SPEARFISH, S.D. – The Black Hills State University volleyball team fell in their 2024 season finale on Saturday afternoon as they dropped a 3-0 decision to Westminster in A2 Arena. The Griffins clinched their bid to the RMAC Tournament on the final day of the regular season by set scores of 25-21, 25-14, and 25-16. In a back-and-forth first set the Yellow Jackets held the edge in kills (14-13) but were unable to close out the frame to set the tone for the match.
 
QUICK DETAILS
Score: Black Hills State 0, Westminster 3
Team Records: Black Hills State 5-21 (1-13 RMAC), Westminster 11-14 (7-7 RMAC)
Attendance: 238
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Black Hills State opened set one strong as they took four of the first six points for an early lead (4-2) as Randi Wellhoefer sent down a pair of kills and Sydnie Tuioti-Mariner had one during the stretch. After some back-and-forth action, the Yellow Jackets took leads of as many as three points on several occasions, including after a kill by Wellhoefer at 11-8 and a kill by Emily Freeland at 14-11. Following Freeland's kill, however, the momentum began to shift as Westminster strung together a 7-2 run to take an 18-16 advantage. Three consecutive points by BHSU with kills by Abigail Renner, Carsyn Mettler, and Jaeda Davis-Golliher momentarily halted the run as the Green & Gold regained a 19-18 edge, but the Griffins ended the frame on another 7-2 run to earn a 25-21 set one win to take a 1-0 match lead.
• Following a 4-4 tie early in set two, Westminster had yet another 7-2 scoring run as they jumped out to an 11-6 advantage. A mini 4-1 run by Black Hills State midway through the frame saw kills by Davis-Golliher, Mettler, and Freeland, help the Yellow Jackets trim the deficit down to three points (15-12), however, the Griffins were able to close out the frame with a 10-2 run to earn a 25-14 set two victory and take a 2-0 match lead.
• The teams traded a pair of 4-2 runs to begin set three as they were tied 6-6 early on in the frame. Behind three service aces, Westminster strung together five consecutive points to take an 11-6 lead, however, Black Hills State had an answer with three straight points of their own on kills by Renner and Freeland, as well as a block by Freeland and Davis-Golliher to make it an 11-9 score. Throughout the majority of the midway portion of the set the margin teetered back-and-forth between two and three points in favor of WU, but the Griffins closed out the frame with an 8-1 scoring run to earn the 25-16 win and earn the 3-0 match victory.
• Westminster held the advantage in points (50.0-31.0), kills (36-27), aces (10-2), blocks (4-2), assists (33-24), and digs (76-65).

BLACK HILLS STATE STATISTICAL LEADERS
Randi Wellhoefer: 8 kills (.250 attack percentage), 2 digs
Sydnie Tuioti-Mariner: 21 assists, 11 digs, 1 kill
Ellie Thomas: 19 digs, 2 assists
Abigail Renner: 17 digs, 3 kills, 1 block
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