LAS VEGAS, N.M. & ALAMOSA, Colo. – South Dakota Mines Volleyball rebounded from last weekend with a 3-0 victory at New Mexico Highlands Friday, followed by a 3-2 reverse sweep on Saturday at Adams State.
Friday: South Dakota Mines 3, New Mexico Highlands 0
The Hardrockers dominated the Cowgirls, winning all three sets by five or more points.
In the first set, the Rockers topped New Mexico Highlands 25-17. An early 7-1 lead turned into a 17-8 advantage for the Hardrockers. An attack error would give South Dakota Mines the 25-17 victory.
South Dakota Mines went up 2-0 in the match after their 25-18 set two win. A 5-0 run following a 14-14 tie to go up 19-14.
Lexi Glendenning ended the set with a kill to give the Hardrockers a 2-0 lead.
The Rockers swept the Cowgirls following a 25-20 win in the third set. Once again with a 14-14 tie, South Dakota Mines recorded a 5-0 run to take a 19-14 lead. Glendenning ended the match with a kill to give the Rockers a 3-0 sweep.
Maria Bouman and
Cate Warren both had 12 kills for the Rockers. Bouman hit for .526, while Warren complied a .478 hitting percentage. Glendenning recorded a double-double with 12 digs and 10 kills, hitting for .318.
Defensively,
Campbell Sheffield put up 18 digs, while Bouman had three blocks.
Emily Henderson tallied 29 assists for the Hardrockers.
The Rockers hit for a season-best .345 with 52 kills and 12 errors. They also led the Cowgirls with 50 digs, 50 assists and six aces.
Saturday: South Dakota Mines 3, Adams State 2
In their second match of the weekend, South Dakota Mines pulled off a reverse sweep at Adams State, winning 3-2.
The Grizzlies won the first two sets 25-21 and 25-23 to go up 2-0 in the match. However, the Rockers answered and would dominate the next two sets to force a fifth set.
In the third, the Rockers won 25-18. The Hardrockers went on three different runs, including two 4-0 runs and a 3-0 run to go up 18-11. That carried them to a win as
Joy Aburto sealed it with a kill.
South Dakota Mines won the fourth set 25-18 to tie the match at 2-2. A 7-2 run midway through the set pushed it to a 21-15 advantage for the Rockers. Two kills and an ace from
Allison Nowak gave the Hardrockers a 25-18 victory to force a fifth set.
The Hardrockers downed the Grizzlies 15-7 in the fifth set. After Adams State went up 4-3, the Rockers picked up a 5-0 run. Following a kill and an attack error, Bouman recorded three straight aces to give the Rockers a 9-4 advantage. Another run, this time a 5-1 streak, gave the Hardrockers a 3-2 victory.
Bouman put up numbers on every front, totaling 13 kills, seven blocks and five aces. She also hit for .524 against the Grizzlies. Warren collected 14 kills and two blocks. Sheffield recorded 24 digs, while Henderson had 32 assists.
The Hardrockers hit for .271, highlighted by their .385 percentage in the fifth set. They put up 59 digs, 57 kills, 53 assists, 10 aces and nine blocks in the match.
With the wins, South Dakota Mines improved to 13-5 overall and 5-3 in the RMAC. They also improved to 5-1 on the road.
What's Next
South Dakota Mines returns home for a four-game homestand, starting with Regis on Oct. 16, followed by Chadron State on Oct. 17.
