SPEARFISH, S.D. – As the regular season winds down to just two weekends remaining, the Black Hills State University volleyball team is set to make their final road trip of the year with matches at Chadron State and Colorado Christian. The Yellow Jackets will look to avenge an early season loss to the Eagles in a 6 p.m. match on Friday, November 8, in the Chicoine Center before making the trek west to Lakewood for a 5 p.m. first serve against the Cougars on Saturday, November 9, in the CCU Event Center.
 
MATCH DETAILS AT CHADRON STATE
Date & Time: Friday, November 8 at 6 p.m.
Location: Chadron, Neb. – Chicoine Center
 
MATCH DETAILS AT COLORADO CHRISTIAN
Date & Time: Saturday, November 9 at 5 p.m.
Location: Lakewood, Colo. – CCU Event Center
 
BLACK HILLS STATE STORYLINES

• Black Hills State enters the final road games of the season with a 5-17 (1-9 RMAC) record after falling to New Mexico Highlands (3-2) and Western Colorado in last weekend's RMAC Power Pod in Gunnison, Colorado.
• In 2024 BHSU has hit .171 while averaging 11.8 kills, 10.8 assists, 1.5 aces, 16.9 digs, and 1.6 blocks per set. On the other hand, their opponents have hit .227 while averaging 13.7 kills, 12.2 assists, 1.5 aces, 18.2 digs, and 1.7 blocks per set.
• The lone two seniors, Abigail Renner and Brooke Miller, have led the Yellow Jacket attack this season, recording 218 and 200 kills respectively for averages of 2.66 and 3.17 kills per set. Additionally, Jaeda Davis-Golliher, Emily Freeland, Carsyn Mettler, and Randi Wellhoefer have reached the 100 kill mark with 131, 130, 110, and 109 respectively. In the RMAC, Miller ranks 11^th in kills per set, while Davis Golliher is 14^th in hitting percentage (.273).
• The pair of Renner and Miller have also been active on the BHSU defense, totaling 242 and 211 digs respectively for averages of 2.95 and 3.35 digs per set. With those numbers Miller has notched nine double-doubles, including three 10+ kill and 20+ dig contests, while Renner has collected six this season.
• The duo of Sydnie Tuioti-Mariner and Elena Atkinson have paced the BHSU offense throughout the season, tallying 551 and 224 assists respectively with averages of 6.72 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 seven occasions, while Atkinson has reached double digits in 14 of the last 15 matches she appeared in. Atkinson reached the 20 assist mark once this year when she tallied a career-high of 26 against Adams State. Additionally, Tuioti-Mariner ranks seventh in the league in total assists and is eighth in assists per set.
• Ellie Thomas leads the team with 374 digs (4.56 digs per set) and 27 service aces (0.33 aces per set) through 22 matches this year. She set a new season-high mark of 31 digs against NMHU this past weekend and has also reached 20 or more digs in eight matches this season. Among the league leaders, she ranks fourth in total digs and fifth in digs per set.
• The player to watch at the net for the Yellow Jackets is Wellhoefer who has recorded 74.0 blocks (0.93 blocks per set). She has recorded a block in 11 of the last 12 matches and has posted 18 multi-block games this year. She ranks seventh in the RMAC in total blocks and is ninth in blocks per set.
• Bree Davis is in her third season as the head coach of the Yellow Jackets. 

CHADRON STATE STORYLINES

• Chadron State enters their final home matches of the year with a 4-18 (0-10 RMAC) record following a pair of losses to South Dakota Mines (3-1) and CSU Pueblo (3-0) in the RMAC Power Pod in Rapid City, South Dakota.
• In 2024 CSC has hit .156 while averaging 10.6 kills, 9.9 assists, 1.2 aces, 16.6 digs, and 1.7 blocks per set. On the other hand, their opponents have hit .246 while averaging 14.5 kills, 13.7 assists, 2.0 aces, 18.0 digs, and 1.7 blocks per set.
• Alejandra Briseno it the player to watch on the attack for the Eagles as she has tallied 179 kills on the season with an average of 2.52 kills per set. She has reached double-figure kills in four of the last six matches, which included picking up her second and third double-double of the year against Westminster and South Dakota Mines respectively.
• There will be a pair of players who are pacing the Chadron State offense, including Kendyl Kirkwood and Rylee Ward who have recorded 389 and 191 assists respectively with averages of 5.19 and 2.77 assists per set. Kirkwood has notched 20 or more assists on eight occasions this year, including a season-high of 40 against Westminster.
• The libero, Alondra Hernandez leads the Chadron State on defense and at the service line as she has notched 384 digs (4.92 digs per set) and 23 aces (0.29 aces per set. She had recorded 15 or more digs in each of the last four contests and has done so on 13 occasions during the year.
• The player to watch at the net for CSC is Aiyana Fujiyama, who has tallied 73.0 blocks for an average of 0.95 blocks per set this season. She recorded a block in 21 of the 22 matches played this year, including collecting four or more in ten games.
• 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 31 times on the court, with the Eagles holding a 17-14 lead in the series.
• CSC won the last meeting between the teams on October 4, 2024, inside A2 Arena in Spearfish with a 3-1 victory. Chadron State won by set scores of 25-19, 25-19, 21-25, and 25-13.

COLORADO CHRISTIAN STORYLINES

• Western Colorado enters their final three home games of the year with a 14-8 (6-4 RMAC) record following back-to-back sweeps over Colorado School of Mines and Westminster in the RMAC Power Pod in Denver.
• In 2024 CCU has hit .239 while averaging 14.1 kills, 13.1 assists, 1.6 aces, 16.6 digs, and 2.2 blocks per set. On the other hand, their opponents have hit .188 while averaging 12.4 kills, 11.4 assists, 1.2 aces, 15.6 digs, and 1.8 blocks per set.
• The pair of Abby Newell and Renee Phillips lead the Cougar attack tallying 224 and 202 kills respectively with averages of 3.34 and 2.66 kills per set. Newell has notched double digit kills in 12 match-ups this year.
• Pacing the Colorado Christian offense is Izzy Jones who has posted 831 assists this season, averaging 10.79 assists per set. With 35 and 33 assists against CSM and WU this past weekend, marking the 16^th and 17^th time this year she has recorded 30 or more assists in a match.
• At the libero position, Shelby Hernandez leads the Cougars with 370 digs (4.81 digs per set) and 21 service aces (0.27 aces per set) through 22 matches this year. She has collected 15 or more digs in eight of the last ten games for CCU.
• Lilly Wood is the player to watch at the net for Colorado Christian, recording a team-leading 87.0 blocks this year. She has posted a block in 20 of the 21 matches she has played in this season and has notched five or more in 11 contests.
• Bobby Blanken is in his eighth season as the head coach at Colorado Christian.

SERIES HISTORY

• Since the 2011 season Black Hills State and Colorado Christian have met 16 times as the Cougars have claimed a 13-3 lead in the series.
• CCU won the most recent meeting between the teams on November 4, 2023, inside A2 Arena in Spearfish as they earned set wins by scores of 26-24, 22-25, 25-22, and 25-16.