SPEARFISH, S.D. | Las Vegas, N.M. – Black Hills State volleyball is set for another pair of matchups in week seven of the RMAC season, hosting South Dakota Mines in a quick turnaround matchup before heading to Las Vegas, New Mexico for a match against New Mexico Highlands.
 
The Yellow Jackets (5-13, 0-8 RMAC) will first host the Hardrockers (11-7, 5-3 RMAC) for a Rivalry Night (Nerd Night) matchup on Tuesday, Oct. 17 at 6 p.m. before hitting the road to face off against the NMHU Cowgirls (1-18, 0-8 RMAC) on Friday, Oct. 20 at 6 p.m.
 
BHSU is coming into the week off a tough pair of matchups from the following weekend, which saw the Yellow Jackets face the No. 6 MSU Denver Roadrunners on Friday night and the Colorado Mines Orediggers on Saturday afternoon, with both games ending in 3-0 and 3-1 losses, respectively.
 
Despite the loss on Saturday, BHSU recorded 12 service aces against the Orediggers, which tied for the third-most service aces recorded in a match in program history. This included five aces from Abigail Renner that made her the fifth Yellow Jacket in history to record five in a single match, with four coming from her first appearance at the service line in the first set.
 
Currently on a five-game losing streak, BHSU will look to snap the streak against South Dakota Mines, whom the Yellow Jackets previously beat in five sets on Oct. 13 of this season.
 

BLACK HILLS STATE vs. SOUTH DAKOTA MINES  TUESDAY, OCT. 17 // 6 P.M. // SPEARFISH, S.D. // DONALD E. YOUNG CENTER Live Stream / Live Stats / Tickets

 
Since the last meeting between the I-90 rivals, the Hardrockers have won three of the last four matchups in the RMAC, defeating Western Colorado, Fort Lewis, and Colorado Mines in four sets per matchup.
 
Last Saturday, however, SDSMT dropped their matchup against the No. 6 MSUD straight sets. Through those four games, the Hardrockers currently sit in a tie for fifth in the RMAC with Chadron State, who both sit at a 5-3 conference record and 11-7 on the season.
 
SDSMT averages 16.82 points per set so far this season, ranking them fourth in the RMAC. The Hardrockers also allow the third-lowest hitting percentage and lowest opponent aces in the conference, allowing a .173 and 0.98 tilt in each respective category.
 
In the last meeting between BHSU and SDSMT, the Yellow Jackets prevailed in a back-and-forth contest that went to five sets.
 

BLACK HILLS STATE vs. NEW MEXICO HIGHLANDS  FRIDAY, OCT. 20 // 6 P.M. // LAS VEGAS, N.M. // JOHN A. WILSON COMPLEX Live Stream / Live Stats

 
The NMHU Cowgirls won their first and only matchup of the season against Ouachita Baptist on Sept. 1, but have lost 18 straight since then.
 
During last weekend's matchups, the Cowgirls put up a set against Fort Lewis and Western Colorado but fell in each game to cap off what was a four-game road stretch. Before welcoming the Yellow Jackets on Friday, NMHU will first play host to in-state rival Western New Mexico at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 18.
 
Terayah Stukes and Keegan Lopez lead the NMHU offense this season, with Stukes claiming 282 kills and 309.0 points for the Cowgirls (2.91 kills, 3.19 points per set) and Lopez raking in 215 kills and 260.0 points (2.22 kills, 2.68 points per set).
 
At the net, NMHU averages 15.82 digs per contest, led by the efforts of Elena Rivera (413 digs) and Stukes (310 digs), with both players recording 4.26 and 3.20 digs per frame this season.
 
Since BHSU's entry into NCAA Division II, the Yellow Jackets are 7-3 over NMHU. The Cowgirls, however, secured a win over BHSU during last season's meetup in Las Vegas on Oct. 22 in a 3-1 final score.