KEARNEY, Neb. – South Dakota Mines Volleyball competed but fell at the Rosella Meier UNK Fall Classic over the weekend.
Match 1: Hardrockers vs. Sioux Falls, 0-3 L
To open the weekend, South Dakota Mines fell in straight sets to Sioux Falls.
The Cougars were able to take an early four-point lead that they held the rest of the first set. The Hardrockers attempted a comeback but fell short as Sioux Falls won 25-20.
The Hardrockers went down early once again as Sioux Falls went up 12-6 in the second set. They rode that lead the rest of the set before winning it 25-18.
In the third set, South Dakota Mines made it close but ultimately lost 22-25. The Hardrockers picked up a 7-5 lead until the Cougards recorded five points in six attempts to go up 10-8. Both teams remained back-and-forth until a four-point Cougars run guided them to the end to win 25-22.
Morgan Daugherty led the Hardrocker offense with 12 kills and a .409 hitting percentage.
Lexi Glendenning tallied six kills and
Hannah Benes picked up 12 digs.
Match 2: Hardrockers vs. (RV) Missouri-St. Louis, 2-3 L
In their closest match of the weekend, South Dakota Mines fell 3-2 to (RV) Missouri-St. Louis.
The Hardrockers set the tone with a 25-19 set one win. They recorded six of the first seven points to take an early lead. The Tritons responded as they took a 16-13 lead. South Dakota Mines went on a seven-point run to take a 20-16 lead and win the set 25-19.
UMSL responded in the second and third sets with a 25-17 win and 27-25 win.
In set four, the Hardrockers forced a fifth set thanks to a 26-24 win. The Tritons went on a four-point run to take a 9-7 lead that turned into a 17-11 lead. However, South Dakota Mines picked up six points in seven attempts to make it a one-score set. Four straight kills made it 21-20 for the Hardrockers. They collected four of the last five points to win 26-24.
After South Dakota Mines went out to a 2-0 lead in the fifth, the Tritons went on a 10-1 run. That carried them to the end as they won 15-11.
Daugherty led the match with 22 kills. Glendenning recorded a double-double with her 21 kills and 15 digs. Benes was one dig shy of a career high with 31.
Hannah Joseph contributed 42 assists for the Hardrockers.
Match 3: Hardrockers vs. Adams State, 1-3 L
In a non-conference matchup against Adams State, the Hardrockers fell 1-3 to Adams State in their third match of the weekend.
The lone victory for South Dakota Mines came in the first set with a 25-21 win. With a four-point deficit, the Hardrockers put up 12 points in 15 attempts to go up 16-11. The Grizzlies responded with a five-point run of their own to tie the match 16-16. The Hardrockers eventually went up 23-19 and won the set 25-21.
The Grizzlies won the match with three straight set wins. They won set two 25-16, set three 25-22 and clinched the match with a 25-17 set four win.
Daugherty and Glendenning both led the match with 14 kills. Glendenning had another double-double with her 10 digs.
Joy Aburto had seven kills, while
Kiera Walsh tallied six in 10 attempts. Benes recorded 19 digs and Joseph collected 35 assists.
Match 4: Hardrockers vs. #8 Nebraska Kearney, 0-3 L
South Dakota Mines fell to #8 Nebraska Kearney to conclude the weekend in Kearney, Nebraska.
The Hardrockers fell in set one 25-19, followed by a 25-21 set two loss. In that second set, South Dakota Mines led 19-17, but the Lopers went on an 8-2 run to close the set. The Lopers won set three 25-14 to sweep the Hardrockers.
Glendenning led the team with her 10 kills. Aburto tallied nine kills with a .240 hitting percentage, while Walsh had six kills. Benes led the match with her 18 digs. Joseph led the team with 29 assists.
What's Next
South Dakota Mines will start RMAC play next weekend at Western Colorado on Sept. 19 at 6 p.m., followed by a contest at Fort Lewis on Sept. 20 at 6 p.m. They will return home on Sept. 26 to face CSU Pueblo at 6 p.m.
