Now entering her ninth year at the helm of South Dakota Mines Volleyball, Head Coach Lauren Prochazka continues to push the Hardrockers towards something bigger.

"We want to be a championship level program," Prochazka said. "We have a lot of aspirations to do everything at a high level. We'd like to be a top team where people must fight to beat us every year. We want to be a regional stakeholder."

The Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC)—one of the premier conferences in the nation—means that standard is within reach. With MSU Denver capturing the national championship this past season, the path has been proven.

For Prochazka, the next step is clear.  

"Our goal is to be a fully funded program so that we can compete with any university in the country to go and get great talent," Prochazka said. "We have lost a lot of battles because we don't have the scholarships that other institutions have. If we want to be in the conversation of teams of that caliber, we must be fully funded."

The Hardrockers are coming off a season where they narrowly missed the RMAC Tournament, but the progress was evident—especially in key moments late in the year.

One of those moments came on Nov. 8 at Colorado School of Mines.

"Our highest level of play came in that match," Prochazka said. "We had the understanding as an entire group that it was something that had to be done. The most enjoyable part of it was that every single person jumped on board with the mission."

The Hardrockers delivered, defeating the Orediggers 3-2, capped by a 16-14 win in the final set. Just three days later, the Rockers followed it up with a fifth consecutive win over Black Hills State—another sign of the program's growth.

Moments like that are what Prochazka believes can become the standard—with the right support.

Scholarships play a critical role in that development, helping student-athletes succeed both on the court and in the classroom while easing the financial burden that comes with pursuing a degree.  

"The gift of scholarships takes a huge weight off our student-athletes from life to school and to volleyball," Prochazka said. "The negative assumption in college sports is that these student-athletes get it all and have it all. It is such a facade, especially at this level. They work and fundraise for gear and travel. To have people that will gift their scholarships to them, and that's a part of their journey that they don't have to stress out as much about, that's a huge gift."

That support also plays a major role in recruiting, where South Dakota Mines competes against programs with established resources.

"Scholarships help us, first and foremost, recruit some fantastic student-athletes," Prochazka said. "It's not always the determining factor, but it is a factor that allows us to recruit solid people because we are competing against institutions that do things at a much higher level than us in a lot of ways. Scholarships are always going to help us elevate our level of play."

The Rise of the Rockers Scholarship Campaign directly impacts Hardrocker student-athletes. With continued support, the experience—and the success—of South Dakota Mines Athletics will only continue to grow. Consider making an impact by clicking the image below, or the "Rise of the Rockers" tab at GoRockers.com.