LAKEWOOD, Colo. – Black Hills State volleyball fell to the Colorado Christian Cougars on Friday night in three straight sets.
 
Madison Hoopman recorded 17 total attacks and nine kills to record a .471 hitting efficiency in tonight's matchup, leading the Yellow Jacket attack. Abigail Renner was right behind her with seven kills on 15 attempts for a .333 hitting percentage. Hannah Lamon recorded a .333 hitting efficiency after racking up three service aces and a kill. Karly Marx (11) and Lamon (10) combined for 21 of the 26 total assists for the Yellow Jackets. Haedyn Rhoades and Kindra Cerrone split the groundwork as they clocked in seven and six digs, respectively.
 
Set One: Although the Yellow Jackets notched the first point of the contest, Colorado Christian jumped to a steep 15-6 lead over the Yellow Jackets over the course of the set. Lamon capitalized on a Cougar service error and recorded three serving aces in a row to bring the Yellow Jackets back within five. Despite BHSU trading scores, the Cougars regained their momentum and closed the set on a six-score series.
 
Set Two: The Yellow Jackets caught their stride in the second set and went punch-for-punch with the Cougars to a 10-9 lead, but the Cougars gained the lead after a five-score run to go up 14-10. The Yellow Jackets continued to fight, staying within four at a 21-17 CCU lead. BHSU continued to score in the end, but they could not catch up to the Cougars in time and fell in set two.
 
Set Three: Both teams started on even ground as the third set saw a 9-9 scoreboard to begin. Colorado Christian gained breathing room on a three-score run that gave them a 12-9 lead over the Yellow Jackets, expanding to 17-11. BHSU held on thanks to Hoopman and Mariah Robinson taking advantage of CCU errors to set up scoring rallies, bringing the Yellow Jackets within two at 20-18. The end of the set remained tight, with BHSU keeping within two until the Cougars ended the match off a service error and a pair of scores.
 
Up Next
The Yellow Jackets complete their four-game road stretch on Saturday, Oct. 1 against No. 2 MSU-Denver in Denver, Colo., with first serve at 3 p.m. Following that match, the Yellow Jackets return home to the Donald E. Young Center on Friday, Oct. 7 in a match up against Colorado Mesa at 7 p.m., kicking off a four-game series at home.