SPEARFISH, S.D. – The Black Hills State University volleyball team plays at home for the first time this season as they host Colorado State University-Pueblo and New Mexico Highlands University this weekend. The Yellow Jackets welcome the Thunderwolves on Friday, September 27 at 7 p.m., before playing the Cowgirls on Saturday, September 28, with the match set to begin at 5:30 p.m.

Scouting the Thunderwolves (3-7, 1-1 RMAC)

CSU-Pueblo is located in Pueblo, Colorado. The team opened RMAC play last weekend at home, going 1-1 in two five-set matches. The Thunderwolves fell to Western Colorado, 3-2, before defeating Colorado Mesa, 3-2.

CSUP is hitting .189 as a team, while tallying 2.1 blocks per set, which is third in the RMAC. Brooke Schilling leads the squad in kills, putting down 2.39 per set and 98 total. Grace Hern has 204 total assists (4.98/set), while Kelsey Bell has 161 (4.24/set). Defensively, Kyle Meltzer has 160 digs (4.21/set) to lead the Thunderwolves, while Jazzy Espinoza has 36 total blocks.

Scouting the Cowgirls (1-9, 0-2 RMAC)

NMHU, located in Las Vegas, N.M., most recently fell, 3-0, to both Colorado Mesa and Western Colorado. The team is hitting .079 as a team, while opposing teams are hitting .244.

Keegan Lopez leads the Cowgirls with 73 kills and 2.43 kills per set. Celina Naranj records 4.71 assists per set, with 113 total, while Bryanna Lopez leads the squad with 104 total digs (4.52/set).

Scouting the Yellow Jackets (3-7, 1-1 RMAC)

Black Hills State opened conference play with a pair of road games, falling to Dixie State, 3-0, before coming from behind to defeat Westminster, 3-2. In the match against the Griffins, BHSU narrowly lost the first two sets before asserting control and winning the fourth set, 25-8, and the decisive fifth set, 15-8.

Madee Hoopman leads the Yellow Jackets in kills, averaging 2.61 per set with a total of 99. Laurel Lech has recorded 194 assists, 111 digs, and 55 kills this season, while Tess Thomas has totaled 125 assists. Haedyn Rhoades leads defensively with 167 digs (4.39/set), while Peyton Bodemann leads the squad with 28 blocks.

Next Up

Following this weekend's matches, the Yellow Jackets head back on the road. The Green and Gold will travel to Colorado School of Mines October 4, before playing UCCS on October 5.  

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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---