BILLINGS, MONT. --- The South Dakota Mines volleyball team played on day one of the MSU Billing tournament taking on Bemidji State University and St. Marten's University. The Hardrockers split the day, beating Bemidji State, and falling to St. Marten's. 

South Dakota Mines controlled the match against Bemidji taking it in straight sets, 25-16, 25-19, and 25-16. The second match did not go as well, winning the first set before falling in the next three against St. Marten's.

Game 1 – Bemidji State
In the first set against Bemidji State, the Hardrockers got out to a 5-2 lead with a pair of kills by Dejah Behrend, before Bemidji State battled back, cutting the South Dakota Mines lead to 6-5. South Dakota mines would then run off four straight points, expanding the lead again leading to a Bemidji State timeout. The two teams would trade points up until the Hardrockers had a 16-15 lead. From that point on, the Hardrockers took over, scoring 9 of the last ten points with 5 coming on Kiley Metzger kills.

South Dakota Mines started the second set off slowly, going down 4-0 to start before battling back to an 11-10 deficit. The Hardrockers would go on to outscore Bemidji State 5-2 over the next stretch of play, leading to a Bemidji State timeout with the Hardrockers up 15-13. Another run, this time of 6-0 would give South Dakota Mines a 21-15 lead that would be too much for Bemidji State to come back from, taking the second set 25-19.

The third set started quickly once again for the Hardrockers, getting out to an 8-3 lead to force Bemidji State to call a timeout, with Emma Grimm key in this stretch. The Hardrockers would put together another string of good play, leading Bemidji State to use a timeout with South Dakota Mines leading 14-7. Bemidji State battled back to close the gap to 20-15 before the Hardrockers took over one final time scoring 4 straight points to help close the third set and the match with a score of 25-16

Game 2 – St. Marten's

The Hardrockers struggled out of the gates in the first set against St. Marten's going down 6-3 early, before fighting back. A pair of kills by Victoria Zagorski would even the set at 8. The two teams would go back and forth for the next couple of points, before a four-point surge from the Hardrockers, that included a block and kill from Lily Bartling. South Dakota Mines was able to keep that lead until a 3-point run for St. Marten's cut the Hardrocker lead to 18-17. The two teams would battle for the next few points until a timeout by Hardrocker coach Lauren Torvi Prochazka. With the score tied at 22, the Hardrocker would score the next 3 points to close the set 25-22.

The second set started similarly to the first for South Dakota Mines, as they were down 8-3 early, then made a run which was answered by St. Marten's. St Marten's held a 16-9 lead before the Hardrockers battled back to cut the deficit to 17-15, thanks to big plays from Grimm, and Sydney Crites. Down 21-16, the Hardrockers would battle back again, narrowing the gap to 21-20. St. Marten's would get to set point, leading 24-20, but South Dakota Mines would not go down quietly, scoring four straight points to tie it back up, then force it to go beyond 25, with neither team able to finish it out until St. Marten's took the set 29-27.

The Hardrockers would start the third set strong, leading 15-8 thanks in part to great play from AJ Harrell. St. Marten's would go on a run, however scoring 9 of the next 11 points, and go on to win the third set and take a 2-1 lead in the match.

South Dakota Mines, once again start the set strong in the fourth, scoring four unanswered points right off the bat, with Shayann Bastian playing a critical role. St. Marten's would come back to tie up, before the Hardrockers would expand the lead once more, to 7-4. The two teams would battle from there, and with the set tied at 10, St. Marten's control the next few minutes, getting out to an 18-13 lead, that would prove to be insurmountable for the Hardrockers, eventually falling 25-18 in the set, and 3-1 in the match.
The Hardrockers are back at it again tomorrow with two more matches.