over the Marauders.

"We are so proud of the girls for taking the week's practice focuses and implementing them in today's matches," said head coach Kristin Carmichael. "We also showed some mental toughness and maturity to come back from a 6-1 deficit in the fifth set. It's nice for us to get hard fought victories from good competition to prepare us for conference play next week."

BHSU 3, FHSU 0
The Yellow Jackets started off the weekend with a convincing 3-0 sweep over the Tigers (4-1) on Saturday morning. BHSU won the sets, 25-22, 25-18, and 25-17.

FHSU scored the first point, but the Green and Gold responded with a 5-0 run to take a lead they would not relinquish for the rest of the set. The Yellow Jackets led by as many as eight points, taking the set, 25-22.
BHSU kept the momentum, winning both the second and third sets convincingly to earn the victory.

​​​​​​​Jadie DeLange recorded 11 kills, while Madison Hoopman tallied 10. Laurel Lech had 31 assists and 13 digs for her second double-double of the year. Reilley Baty had 12 digs and Jessy Hibl had 10 digs.

​​​​​​​BHSU 3, Mary 2
In the second match of the day, the Yellow Jackets defeated Mary, 3-2, in their first five-set match of the year. BHSU won set one, 25-22, set three, 25-21, and set five, 16-14. The Marauders took set two, 25-20, and set four, 25-23.

In the first set, the Green and Gold jumped out to a 10-point lead multiple times. When the Yellow Jackets led, 18-7, Mary then went on a 10-0 run, to get within one point. A kill by Hoopman ended the run, and BHSU was able to hold off Mary to get on the board.

The second set was a back-and-forth affair. Mary led by one, 18-17, before eventually taking the set, 25-20. The two teams traded points in the third set as well. The score was tied, 17-17, when Peyton Bodemann recorded a kill to begin an 8-4 run to win set three.

Although the Yellow Jackets led by as many as three points late in set four, the Marauders earned the narrow victory to tie the match at two sets a piece.

Mary jumped out to a 6-1 lead in the decisive fifth set. BHSU fought back to tie the game, 9-9. With the set tied, 14-14, a kill by Hoopman and a block by Peyton Bodemann and Sierra Stugelmeyer clinched the victory for the Yellow Jackets.

​​​​​​​DeLange and Hoopman each reached double-digit kills for the second match of the day. DeLange tallied 16, and Hoopman had 15 kills. Sierra Stugelmeyer added 12 kills. Laurel Lech had another double-double, recording 46 assists and 12 digs. Hibl had 22 digs, while Valerie Blake and Baty each added 10 digs.

The Yellow Jackets return to action at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, September 1. The Green and Gold play Minnesota State Moorhead to wrap up the Augustana Invite.  
  Black Hills State is located in the Northern Black Hills of South Dakota, sponsoring 13 NCAA sports with membership in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, the NCAA emerging sport of women's triathlon and NIRA rodeo. For all information regarding Yellow Jacket Athletics, please visit BHSUAthletics.com or follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram @BHSUAthletics.