SPEARFISH, S.D. – The Black Hills State University volleyball team will return home to the friendly confines of A2 Arena this weekend for a pair of non-conference match-ups against regional rivals in the RMAC Regional Pod matches against South Dakota Mines and Chadron State. Both matches are slated for a 6 p.m. first serve with the Yellow Jackets and Hardrockers scheduled for a Thursday night game, while BHSU will then close out the weekend against CSC on Friday evening.
 
GAME 1 DETAILS VS. SOUTH DAKOTA MINES
Date & Time: Thursday, October 3 at 6 p.m.
Location: Spearfish, S.D. – A2 Arena
 
GAME 2 DETAILS VS. CHADRON STATE
Date & Time: Friday, October 4 at 6 p.m.
Location: Spearfish, S.D. – A2 Arena
 
BLACK HILLS STATE STORYLINES

• Black Hills State enters this week's RMAC Regional Pod games with a 4-8 (0-4 RMAC) record after dropping a pair of league games on the road to CSU Pueblo (3-0) and Adams State (3-2) last weekend.
• In 2024 BHSU has hit .176 while averaging 12.2 kills, 11.2 assists, 1.7 aces, 17.4 digs, and 1.6 blocks per set. On the other hand, their opponents have hit .207 while averaging 12.8 kills, 11.4 assists, 1.5 aces, 18.4 digs, and 1.6 blocks per set.
• Black Hills State currently ranks top-35 nationally in two statistical categories, ranking 24^th in attacks per set (38.57) and 32^nd in digs per set (17.37).
• Brooke Miller and Abigail Renner lead the Yellow Jacket attack, recording 142 and 129 kills respectively for averages of 3.46 and 2.80 kills per set. Renner has now posted 14 or more kills in four of the last six matches for BHSU. In the RMAC, Miller ranks sixth in kills per set and is tenth in total kills, while Renner is 14^th in total kills and 18^th in kills per set.
• The pair of Miller and Renner has also been active on the BHSU defense, totaling 140 and 131 digs respectively for averages of 3.41 and 2.85 digs per set. With those numbers Miller has notched six double-doubles while Renner has collected four this season.
• The duo of Sydnie Tuioti-Mariner and Elena Atkinson have paced the BHSU offense throughout the season, tallying 304 and 141 assists respectively with averages of 6.61 and 4.27 assists per set. Atkinson notched a new career-high of 26 assists in BHSU's most recent match against Adams State, as she has now reached 14 or more assists in four of the last five matches. Additionally, Tuioti-Mariner ranks seventh in the RMAC in total assists and is eighth in assists per set.
• Ellie Thomas leads the team with 207 digs (4.50 digs per set) and is tied for the most service aces at 16 (0.39 aces per set) through 12 matches this year. With 30 digs in the last match-up with Adams State she set a new season-high mark and has now posted 20 or more digs in five of the last seven matches. Among the league leaders, she ranks fifth in total digs, sixth in digs per set, and ninth in total aces.
• A trio of BHSU athletes have made their presence known at the net with Randi Wellhoefer recording 35.0 blocks (0.80 blocks per set), Jaeda Davis-Golliher notching 25.0 blocks (0.54 blocks per set), and Emily Freeland collecting 22.0 blocks (0.48 blocks per set). Wellhoefer has recorded four or more blocks in three of the Yellow Jackets last four matches.
• Bree Davis is in her third season as the head coach of the Yellow Jackets.

