CHADRON, NEB.- The Black Hills State Yellow Jackets (0-1) were very close to pulling off a major comeback on the Augustana Vikings (1-0). After dropping the first two sets 25-16 and 25-14, Black Hills State was able to rally and win the next two 25-22 and 25-19 to send it to a fifth set. The comeback stalled there as Augustana took the fifth set 15-10, but it was the first time since BHSU joined D2 that they went to five sets versus Augustana.
 
QUICK DETAILS
Score: Black Hills State 2, Augustana (SD) 3
Team Records: Black Hills State (0-1), Augustana (SD) (1-0)
Attendance: 100
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Yellow Jackets got on board first as Emily Freeland had her first of 20 kills to lead off the season and Elena Atkinson matched her right away to make it 2-0 BHSU in the first set. Augustana would bounce back and take an early 6-4 lead going on a 4-1 run thanks to a couple kills and two BH attack errors. The Vikings had a 7-6 lead before they added another four in a row to take a 11-6 lead in the first set. Back-to-back kills by Freeland would cut the lead back to 12-10, but that would be as close as the Jackets got in this set. The Vikings rattled off nine of the next 12 points to take a 21-13 lead and then six points later a BHSU service error would end the set and give Augie a 25-16 set win.
• Randi Wellhoefer led off the second set with a kill, but then Augustana won 11 of the next 13 points to take an 11-3 lead early in the second. BHSU did fight back and won nine of the next 12 to cut the lead to 14-12. However, a well-placed timeout, stopped the momentum and the Vikings proceeded to win nine points in a row and 11 of the next 13 to win the set 25-14. Freeland and Carsyn Mettler combined for seven of the Yellow Jackets eight kills that set.
• Just when it looked like this was going to be a quick match, BHSU struck back. After splitting the first eight points back-and-forth, the Yellow Jackets would win 11 of the next 16 points with two aces and four kills from three different players and a lot of attack errors from the Vikings which would give the Jackets a 13-9 lead. Augie pushed back and got the lead back to 17-16 with seven of those eight-point wins being kills. Wellhoefer, Jaeda Davis-Golliher, and Atkinson would have back-to-back-to-back kills to bring the game to 20-16 and two more Freeland kills would make it 22-18. However, Augie won three in a row and four of five points and it was 23-22 with the game in the balance. Mettler and Davis-Golliher would end the threat with two straight hammers and would send this match to a fourth set. It was the first set BHSU has won versus the Vikings since 2015.
• BHSU came out on fire in the fourth set winning nine of the first 13 points with two kills from Mettler and two more kills from Freeland. Both teams would go on a pair of 3-0 runs and BHSU would hold a 17-12 lead. Augie would go on a 3-1 run to cut the lead down to 18-15, but BHSU would match it with a 4-1 of their own to bring the score back to 22-16. They would trade points the rest of the set until an attack error by Augustana ended the set at 25-19 bringing it to a fifth set.
• Emily Freeland got the fifth set started with a kill before Augie went on a 8-2 run to lead 8-3 and grab a tight grip on the match. BHSU did match with three straight points to cut the lead to 8-6, but Augie wouldn't let BHSU get any closer than that, they traded points for pretty much the rest of the set and were able to take the final set 15-10 to avoid the reverse sweep.

 
BLACK HILLS STATE STATISTICAL LEADERS
Emily Freeland: 20 kills, 10 digs
Carsyn Mettler: 12 kills, 12 digs
Ellie Thomas: 5 aces, 12 digs
Elena Atkinson: 38 assists
 
UP NEXT
Black Hills State will head to day two of the Eagle Classic where they will play Saint Martin's at 11 AM and then will play UMary at 3 PM looking to get their first win of the season.
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