SPEARFISH, S.D.- Black Hills State University Women's Basketball coach
Kelly Kruger announced the signing of three new players to the 2026 class on Monday afternoon.
Olivia Kieffer (Rapid City, S.D.),
Greta Dillinger (Polk City, Iowa), and
Sophi Pinello (Castle Rock, Colo.) will all be joining the team for the 2026-27 season. They will also be joining fellow 2026 classmates
Jaisie Janssen (Crofton, Neb.) and
Blake Thompson (Mobridge, S.D.) on campus this year.
Olivia Kieffer // Guard // 5'10" // Rapid City, S.D. // Rapid City Christian H.S. // South Dakota
Kieffer is coming off a successful career at University of South Dakota, where she spent the first three years of her career. During her three years at USD, she played 92 games with two starts averaging 13.2 minutes per game. She shot 38 percent from the field, 31.6 percent from three, and 67.2 percent form the line, while averaging just under two rebounds per game, .7 assists per game, and 3.8 points per game. Her career high in points came in her sophomore season against Arizona State, where she had 16 points and went 4-7 from three. Against Northern Arizona, she had 15 points and went 5-6 from the field and 4-4 from three. She averaged a career-high 17.2 minutes per game that season and a career-high 4.9 points per game. During her college career, she appeared in five WNIT games with her best appearance coming in the third round versus Wyoming her freshman season, where she had six points on 2-for-4 from the field and 2-2 from three. She also had seven points versus UC Riverside in the first round that run. Prior to joining the Coyotes, she played five years for Joseph Kieffers, RCC team and was a first-team all-state selection once, she was named all-conference five times, and won the Spirit of Sioux award and was a South Dakota Miss Basketball nominee. She finished her career with 2,500 points, 751 rebounds, 413 assists, and 451 steals. She was the president of the National Honor Society and was on the student council. Kieffer is the daughter of Joseph and Elizabeth Kieffer and three siblings: Benson, Sullivan, and Finnegan. Her dad Joseph played basketball and baseball at Augustana. Her mom Elizabeth ran track and cross country at Augie, and her brother Benson is currently on the men's basketball team here at BH.
Coach Kruger's Thoughts: "We are very excited about Olivia. She brings a wealth of experience to the program playing at the University of South Dakota. I know that she can play at this level and be very successful. Olivia's got the ability to the put the basketball into the hole. We think she is a high-character gal and is going to be really good for us and can help build on our chemistry of our team. We think she is a great addition."
Greta Dillinger // Guard // 5'10" // Polk City, Iowa // North Polk H.S. // Augustana
Dillinger is entering BHSU as a sophomore after spending her freshman season in Sioux Falls at Augustana. Dillinger, a three-point shooter by trade shot 41.1 percent on 48 three point attempts last season for the Vikings. Dillinger appeared in 20 games and averaged just over ten minutes per game last season. She averaged 3.3 points per game and .5 rebounds per game. Dillinger had a career high of 12 points twice. She did so in her first appearance versus Nebraska-Kearney and then did so again versus North Central. She made four threes in each of those two games. For her prep career, she played at North Polk H.S. in Polk City, Iowa. She was a four-year starter for coach Clint Albertsen's squad and was a two-year captain. After only averaging just over two points per game in her first two seasons, she averaged 8.3 points per game on 35 percent from three as a junior and 7.3 points per game on 41 percent from three as a senior. She helped lead her team to two state runners-up finishes, three state tournaments, and three conference titles. In her senior tournament run versus Dallas Center-Grimes, she broke the 4A tournament record for three pointers in a game with seven. Off the court, she was in National Honors Society, National Spanish Honors Society, National Math Honors Society and made the honor roll all four years of high school. Dillinger is the daughter of Tosh and Crystal Dillinger and has one sibling: Gil. Tosh played basketball at Central College and her grandpa Rick played football at Upper Iowa and was inducted into the Hall of Fame there and also coached high school softball, where he acquired 1000 career wins and three state titles.
Coach Kruger's Thoughts, "I think Greta is going to be really good for us. I think the she has the ability to shoot the basketball. She holds some state records in Iowa as far as state tournament games and regular season three-point shooting. We think she's going to be a great addition for us and think she is a high-quality individual and she will be good for us on and off the floor."
Sophi Pinello // Guard // 5'5" // Castle Rock, Colo. // Castle View H.S.
Pinello is coming of a great four-year career at Castle View H.S. While she was there, she started two years and was a captain for two years. Pinello averaged 14 points per game and three steals in her junior year and 14 points and six assists per game in her senior year. She had a season high of 24 points in her senior year as well. She was third on the team in rebounds in both her junior and senior year and was named All-Conference in both of those two seasons. Outside of the gym, she was named Academic All-State two times in both Tennis and Basketball, was in the National Honor Society, the National Spanish Honor Society, and was the editor and chief of her school newspaper. Pinello is the daughter of Marci and Jim Pinello and has two siblings: Molli and Josh. Her dad Jim played football at BYU and Colorado State, her brother Josh played football at Minot State and her sister Molli wrestled at Sacred Heart.
Coach Kruger's Thoughts, "Sophi is going to be good for us. Sophi is a hard worker. She is really committed; she wants to be a player. I think she understands for her to make an impact on this team this year on the floor, she's going to really have to get at it and be really blue-collar; really kind of hard-nosed on both ends of the floor. She's a great kid, good student, a very dedicated young lady and we think she's going to be real good for us."