SOUTH DAKOTA MINES STORYLINES

• South Dakota Mines enters the RMAC Regional Pod match-up with a 7-6 (3-1 RMAC) record after falling on the road at Chadron State (3-2) on Tuesday night.
• In 2024 SDM has hit .204 while averaging 13.4 kills, 12.4 assists, 1.3 aces, 18.0 digs, and 1.7 blocks per set. On the other hand, their opponents have hit .201 while averaging 12.6 kills, 11.7 assists, 1.3 aces, 18.4 digs, and 2.4 blocks per set.
• The Hardrockers currently rank top-30 nationally in five statistical categories, ranking seventh in attacks per set (40.06), 17^th in digs per set (18.04), 21^st in total digs (902), 22^nd in total attacks (2,003), and 29^th in total kills (669).
• Alessandra Meoni and Jenna Curtis leads the Hardrocker attack, totaling 198 and 148 kills respectively with averages of 3.96 and 3.08 kills per set. Meoni has notched 20 or more kills in two of the last three matches for SDM, with both occurrences resulting in a double-double as well. Additionally, Meoni leads the RMAC in total kills and is second in kills per set.
• Kiley Metzger has paced the South Dakota Mines offense, dishing out 472 assists (9.44 assists per set) this year. With 60 in the Hardrockers last match-up against CSC, it was the second time this season she had reached the mark of 60 or more assists in a match. Metzger currently ranks third in the league in total assists and is fourth in assists per set.
• Hannah Benes is the player to watch at the service line for SDM as she has collected 25 aces (0.50 aces per set) during the 2024 season. She has tallied three or more aces in a match four times this year. Benes currently leads the RMAC in total service aces and is second in aces per set.
• As the libero, Benes is also the top defensive player on the team for South Dakota Mines, leading the Hardrockers with 235 digs (4.70 digs per set) this season. She has notched 20 or more digs in five matches this year. Benes currently leads the league in total digs and is third in digs per set.
• The trio to watch at the net for SDM is Kiera Walsh, Meoni, and Annelise Larson, as they have recorded 38.0, 33.0, and 32.0 total blocks respectively for averages of 0.84, 0.66, and 0.64 blocks per set. Walsh has recorded multiple blocks in nine matches this season, including four consecutive. Additionally, she ranks ninth in the conference in total blocks and is 12^th in blocks per set.
• Lauren Prochazka is in her seventh season as the head coach of the Hardrockers.

SERIES HISTORY

• Since the 2004 season, Black Hills State and South Dakota Mines have met 42 times on the court, with the Yellow Jackets holding a 30-12 advantage in the series.
• The Hardrockers won the most recent match-up on October 17, 2023, inside A2 Arena in Spearfish with a 3-1 victory. SDM won by set scores of 22-25, 25-18, 25-13, and 25-18.

CHADRON STATE STORYLINES

• Chadron State enters the RMAC Regional Pod match-up with a 3-10 (0-4 RMAC) record following a 3-2 victory over South Dakota Mines on Tuesday.
• In 2024 CSC has hit .146 while averaging 10.5 kills, 10.0 assists, 1.3 aces, 16.9 digs, and 1.6 blocks per set. On the other hand, their opponents have hit .248 while averaging 14.5 kills, 13.8 assists, 2.0 aces, 18.1 digs, and 1.9 blocks per set.
• Alejandra Briseno it the player to watch on the attack for the Eagles as she has tallied 111 kills on the season with an average of 2.58 kills per set. She has reached double-figure kills in six of the last eight matches, which included picking up her second double-double of the year in their most recent contest against SDM.
• There will be a pair of players who are pacing the Chadron State offense, including Kendyl Kirkwood and Rylee Ward who have recorded 204 and 106 assists respectively with averages of 4.86 and 2.94 assists per set. With 25 assists in the win over the Hardrockers, Kirkwood has notched 20 or more assists on four occasions this year. Additionally, she currently ranks 14^th in the RMAC in both total assists and assists per set.
• Leading the Eagles at the service line is Avery Lacy, who has tallied 15 aces during the 2024 season, averaging 0.34 aces per set. She has collected two or more aces during a match four times this year.
• The libero, Alondra Hernandez leads the Chadron State defense as she has notched 221 digs with an average of 5.02 digs per set. With 21 digs against South Dakota Mines, it marked the fifth time she has recorded 20 or more digs in a contest this year. Hernandez currently leads the league in digs per set and is third in total digs.
• The player to watch at the net for CSC is Aiyana Fujiyama, who has tallied 38.0 blocks for an average of 0.88 blocks per set this season. She recorded a season-high mark of 10 total blocks in Tuesday night's victory over the Hardrockers, one of nine matches this season she has notched multiple blocks in a game. Fujiyama currently ranks ninth in the RMAC in total blocks and is tenth in blocks per set.
• Jennifer Stadler is in her sixth season as the head coach of the Eagles. 

SERIES HISTORY

• Since the 2009 season, Black Hills State and Chadron State have met 30 times on the court, with the Eagles holding a 16-14 lead in the series.
• CSC won the last meeting between the teams on November 3, 2023, inside A2 Arena in Spearfish with a 3-0 victory. Chadron State won by set scores of 25-17, 25-21, and 25-6.