SPEARFISH, S.D. – Battling through adversity down the stretch of the regular season, the Black Hills State University volleyball team continued to show their grit and determination as they overcame the obstacles and broke into the win column in RMAC play with a 3-1 victory over New Mexico Highlands. With everyone playing for the pair of seniors that included Abigail Renner and Brooke Miller, multiple players stepped up in big moments and willed the Yellow Jackets to their first conference win since November 5, 2022. A total of three BHSU student-athletes reached double digit kills in the contest, tying for the most this season, and highlighting that trio was Renner who posted a double-double with a commanding 17 kills and 18 digs.
 
QUICK DETAILS
Score: Black Hills State 3, New Mexico Highlands 1
Team Records: Black Hills State 5-15 (1-9 RMAC), New Mexico Highlands 4-16 (2-8 RMAC)
Attendance: 117
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Despite being out due to an injury, Brooke Miller received one final memorable moment in the Green & Gold in A2 Arena as she made one more start in what had been a season to remember for the transfer as she left the court to roar of the crowd prior to first serve. Black Hills State fed off the energy already inside of the arena as they started the match with a block by Carsyn Mettler and Randi Wellhoefer, leading to an early 4-2 advantage following kills by Jaeda Davis-Golliher and Emily Freeland. The Yellow Jackets then extended their lead to six (11-5) with a 7-2 scoring run before the teams went back-and-forth midway through the frame. New Mexico Highlands was able to remain within striking distance, getting within four points on multiple occasions, however BHSU never allowed the Cowgirls to gain any momentum as they closed the set on a 5-2 scoring run for the 25-18 win that ended with a kill by Abigail Renner to take the 1-0 lead in the match.
• New Mexico Highlands was the ones to get out to the quick start in set two as they held a 6-4 lead before a kill by Freeland sparked a run of four unanswered points for Black Hills State that gave the Yellow Jackets the lead (8-6). The Cowgirls would go on to tie the score on four different occasions but would never be able to take the lead as BHSU stood their ground. Starting with a kill by Freeland, Black Hills State ended the frame on a 5-1 scoring run as they earned a 25-21 win in set two to take a 2-0 lead in the match.
• New Mexico Highlands once again jumped out to an early 5-3 advantage in set one, but Black Hills State answered with three unanswered points with a pair of kills by Mettler and one by Davis-Golliher to give the Yellow Jackets their first lead of the frame (6-5). The Cowgirls delivered their first major response of the day as they posted a 9-4 scoring run to build a 14-10 advantage, their largest lead of the day. BHSU evened the score again at 16, 19, and 20 apiece before a 4-1 scoring run gave the Green & Gold a 24-23 lead and a match point opportunity. NMHU quickly halted the momentum and closed out the set with three unanswered points as they kept the match alive with a 26-24 win in set three to make it a 2-1 match.
• The teams traded the first four points of set four before Black Hills State opened up the score with a 6-1 scoring run as the Yellow Jackets took an 8-3 advantage. The Cowgirls responded with an 8-2 scoring run of their own as they took their first lead of the frame at 11-10. The teams continued to go back-and-forth as they traded the lead seven more times the remainder of the set, however BHSU ended the frame with a 6-1 scoring run, sparked by a kill by Renner and ending with a service ace by Sydnie Tuioti-Mariner to earn the 25-23 win the in the frame and securing the 3-1 win in the match.
• Black Hills State held the advantage in points (75.0-69.0), kills (63-54), aces (8-5), assists (56-49), and digs (84-80), while New Mexico Highlands held the edge in blocks (10-4). 

BLACK HILLS STATE STATISTICAL LEADERS
Abigail Renner: 17 kills (.204 attack percentage), 18 digs, 1 service ace, 1 block
Carsyn Mettler: 15 kills (.324 attack percentage), 9 digs, 1 assist, 1 service ace, 1 block
Jaeda Davis-Golliher: 13 kills (.591 attack percentage), 2 digs, 1 assist, 1 block
Sydnie Tuioti-Mariner: 47 assists, 12 digs, 5 kills, 1 service ace, 1 block
Ellie Thomas: 25 digs, 3 assists, 3 service aces
 
UP NEXT
Black Hills State will step outside of league play next weekend when they take part in the RMAC Power Pod, starting when they face New Mexico Highlands once again in a 6 p.m. match on Friday, November 1, in Gunnison, Colorado, at Paul Wright Gym.
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