DENVER, Colo. --- The South Dakota Mines volleyball team played in their first RMAC playoff match Thursday afternoon in Denver against the Regis Rangers who were the #2 seed. The Hardrockers battled all match, but the Rangers would advance in the tournament with a 3-1 win. The loss ends the season for the Hardrockers with an 11-16 overall record.
How it Happened – In the first set, the Hardrockers got behind early 10-4 to the Rangers. After a Hardrocker timeout, South Dakota Mines scored the next two points to bring the score to 11-7. The Hardrockers could not bring the score closer than a five-point difference later on in the set. The Rangers would end up winning the set 25-20.
The Hardrockers came out swinging in the second set taking an early lead of 4-1 on Jacey Koethe's kill. Dejah Behrend gave the Hardrockers a 7-3 lead with a huge kill. The Hardrockers forced the Rangers to take a timeout leading 9-4. The Rangers would score three straight points and the score was 14-13 when the Hardrockers would take a timeout. The Rangers would tie the score 17-17 on a kill by Amelia Davis. The Hardrockers would take a 20-18 lead, but the Rangers came back to tie the set 20-20. The score would go back and forth late 22-22, 23-23, 24-24, 25-25. The Hardrockers would score the last two points to win the set 27-25.
Both teams would battle early on in the third set but the Rangers would grab an early 8-6 lead. The Hardrockers would stay close during the set trailing 16-14. The Hardrockers would keep fighting but the Rangers would answer leading 22-19. But the Rangers would take the third set 25-22.
The Hardrockers would fall behind early in the fourth set 5-1. The Hardrockers couldn't find their rhythm in the fourth set trailing the Rangers 11-2 halfway through the set. Behrend's play at the net brought the Hardrockers to within three 14-11 with the Rangers calling a timeout. The Rangers gathered their momentum after the timeout and took a lead of 21-14. The Hardrockers could not break the Rangers' momentum and the Regis Rangers would take set four 25-17 and the match 3-1.
Notes – Koethe would lead the Hardrockers at the net with 12 kills...Emma Grimm ended the day with 10 kills…Kiley Metzger had 33 assists...On the defensive side of the ball, four Hardrockers finished with double-digit digs…Anna Thomas led the way with 20, while Ava Braun finished with 13…Emma Grimm had 12, and Metzger ended the day with 10 for a double-double.
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 10 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.
