RAPID CITY, S.D. --- The South Dakota Mines volleyball team went to 5 sets, and was down in the 5th, and could not complete the comeback falling to New Mexico Highlands.

In the first set, New Mexico Highlands was able to get out to an early 3-1 lead. The Hardrockers would get things going, however, tying it up at 6. The momentum would continue to swing with the Cowgirls going up 13-8 leading to a Hardrocker timeout. The Hardrockers would battle back to cut the deficit to 15-14. The Hardrockers would score 5 straight leading to a New Mexico Highlands timeout with the Hardrockers leading 20-17 with Shyann Bastian getting back-to-back kills. The two teams would battle throughout the remainder of the set with the Hardrockers getting to set point at 24-22 before New Mexico Highlands would tie it up at 24. The Hardrockers would go on to win the set after a pair of kills by Dejah Berhend and an ace by Kiley Metzger.

To start the second set, the Hardrockers would get things going a little bit faster going up 3-0 early. New Mexico Highlands would come back and score the next three to even things up. The Hardrockers would bounce right back, scoring the next four points, taking a 7-3 lead. The Hardrockers would keep that lead until New Mexico Highlands scored 4 straight, tying the set at 12. The two teams would continue to battle back-and-forth after that with neither side able to gain too much ground until later in the set when the Cowgirls scored four in a row, to take a 21-18 lead, forcing a timeout by South Dakota Mines. New Mexico Highlands would continue their momentum, going up 23-18 and taking the second set 25-19.

The Cowgirls would start the third set with the momentum, taking a 3-0 lead, before the Hardrockers would score the next four after two kills by Bastian. The momentum would continue for South Dakota Mines, going up 8-4. The momentum would swing back to the Cowgirls later on in the set, taking a 15-13 lead. Later in the set, the Hardrockers would call a timeout down 19-16. The Hardrockers would call another timeout, down 23-19. South Dakota Mines would begin to build some momentum at that point, getting a kill from Bastian then a block by Lily Bartling cutting the deficit to 23-21 and leading to a Cowgirl timeout. Out of the timeout, a combo block by Koeth and Bastian would cut it to 23-22. With the set tied at 23, Anna Thomas delivered an ace leading to another New Mexico Highlands timeout at the set point. At 25-24, Jacey Koethe would get the set-winning kill.

Kiley Metzger would start the fourth set with an ace, helping to get the Hardrockers first two points. From there New Mexico Highlands would take over, taking a 9-5 lead, and would continue throughout the set, taking a 19-8 lead forcing another Hardrocker timeout. Out of the timeout, the Hardrockers would start to gain some momentum, getting the first two points. South Dakota Mines would fight, scoring three straight, but the deficit was too much. New Mexico Highland would send it to a 5^th set, winning it 25-16.

The Hardrockers would get off to a good start in the 5^th, leading 3-1 early. The two teams would battle back and forth throughout until New Mexico Highlands would gain some momentum, going up 8-6 leading to a timeout by the Hardrockers. Later, New Mexico Highlands would force another Hardrocker timeout with the Cowgirls leading 12-8. Out of the timeout, the Hardrockers would get a kill from Sydney Crites then a double block by Bastian and Behrend, forcing a Cowgirl timeout. The Hardrockers would score 3-in-a-row to tie it up at 13, forcing a New Mexico Highlands timeout. The two teams would then go back and forth before the Cowgirls got two straight points to win the set 16-14, and the match 3-2.

Looking Ahead
The Hardrockers head back to the road next weekend for their final road trip with RMAC playoffs in sight. On Friday night they take on CSU Pueblo at 7:00 before heading to Colorado Springs to take on the UCCS Mountain Lions for a 5:00 matchup on Saturday evening.

About South Dakota Mines
The South Dakota School of Mines & Technology is a member of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) and NCAA Division II offering 11 men's and women's varsity intercollegiate athletic programs. The Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference is a premier NCAA Division II conference with 15 members, as well as four associate members, located in the states of California, Colorado, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Utah.