BILLINGS, Mont. – The Black Hills State University volleyball program opened the season with a momentum building win on Friday afternoon, earning the program's first sweep since September 20, 2022, as the Yellow Jackets took down Minot State by set scores of 25-16, 25-22, and 25-22. The string of close sets then continued in BHSU's second match of the day, falling in a tight 3-1 battle against the hosts of Montana State Billings by set scores of 26-24, 25-23, 24-26, and 25-15. Among numerous players who had big performances in the first games of the year, Sydnie Tuioti-Mariner led the way with a pair of double-doubles, marking the first time since Brynn Eckhardt in 2015 that a Yellow Jacket posted back-to-back double-doubles to begin a season. Additionally, Brooke Miller stepped up with a double-double of her own against MSUB, notching career-highs in both kills and digs in the match.
 
QUICK DETAILS VS. MINOT STATE
Score: Black Hills State 3, Minot State 0
Team Records: Black Hills State 1-0, Minot State 0-2
Attendance: 199
 
HOW IT HAPPENED VS. MINOT STATE

• Minot State opened the first game of the day with an early 2-1 advantage in set one, before Black Hills State responded with a 9-2 scoring run which started with back-to-back attack errors by the Beavers and ended with a kill by Sydnie Tuioti-Mariner for a 10-4 lead. The teams then traded the next eight points, prior to Minot notching three straight points to get within three points (14-11) midway through the opening set. The Yellow Jackets, however, had an immediate response of three consecutive points of their own with kills by Emily Freeland, Randi Wellhoefer, and Abigail Renner setting the tone for the remainder of set one. An 11-5 advantage to end set one for BHSU gave the 1-0 match lead to the Green & Gold as a kill from Freeland secured set point for the 25-16 win.
• The Beavers once again earned the first point in set two, but Black Hills State answered with a 5-0 run with a trio of kills, a service ace by Ellie Thomas, and a Minot attack error. Unlike in the opening set, MSU provided a major response of their own to a BHSU rally, as an 8-2 scoring run gave them the lead back at 9-7. Kills from Miller and Jaeda Davis-Golliher off assists from Tuioti-Mariner evened the game at 11 apiece before the teams went back-and-forth midway through the frame. A 5-1 run from Minot State looked to give the Beavers the momentum they needed with 19-16 lead and hopes of closing out the set, but Black Hills State refused to go away as a kill from Wellhoefer provided a spark for six unanswered and a 9-3 rally to end the frame. An ace by Miller secured the second set point for the Yellow Jackets for the 2-0 match advantage.
• A kill and service ace by Miller gave Black Hills State the first points of set three. The Yellow Jackets then held a 4-2 advantage before an 11-6 run by Minot State gave the Beavers a 13-10 lead midway through the frame. A pair of errors by MSU then allowed for BHSU to seize the momentum with an 11-3 rally which gave the Yellow Jackets the lead for good. The Beavers made one final push late and got within one point (23-22), however a kill by Tuioti-Mariner and a block by Freeland and Davis-Golliher sealed the deal for Black Hills State's first sweep in two years as well as their first season-opening win in five years.
• The Yellow Jackets held the advantage in all six statistical categories, including points (60.0-43.0), kills (44-38), aces (12-2), blocks (4-3), assists (37-35), and digs (51-50). 

BLACK HILLS STATE STATISTICAL LEADERS VS. MINOT STATE
Sydnie Tuioti-Mariner: 32 assists, 10 digs, 5 kills, 3 aces
Emily Freeland: 10 kills (.375 attack percentage), 5 digs, 1 block
Ellie Thomas: 12 digs, 5 aces, 4 assists
Abigail Renner: 9 kills (.318 attack percentage), 8 digs, 1 assist, 1 ace
 
QUICK DETAILS VS. MONTANA STATE BILLINGS
Score: Black Hills State 1, Montana State Billings 3
Team Records: Black Hills State 1-1, Montana State Billings 2-0
Attendance: 298
 
HOW IT HAPPENED VS. MONTANA STATE BILLINGS

• Montana State Billings grabbed an early 5-1 lead in set one of the second game of the day, however back-to-back kills by Brooke Miller and Emily Freeland sparked a 6-1 scoring run for Black Hills State to take a 7-6 lead. The teams went back-and forth with two and three points at a time, leading up to a 12-12 tie midway through the frame. A 4-0 run with back-to-back blocks for BHSU gave the Yellow Jackets a 16-12 lead, but MSUB responded with an 8-2 rally to regain a 20-18 lead late in the frame. Starting with a service ace by Freeland to tie the set at 20, the teams proceeded to trade the next nine points before Montana State Billings edged out Black Hills State for a 26-24 set one victory.
• It was Black Hills State who jumped out to the early set two lead as three consecutive Montana State Billings errors gave the Yellow Jackets a 5-2 advantage. The Yellowjackets responded with an 8-2 scoring run, right before an answer from BHSU with an 8-3 rally of their own, capped by a service ace by Miller for a 15-13 lead. The major scoring runs continued in the second frame as MSUB posted a 6-1 run prior to Black Hills State responding with another 5-1 run for a 21-20 lead late in the set. Once again going down to the wire, it was MSU Billings who secured the set two win with a 5-2 rally for a 25-23 victory to go up 2-0 in the match.
• After Montana State Billings scored the opening point of set three, a pair of attacking errors and a service ace by Miller gave Black Hills State the early advantage which they would build up to as many as four points on multiple occasions. A 9-2 Yellowjacket scoring run put MSUB back in front with a 19-16 edge as they looked to complete the sweep, however BHSU wouldn't go away quietly as they closed the frame with a 10-5 advantage to win the set 26-24 on a block by Abigail Renner and Randi Wellhoefer.
• An up and down fourth set saw Black Hill State snag an early 4-3 advantage on a kill by Miller, but Montana State Billings responded with four unanswered to grab a 7-4 lead. BHSU then answered with an 8-3 rally that was sparked by Renner, but following a 12-10 lead by the Yellow Jackets midway through the frame, MSUB would pull away late with a 15-3 scoring run to earn a 25-15 set win and a 3-1 match victory.
• Montana State Billings held the edge in five statistical categories, including points (74.0-61.0), kills (58-44), aces (11-6), assists (47-42), and digs (86-84), while Black Hills State held the advantage in blocks (11-5). 

BLACK HILLS STATE STATISTICAL LEADERS VS. MONTANA STATE BILLINGS
Brooke Miller: 22 digs, 17 kills (.318 attack percentage), 2 aces, 1 block
Sydnie Tuioti-Mariner: 33 assists, 18 digs, 1 kill, 1 block
Ellie Thomas: 19 digs, 1 assist
Abigail Renner: 8 kills (.233 attack percentage), 8 digs, 4 blocks
 
UP NEXT
Black Hills State will return to Alterowitz Gymnasium in Billings, Montana, for the final two games of the Yellowjacket Invitational on Saturday as they face Minot State and Montana State Billings one more time to end the opening weekend of play. The Yellow Jackets and Beavers will be the first match of the day with first serve at 9 a.m., while the battle between BHSU and MSUB will end the invite with a 2 p.m. start time.
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