BILLINGS, Mont. - Black Hills State volleyball lost its season opener against MSU Billings and won it's nightcap versus MSU Moorhead in the opening day of the Yellowjacket Invitational falling in three sets to MSU-Billings and winning in five sets against MSU Moorhead. 

The Yellow Jackets lost in three sets to MSU-Billings to open play in the tournament losing set one 17-25, losing set two 13-25, and losing set three 20-25. 

Madison Hoopman let the team with eight kills. 

Emma Desanti recorded 17 assists and was the assist leader for BHSU. 

While Haedyn Rhoades kept the ball off the floor recording 15 digs. 

Desanti was the ace leader for the Yellow Jackets sinking three. Hoopman had an ace in the contest as well.  

Set one got off to a slow start for the Yellow Jackets as they traded points back and forth with Billings. As the set went on MSU Billings was able to take the lead over the Yellow Jackets and did not look back putting together runs where the Yellow Jackets were unable. Ultimately MSU Billings took the set victory 25-17 over the Yellow Jackets. 

In set two the Yellow Jackets struggled to string together points falling behind early in the set. MSU Billings took advantage of the early lead in route to a 13-25 victory over the Yellow Jackets putting them up 2-0 in sets. 

In set three MSU Billings struck first but the Yellow Jackets stayed competitive throughout the match. MSU Billings and the Yellow Jackets would trade points for much of the set before Billings went on a short run and never looked back defeating the Yellow Jackets 25-20. 

In their second match of the day the Yellow Jackets won in five sets to MSU Moorhead to finish day one of play at the Yellowjacket Invitational presented by Hilton Garden Inn losing set one 27-29, winning set two 25-20, losing set three 25-23, winning set four 25-21, and winning set five 15-8. 

Four Yellow Jackets earned double digit kills in the five-set match with Madison Hoopman leading the way with 15, Sierra Ward was right behind with 14, followed by Mariah Robinson (13), and Kindra Cerrone (12). 

Karly Marx and Emma Desanti led the team in assists with 28 apiece.  

Haedyn Rhoades recorded 45 digs in the match while Peyton Bodemann, Cerrone, and Marx were the ace leaders with 2, 2, and 1 respectively. 

The Yellow Jackets started off strong against MSU Moorhead taking the lead early in the set before the Dragons tied the set up at seven all. Throughout the set the Yellow Jackets were led by strong hitting from seniors Sierra Ward, Kindra Cerrone, and Madison Hoopman who tallied 4, 4, and 3 kills respectively. The Yellow Jackets and Dragons traded points up to 18 before BHSU tallied three to go ahead 21-18. The Dragons were able to tie the game up at 25 all pushing the set into extra points before the Dragons recorded the 29-27 victory. 

Set two saw the Yellow Jackets take an early lead with a 5-0 run to open the game. The Dragons would get the game tied back up at 14 all. The Yellow Jackets would go on to win the match 25-20 behind more solid hitting from Desanti, Hoopman, and Ward and an aggressive front line of blockers. 

The Dragons struck first in set three, going up by 2 early in the match. The Yellow Jackets pulled even and would trade points with the Yellow Jackets for much of the remaining set with neither team being able to rack up an advantage. The Dragons would string together a four-point run late in the set going up 22-18 before the Dragons would finish up the set with a 25-23 victory. 

Set four stayed competitive between the Yellow Jackets and Dragons with the teams trading the lead for much of the set. The Yellow Jackets would break out and go on a run allowing them to go up 22-18 before going on to win the set 25-21. 

The Yellow Jackets struck first in set five going up 3-2 at the beginning of play. Before going on a run putting them up by as much as eight points. The Yellow Jackets would not let up off the gas led by strong hitting and blocking from the front line they would be victorious over MSU Moorhead winning the fifth set 15-8 and the match 3-2. 

-BHSUAthletics.com-