SPEARFISH, S.D. – The Black Hills State University volleyball team will play their final two non-conference matches of the year as they are set to participate in the RMAC Power Pod and will face off against New Mexico Highlands and Western Colorado on Friday, November 1, and Saturday, November 2, respectively. The Yellow Jackets will match-up with the Cowgirls in a 1 p.m. match while the contest against the Mountaineers will be a 6 p.m. first serve in Paul Wright Gym in Gunnison, Colorado.
 
MATCH DETAILS VS. NEW MEXICO HIGHLANDS
Date & Time: Friday, November 1 at 1 p.m.
Location: Gunnison, Colo. – Paul Wright Gym
 
MATCH DETAILS AT WESTERN COLORADO
Date & Time: Saturday, November 2 at 6 p.m.
Location: Gunnison, Colo. – Paul Wright Gym
 
BLACK HILLS STATE STORYLINES

• Black Hills State enters the weekend's RMAC Power Pod with a 5-15 (1-9 RMAC) record after defeating New Mexico Highlands (3-1) at home on Saturday afternoon.
• In 2024 BHSU has hit .174 while averaging 11.9 kills, 10.9 assists, 1.6 aces, 16.9 digs, and 1.6 blocks per set. On the other hand, their opponents have hit .226 while averaging 13.8 kills, 12.1 assists, 1.6 aces, 18.3 digs, and 1.6 blocks per set.
• The lone two seniors, Brooke Miller and Abigail Renner, have led the Yellow Jacket attack this season, recording 200 and 198 kills respectively for averages of 3.17 and 2.68 kills per set. Additionally, Emily Freeland and Jaeda Davis-Golliher makes it four players who have reached triple digits in the stat category with 121 and 116 kills respectively, averaging 1.70 and 1.57 kills per set. In the RMAC, Miller ranks 11^th in kills per set.
• The pair of Miller and Renner have also been active on the BHSU defense, totaling 211 and 210 digs respectively for averages of 3.35 and 2.84 digs per set. With those numbers Miller has notched nine double-doubles, including three 10+ kill and 20+ dig contests, while Renner has collected five this season.
• The duo of Sydnie Tuioti-Mariner and Elena Atkinson have paced the BHSU offense throughout the season, tallying 483 and 224 assists respectively with averages of 6.53 and 4.23 assists per set. Tuioti-Mariner has reached double digit assists in all 20 matches this year, including notching 30 or more on six occasions, while Atkinson has reached double digits in 14 of the last 15 matches and reached the mark of 20 or more once when she tallied a career-high with 26 against Adams State. Additionally, Tuioti-Mariner ranks eighth in the RMAC in both assists and assists per set.
• Ellie Thomas leads the team with 332 digs (4.49 digs per set) and 27 service aces (0.36 aces per set) through 20 matches this year. She set a new season-high mark of 30 digs against Adams State and has also reached 20 or more digs in seven matches this season. Among the league leaders, she ranks sixth in total digs, digs per set, and service aces, and eighth in aces per set.
• The player to watch at the net for the Yellow Jackets is Randi Wellhoefer who has recorded 65.0 blocks (0.90 blocks per set). She has recorded a block in nine of the last ten matches and has posted 16 multi-block games this year. She ranks ninth in the RMAC in blocks per set and is 12^th in total blocks in the league.
• Bree Davis is in her third season as the head coach of the Yellow Jackets.

