ALAMOSA, Colo. – After winning the opening set of the night, the Black Hills State University volleyball team fell in a 5-set battle to Adams State in Plachy Hall on Saturday night. The Grizzlies won the match by set scores of 23-25, 25-12, 25-20 20-25, and 15-11, using timely scoring runs throughout the evening, including a crucial 8-2 run to shift the momentum their way in the final frame.
 
QUICK DETAILS
Score: Black Hills State 2, Adams State 3
Team Records: Black Hills State 4-8 (0-4 RMAC), Adams State 3-10 (1-3 RMAC)
Attendance: 350
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Behind kills by Randi Wellhoefer and Emily Freeland, Black Hills State jumped out to an early 5-3 advantage in set one. Adams State then posted a 5-1 scoring run that was followed by six unanswered by the Yellow Jackets to regain a 12-8 lead. A 7-3 run by ASU evened the frame at 15 apiece before the teams eventually went back-and-forth, leading up to BHSU taking four of the final five points, including a kill by Brooke Miller to clinch the 25-23 set one win to take a 1-0 lead in the match.
• Despite a pair of early kills in set two by Freeland which led to an early 2-2 tie, Adams State scored six unanswered to jump out to an 8-2 advantage. The Grizzlies scoring run extended to an 11-3 margin and a 13-5 lead before BHSU halted the momentum with back-to-back kills by Abigail Renner and Miller. ASU closed out the frame with a 9-2 run to earn a 25-12 victory in the set, evening the match at one set apiece.
• Set three began with three consecutive points by Black Hills State, which included a pair of blocks by Zoie Husman. Adams State then answered with a 6-2 run, followed by six unanswered points by the Yellow Jackets who regained an 11-6 lead. The scoring runs continued as a major 10-3 run by the Grizzlies gave Adams State a 16-14 lead. BHSU evened the set at 18 apiece with a kill by Jaeda Davis-Golliher, however ASU closed out the frame with a 7-2 run to win the set 25-20 and take a 2-1 lead in the match.
• Adams State carried their momentum into the opening stages of set four as they took the first three points of the frame before a service error, a Wellhoefer block, and a Freeland kill knotted the score at three apiece. Black Hills State extended the run to 11-3 as a block by Davis-Golliher made it an 11-6 Yellow Jacket advantage. The Grizzlies drew back within two points momentarily at 13-11, however the Green & Gold kept their composure as they rallied off another four unanswered points to push the lead back to six (17-11) before the teams traded the next eight points. Adams State made one final push with a 4-1 scoring run to claw back within three points (22-19), but Black Hills State closed out the frame with three of the last four points for a 25-20 win as Renner sent down the final kill to push the match to set five.
• The teams traded the first five points of set five before back-to-back kills by Renner and Wellhoefer gave Black Hills State the early 4-3 advantage. The momentum shifted however, when Adams State went on an 8-2 scoring run to take an 11-6 lead. A kill and block by Davis-Golliher sparked one final push for the Yellow Jackets as they drew within three points on a 5-3 run, however the Grizzlies closed out the 15-11 win and the 5-set victory.
• Adams State held the advantage in points (76.0-65.0), kills (64-53), aces (5-2), assists (59-48), and digs (82-75), while Black Hills State held the edge in blocks (10-7).

BLACK HILLS STATE STATISTICAL LEADERS
Abigail Renner: 14 kills (.382 attack percentage), 16 digs, 2 blocks
Emily Freeland: 10 kills (.200 attack percentage), 2 digs, 1 block
Ellie Thomas: 30 digs, 2 assists, 1 ace
Elena Atkinson: 26 assists, 3 digs
Sydnie Tuioti-Mariner: 19 assists, 11 digs
 
UP NEXT
Black Hills State will return to Spearfish for the first match of a 4-game homestand, hosting South Dakota Mines in a RMAC Regional Pod contest on Thursday, October 3. The Yellow Jackets and Hardrockers are slated for a 6 p.m. first serve inside A2 Arena and the Donald E. Young Center.
  Read Full Article