Box Score Black Hills State volleyball hosted in-state rival South Dakota Mines on Tuesday night, dropping a hard-fought contest three sets to one.
 
The Yellow Jackets started hot against the Lady Hardrockers, recording a .303 attack percentage in the first set, also grabbing three service aces and four blocks in the frame.
 
In the second set of the contest, senior Haedyn Rhoades racked up another career milestone with her 100^th career service ace. Rhoades is now the sixth Yellow Jacket in program history to hit the centennial mark and is only three aces away from tying for fifth All-Time in program history. Debbie Sigman, who played for the Yellow Jackets from 1999-02, currently holds the fifth spot with 103 career aces.
 
The senior libero stayed busy on the floor as well, recording 16 digs and 18 receptions against the Lady Hardrockers, along with three assists.
 
Abigail Renner and Emily Freeland recorded the only double-digit kill totals for BHSU, recording 11 and 10, respectively. Renner also claimed a pair of service aces and a single block assist while Freeland held three assisted blocks of her own.
 
Audrey Brgoch was also effective at the net as she led the Yellow Jackets with a solo block and another three assisted blocks to add to the eight total recorded by BHSU. Hannah Lamon let the set up with 22 assists on the night, adding in another pair of service aces for the Yellow Jackets.
 
Set One (W, 25-22)
The match started on an even footing as both sides were hitting the ball well, going tied through the first dozen services until a Hardrocker 3-0 burst gave the visitors the first outright lead of the game, 9-6.
 
BHSU, however, struck back later as a 5-1 series conducted by Renner and Freeland that also included a block from Mianna Cardenas and Freeland put the Yellow Jackets out front 12-11. The Yellow Jackets kept the pedal on the floor, racking up another 7-1 run to stretch the lead to 19-14.
 
However, SDSMT did not let up, fighting back with an unforced error and three kills to climb back within two, 22-20. Despite gaining the rhythm on offense, a spike from Cardenas and two more scoring slams from Renner gave BHSU the first set point.
 
Set Two (L, 25-18)
Starting even once again through eight serves, a slew of kills from Izzy Saiki, Randi Wellhoefer, and Brgoch pushed the scoreboard to 8-4 in favor of BHSU. The Lady Hardrockers, however, capitalized on unforced Yellow Jacket errors to put up a 6-2 run to knot the frame back up, 10-10.
 
Back-and-forth play resumed from here, drawing up a 15-all scoreboard until a 7-1 attack from the Lady Hardrockers lifted them to a 21-16 advantage. BHSU fought throughout the remainder of the set, but SDSMT did not let up and took the set point by seven.
 
Set Three (L, 25-13)
Heading into the third frame hot, the Yellow Jackets pushed a 5-1 series on the Lady Hardrockers to start, but SDSMT responded with another 7-1 chunk to catch up and lead, 9-7, forcing a BHSU timeout in the process.
 
Kills from Wellhoefer and Renner aided in locking the set at 10-all, but another six unanswered from the Lady Hardrockers forced another Yellow Jacket timeout, pausing the match on a 15-10 scoreboard.
 
SDSMT took control from this point, holding Renner to a late two-score push to take the 2-1 match lead.
 
Set Four (L, 25-12)
Renner and Freeland tacked one kill each to aid in BHSU taking a 4-2 lead, with the Lady Hardrockers not too far behind and quickly catching up and leading by one, 6-5.
 
Both squads put up points in the preceding rallies, though SDSMT began to pull away and forced a timeout after recording a 6-2 run, leading 17-11.
 
BHSU put up a 5-2 run late in the set, but they could not stir up enough momentum to bring the set back, allowing South Dakota Mines to take the match point.
 
Up Next
The Yellow Jackets head off for a brief road trip to take on New Mexico Highlands on Friday, Oct. 20, with the match starting at 6 p.m.