GUNNISON, Colo. – The Black Hills State University volleyball team fell in the final match of the RMAC Power Pod on Saturday night to the hosts of Western Colorado, 3-0 in straight sets. The Mountaineers won the match by set scores of 25-11, 25-21, and 25-18, in Paul Wright Gym as they hit .304 in the game and strung together timely scoring runs to take control of each frame.
QUICK DETAILS
Score: Black Hills State 0, Western Colorado 3
Team Records: Black Hills State 5-17 (1-9 RMAC), Western Colorado 11-12 (7-4 RMAC)
Attendance: 336
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Western Colorado jumped out to a quick start in set one with an 11-2 scoring run before back-to-back kills by Abigail Renner and Carsyn Mettler momentarily halted the run. The Mountaineers then strung together a run, a 7-2 rally that pushed their lead to 18-6. The teams then began going back-and-forth till the end of the frame as WCU earned a 25-11 victory in set one to take a 1-0 match lead.
- A kill by Emily Freeland helped Black Hills State jump out to a 4-1 lead in set two before Western Colorado scored three unanswered points to even the score at four apiece. Another kill by Freeland sparked a 6-2 run for the Yellow Jackets to regain their lead as Jaeda Davis-Golliher made it a 10-6 advantage for BHSU. The Mountaineers once again scored four unanswered points to even the score at ten apiece, and the teams went back-and-forth which resulted in the score being tied on four more occasions before WCU eventually took the lead. Western Colorado ended the frame on a 14-8 scoring run to earn a 25-21 victory and take a 2-0 lead in the match.
- The teams went back-and-forth in the early stages of set three, which included a kill by Freeland giving Black Hills State a 4-3 lead, before Western Colorado used an 8-1 scoring run to take an 11-5 advantage. The Yellow Jackets fought their way back to within one point (14-13) on a kill by Kaitlin Carr as she capped an 8-3 scoring run. The Mountaineers maintained their lead as they used a 5-1 scoring run to push the margin back out to five points (19-14) before the teams traded the teams traded the next seven points. WCU ended the frame with three unanswered points to earn a 25-18 victory and win the match 3-0.
- Western Colorado held the advantage in points (56.0-34.0), kills (47-28), aces (3-1), blocks (6-5), assists (46-25), and digs (59-50).
BLACK HILLS STATE STATISTICAL LEADERS
Abigail Renner: 6 kills, 14 digs, 1 assist, 1 ace, 1 block
Kaitlin Carr: 5 kills, 5 digs, 3 blocks, 1 assist
Sydnie Tuioti-Mariner: 20 assists, 8 digs, 2 kills
Ellie Thomas: 11 digs, 2 assists
Zoie Husman: 10 digs, 1 kill
UP NEXT
Black Hills State remains on the road this upcoming weekend, starting with a visit to Chadron State on Friday, November 8. The Yellow Jackets and Eagles are slated for a 6 p.m. first serve in the Chicoine Center in Chadron, Nebraska.
