Billings, Mont. --- The South Dakota Mines volleyball team dropped their season opening matches today in Billings. The Hardrockers are playing in the Yellowjacket Invitational on the campus of Montana State University Billings. In the first match the Hardrockers lost 3-0 to St. Martin's University. In the second contest, the Hardrockers lost a heart breaker in 5 sets to Minnesota State University Moorhead.
MATCH 1
The Hardrockers were neck and neck with the first set but fell short 25-21. In the second set the Saints jumped out to an early lead and were able to push it to the finish line, winning 25-16. In the third set the Hardrockers were within striking distance the whole set until the Saints grabbed a five-point lead 23-18. After that, the Hardrockers rattled off four straight points to bring the score to 23-22. The Saints then scored the last two points to win the set and match 25-22.
Notes – In the match against St. Martin's,
Jacey Koethe led the Hardrockers with nine kills, while
Dejah Behrend had six…
Anna Thomas recorded 10 digs while also having four aces.
MATCH 2
The Dragons from MSU Moorhead jumped out to an early lead winning the first two sets 25-21 and 25-14. The Hardrockers won the third set 25-18 after
Jacey Koethe had four consecutive kills and the Hardrockers scored seven of the last nine points. In the fourth set, the Hardrockers carried that momentum over to win 25-18. The Hardrockers never could find the winning combination in the fifth set, and they lost the set 15-10.
Notes – Morgan Daugherty had 11 kills to pace the Hardrockers…Koethe had 9 and Behrend added eight and three blocks…
Kiley Metzger's 33 assists led the Hardrockers…Thomas had 14 digs.
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.