NEW MEXICO HIGHLANDS STORYLINES

• New Mexico Highlands enters the non-conference match-up with a 4-17 (2-8 RMAC) record after dropping a 3-0 decision at Western Colorado in the first game of the RMAC Power Pod.
• In 2024 NMHU has hit .119 while averaging 9.4 kills, 8.7 assists, 0.9 aces, 14.1 digs, and 1.6 blocks per set. On the other hand, their opponents have hit .237 while averaging 13.6 kills, 12.4 assists, 1.6 aces, 17.5 digs, and 1.7 blocks per set.
• Leading the Cowgirl attack is Angelina Burton with 176 kills, averaging 2.32 kills per set, while Jaylee Gonzales and Meg Pfannerstill have each added 171 and 131 kills respectively with averages of 2.31 and 1.72 kills per set. Burton has tallied double digit kills in eight contests, including a pair of 16-kill performances against Adams State and Western New Mexico.
• Abby Carlsen has paced the New Mexico Highlands offense, recording 454 assists while averaging 6.05 assists per set. She has notched double digit assists in 11 consecutive matches, including 20 or more assists in each of the last eight outings. Carlsen is also the player to watch at the service line with 14 aces on the year, averaging 0.19 aces per set.
• Leading the Cowgirl defense is Pfannerstill, who has tallied 181 digs (2.38 digs per set), while Carlsen, Gonzales, and Olivia Archuleta have each added 176, 168, and 159 digs respectively with averages of 2.35, 2.27, and 2.74 digs per set respectively. Carlsen enters the match with double digit dig performances in three of the last five outings.
• The player to watch at the net for NMHU is Jada Lawson who has posted 64.0 blocks with an average of 0.84 blocks per set. She has recorded a block in 13 of the last 14 matches, which includes 11 multi-block games.
• Meg Grose is in her first season as the head coach of the Cowgirls.

SERIES HISTORY

• Friday will mark the 13^th meeting between Black Hills State and New Mexico Highlands as RMAC opponents, with the Yellow Jackets holding the all-time series lead 8-4.
• The Yellow Jackets snapped a 2-game losing streak to the Cowgirls with a 3-1 victory in A2 Arena in Spearfish on Saturday, October 26, as BHSU won by set scores of 25-18, 25-21, 24-26, and 25-23 on Senior Day.

WESTERN COLORADO STORYLINES

• Western Colorado enters Saturday's non-conference match-up with a 10-12 (6-4 RMAC) record following a home win over New Mexico Highlands (3-0) in the first contest of the RMAC Power Pod. The Mountaineers have won six of their last seven matches entering the match.
• In 2024 WCU has hit .199 while averaging 12.7 kills, 11.6 assists, 1.4 aces, 16.4 digs, and 1.5 blocks per set. On the other hand, their opponents have hit .206 while averaging 12.7 kills, 11.6 assists, 1.5 aces, 16.3 digs, and 2.5 blocks per set.
• Seyun Park leads the Mountaineer attack as she has totaled 250 kills with an average of 3.13 kills per set this year. She has recorded double digit kills in 11 games this year, including six of the last eight contests.
• Pacing the Western Colorado offense has been Nur Turkmenoglu, who has collected 832 assists with an average of 9.79 assists per set. In 17 matches this year she has recorded 30 or more assists, including 14 of the last 16 contests. Additionally, she leads WCU with 27 services aces and an average of 0.32 aces per set.
• At the libero position, Chinaru Inoue leads the Mountaineers with 383 digs and an average of 4.51 digs per set. She has notched 20 or more digs in seven matches this year, including a season-high of 36 against Southwest Baptist.
• Kyra Kidd and Kennedy Kelly are the players to watch at the net for Western, tallying 66.0 and 46.0 blocks respectively with 0.78 and 0.56 blocks per set. The pair has both recorded a block in 21 of the 22 matches this year. Kidd has collected multiple blocks in 15 of the last 17 matches.
• Jordan Bruere is in her second season as the head coach of the Mountaineers.

SERIES HISTORY

• Saturday will mark the 15^th all-time meeting between Black Hills State and Western Colorado as RMAC opponents, with the teams even at 7-7 in the series.
• With a 3-1 win by set scores of 25-16, 21-25, 25-13, and 25-18, in Spearfish on October 12, 2024, the Mountaineers won their third consecutive match in the series over the Yellow Jackets and has now won five of the last six meetings since 2020.