Black Hills State volleyball hosted the Westminster University Griffins on Saturday morning to cap off the RMAC Power Pod in Spearfish, falling to the Griffins despite a thrilling five-point comeback in the second frame of the contest.

The Yellow Jackets (5-17, 0-12 RMAC) fought valiantly throughout the game, showcasing grit with a five-point comeback in the second set of the match. Down 14-9, the Yellow Jackets put up a 12-2 run to overtake WU and win the second set by three points. The run was the largest recorded by the Yellow Jackets on the season.
 
Emily Freeland led BHSU's attack against the Griffins, recording 14 kills and finishing the game with a .103 attack percentage and 10 digs for the double-double. She totaled one block and a service ace on the day to finish with 16 points.

Abigail Renner and Audrey Brgoch recorded 12 and 10 kills, respectively, with Renner cashing out with a .250 clip and 13 points while Brgoch finished with 11.5 points. Both athletes recorded a service ace against WU.
 
Hannah Lamon recorded a team-leading 35 assists in the match, recording a pair of kills and the fourth Yellow Jacket ace in the contest. Leading on the net defense was Randi Wellhoefer with three blocking assists, while Mianna Cardenas and Lamon recorded two assisted blocks as well.

Set One (L, 25-19)
WU jumped ahead on a 4-0 start in the first frame, later stretching to a 7-2 lead before BHSU put up their first offensive point of the set with a Brgoch kill.
 
A Cardenas kill and Lamon service ace kept BHSU within four, 12-8, but the Griffins were able to rattle off a 6-0 run to extend their lead to ten points.
 
Out of the Yellow Jacket timeout, however, BHSU charged back off a pair of spikes from Freeland, an unforced WU attack error, and a Cardenas block to force a Griffins timeout on a slimmed, 18-12 deficit.
 
Both teams continued to trade services, with BHSU forcing a WU timeout after a four-score burst off the hands of Freeland, Brgoch, and Renner forcing a 23-18 scoreboard.
 
Despite the fight, the established lead WU garnered from the beginning gave them enough room to slip by the Yellow Jackets in the end, taking the six-point victory to lead 1-0 in the match.
 
Set Two (W, 25-21)
A 4-4 start introduced the second set, but the Griffins hopped out in front after a 4-0 run gave WU a 6-4 lead.
 
A Freeland and Cardenas block, followed by a pair of scores from Freeland and Wellhoefer, however, sparked a 6-2 run for the Yellow Jackets to give them a 10-8 lead before a block and ace from the Griffins locked the scoreboard back up, 10-all.
 
Three tying scores later, WU pulled out on a 5-0 run to force a BHSU timeout and take a 17-13 lead, the largest held lead in the frame up to this point.
 
Facing a 19-14 deficit, the Yellow Jackets went on a 9-2 tear to regain a 22-21 lead that left two burned WU timeouts in its wake. The run included two service aces from Freeland, two Renner kills, and one spike each from Brgoch, Wellhoefer, and Lamon.
 
BHSU did not let up out of the last Griffin timeout, completing the come-from-behind win with three unanswered points to finish the second frame on top.
 
The Yellow Jackets held WU to a .111 attacking percentage while tallying a .244 clip, a pair of service aces, and two blocks in the second frame as a team. Wellhoefer and Renner each held four kills to lead the team, with six Yellow Jackets recording at least one kill in the set.
 
Set Three (L, 25-15)
Though both sides traded the opening pair of services, WU once again started in front, 5-1, expanding the scoreboard to 10-3 and forcing a BHSU timeout.
 
WU continued to stay aggressive, putting up a 4-0 run to lead 16-6. BHSU, however, continued to fight back with a 7-2 run that pulled the Yellow Jackets closer, 18-13.
 
The Griffins were able to regain their footing on offense, however, ending the set on a 7-2 series that included six kills from Hailey Killett and Olivia Curtis.
 
Set Four (L, 25-19)
BHSU and WU went toe-to-toe through the first dozen serves, tying eight times and the lead changing hand six times to an 11-11 scoreboard. The Griffins were able to pull ahead later, with a pair of kills helping craft a 4-0 run to give them a three-point, 15-12 lead over BHSU.
 
With a Brgoch kill, leaving a 17-13 hill to climb for the Yellow Jackets, both teams slugged it out in the final moments of the set as WU rode on their earlier established lead to take the 3-1 match victory.
 
Up Next
BHSU wraps up the home portion of the 2023 season next Friday, Nov. 3 and Saturday, Nov. 4, playing host to Chadron State and Colorado Chrisitan, respectively, with first serve at 6 p.m. for both nights.