RAPID CITY, S.D. --- The South Dakota School of Mines volleyball team is set for their first home weekend of RMAC play. The 'Rockers will face the New Mexico Highlands Cowgirls and the CSU Pueblo Thunderwolves.
On Friday night, the Hardrockers are slated to face the New Mexico Highlands Cowgirls from Las Vegas, New Mexico (1-9) in 7p.m. start. The Cowgirls are currently 0-2 in RMAC play. They have posted 276 kills on the season and are averaging .076 hitting percentage. The Cowgirls are led by outside hitter Keegan Lopez who has tallied 73 kills on the season.
On Saturday afternoon, the Hardrockers will face the CSU Pueblo Thunderwolves (3-7) at 1p.m. The Thunderwolves are 1-1 in RMAC play after two five-set matches to open RMAC play last weekend. They have posted 489 kills on the season on 1462 attempts, good for a .189 hitting percentage. Pueblo is led offensively by Brooke Schilling who has 98 kills on the season and is hitting .229 on the season.
The Hardrockers are 5-6 overall and are 1-1 in RMAC play. They have posted 551 kills on 1,664 attempts and are averaging a .186 hitting percentage. As a team, the Hardrockers are currently ranked fifth in the RMAC for both kills per set and digs per set.
There are several Hardrockers that are ranked in the Top 10 of several RMAC statistical categories.
Freshman libero
Anna Thomas is currently ranked first in the RMAC for digs per set, averaging 5.59 digs per set. After an impressive week of play, sophomore outside hitter
Dana Thomson moved from fifth to first last week in kills per set, as she is averaging 4.19 kills per set. Senior outside hitter
Caryn Hazard is ranked 10th in the RMAC in kills per set with 2.91. The Hardrockers are one of only two schools to have two players ranked in the Top 10 for kills per set.
Sophomore setter
Shyann Bastian is ranked eighth in assists per set, averaging 6.8, a statistic that has been on the rise for Bastian. Freshman middle blocker
Jacey Koethe is ranked eighth in the RMAC in blocks per set with 1 block per set.
Friday night's match versus New Mexico Highlands is professor appreciation night so the Hardrocker volleyball players will each honor a professor of their choosing prior to the match. Both matches will be held in the King Center on the campus of South Dakota School of Mines.
