SPEARFISH, S.D. – The Black Hills State University volleyball team welcomes Metropolitan State University of Denver and Chadron State College for a pair of Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference matches this weekend. The Yellow Jackets will host the Roadrunners on October 11 at 7 p.m. On October 12 at 3 p.m., the Green and Gold and Eagles will clash.

Scouting the Roadrunners (11-3, 6-0 RMAC)

MSU Denver has begun the conference season 6-0, most recently defeating Western Colorado. The last three matches have all been sweeps for the Roadrunners, and they are the only team unbeaten in RMAC play. The team is hitting .235 as a whole and average 2.5 blocks per set.

Kayla White sets the tone both offensively and defensively, recording 3.0 kills per set and 166 total digs, but first on the team. Jessa Megenhardt has 307 assists (6.02 per set) while Joli Sadler has 244 assists. Alyssa Kelling (66 total) and Mikayla McClinton (58 total) both average over one block per set.

Scouting the Eagles (9-5, 3-3 RMAC)

Chadron State College is 1-4 in its last four matches, most recently falling, 3-2, to Colorado Mesa. As a team, the Eagles are hitting .180.

Tori Strickbine has 459 assists, good for 8.83 per set, while Rylee Greiman tallies 2.79 kills per set (145 total). Shelby Schouten and Chandler Hageman are the other top hitting targets. Hageman also leads the squad in blocking, averaging 1.17 per set with 61 total. Ashton Burditt averages 5.94 digs per set and has 309 total to lead the Eagles.

Scouting the Yellow Jackets (7-8, 5-2 RMAC)

Most recently, Black Hills State swept archrival South Dakota Mines in a midweek match. In its last six matches, the team is 5-1, with the loss coming to nationally ranked Colorado School of Mines.

Madee Hoopman leads the Yellow Jackets in kills, averaging 2.61 per set with a total of 149. Laurel Lech has recorded 316 assists, 160 digs, and 88 kills this season, while Tess Thomas has totaled 222 assists. Haedyn Rhoades leads defensively with 261 digs (4.50/set), while Peyton Bodemann leads the squad with 50 blocks.

Next Up

Following this weekend's matches, the Yellow Jackets head back on the road. The Green and Gold will travel to Colorado Mesa on October 18 before playing at Western Colorado on October 19.  

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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.

---BHSUAthletics.com---