PUEBLO, Colo. – Colorado State University Pueblo volleyball will once again hit the road this weekend as they travel to South Dakota for back-to-back Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference matches against Black Hills State and South Dakota School of Mines.
 
The road trip will begin on Friday, Sept. 22 in Spearfish, S.D., with a 6 p.m. RMAC match against Black Hills State, before traveling to Rapid City, S.D., for a 3 p.m. match on Saturday, Sept. 23 against South Dakota School of Mines. The matches are the third and fourth RMAC matches for the season for the ThunderWolves.
 
CSU Pueblo enters this weekend's matches having won two consecutive matches to push its record to 3-7 overall and 2-0 in the RMAC after opening league play with back-to-back three set sweeps last Friday at New Mexico Highlands and this past Tuesday at home against Adams State in the Pack's first home match of the year.
 
In the Preseason RMAC Coaches' Poll, the Pack were tabbed to finish fifth as they received 147 points in voting by the league's 15 head coaches. Last season, CSU Pueblo went 19-9 overall and 12-6 in the RMAC and advanced to the NCAA South Regional Tournament for the second consecutive season.
 
Friday's match-up with Black Hills State marks the 14th all-time meeting in the series with the Pack holding a 9-4 edge in the series, while Saturday's match at South Dakota Mines marks the 11th all-time meeting with the Pack holding a 9-1 record. Last season, the Pack went 2-0 against BHSU as they won both matches in three-set sweeps and lost in three sets in the only meeting against South Dakota Mines.
 
ABOUT THE THUNDERWOLVES
CSU Pueblo has been paced in the early going this season offensively by redshirt sophomore outside hitter Payton Van Veen (Springfield, Mo./Washburn University) and sophomore outside hitter Sadie Scoville (Pleasant Grove, Utah/Pleasant Grove). Van Veen leads the team in kills (121), kills per set (3.27), blocks (22) and is second in hitting percentage at .288, while Scoville has recorded 102 kills and is averaging 2.76 kills and 2.70 digs per set and has had 14 aces and 14 blocks. Van Veen has recorded seven straight double-digit kill matches, including tallying 10 kills and hitting .625 last time out against Adams State, while Scoville has had four double-doubles and six double-digit kill matches.
 
One other Pack player has recorded over 75 kills this season as sophomore outside hitter Kendall Harrington (San Antonio, Texas/Tom C. Clark) has had 79 kills, is averaging 2.47 kills per set and is hitting .291 on the year.

The Pack offense is directed by senior setter Grace Jansen (Sandy, Utah/Jordan) and junior setter Sabrina King (Parker, Colo./Lutheran). Jansen is averaging 5.16 assists, 1.68 digs and is tied for team lead in aces with 16, while King is averaging 5.08 assists and 1.38 digs per set and is tied for first in aces with 16 and has had two double-doubles.
 
Six Pack players have recorded 10 or more blocks on the season as Van Veen leads the way with 22, while redshirt sophomore middle blocker Golden Finch (Albuquerque, N.M./Cal State Bakersfield) and junior middle blocker Josey Nunn (Kingwood, Texas/Porter) have each recorded 21 blocks are averaging 0.88 and 0.57 blocks per set respectively. As a team, the Pack have recorded 64.5 blocks and are third in the RMAC in blocks per set at 1.74.
 
As a team, CSU Pueblo has recorded 469 kills, 491 digs, 72 aces and is hitting .233 on the year. The Pack are also averaging 11.54 assists per set and their opponents are hitting .245 on the year.
 
ABOUT BLACK HILLS STATE
The Yellow Jackets come into Friday's match with CSU Pueblo sporting a 4-6 overall record and an 0-2 mark in the RMAC after opening league play last weekend with a 3-1 loss at UCCS and a 3-0 loss at No. 16 Regis. In fact, BHSU has lost four straight matches since opening the season winning four of its first six matches.
 
Leading the way offensively for the 'Jackets this season is outside hitter Abigail Renner, who is 10th in the RMAC in kills with 125 and is averaging 3.13 per set and she is also in the Top 10 in the league in points with 142 and is averaging 3.55 points per set. In addition to Renner, outside hitter/right side hitter Audrey Brgoch is next on the team in kills with 115 and is averaging 2.88 kill per set and is hitting a team-best .188, while as third 'Jacket player, outside hitter Emily Freeland has had 105 kills and is averaging 2.63 kills per set and has had 13 blocks and 10 aces.
 
Setter Hannah Lemon is sixth in the league in aces with 18 and is eighth in the league in assists with 363 and is averaging 9.08 per set.
 
Defensively, BHSU is paced by the play of libero Haedyn Rhoades, who leads the league in digs with 218 and is averaging 5.45 digs per set. She ranks in the Top 10 nationally in total digs and Top 20 nationally in digs per set. Additionally, middle blocker Randi Wellhoefer is averaging a team-best 0.78 blocks per set as she has recorded 31, including 12 solo blocks.
 
As a team, the 'Jackets are hitting .149 as a team and have recorded 446 kills, 591 digs, 403 assists, 68 aces and 57 blocks. BHSU's opponents are hitting .216 on the season.
 
BHSU is coached by Bree Davis, who is in her second season directing the 'Jackets volleyball program and has compiled a 9-27 record.
 
In the Preseason RMAC Coaches' Poll, the 'Jackets were tabbed to finish 14th as they earned 39 points.
 
ABOUT SOUTH DAKOTA MINES
The Hardrockers, who host Adams State on Friday before facing the Pack on Saturday, come into this weekend's action sporting a 6-4 overall record and an 0-2 record in the RMAC after opening league play with back-to-back three set losses last weekend at UCCS and No. 16 Regis. Prior to last weekend's two losses, the Hardrockers opened the season with a 6-2 record with five of their six wins coming in straight sets.
 
Leading the way offensively for South Dakota Mines is opposite side hitter Alessandra Meoni, who is sixth in the league in kills (116), third in kills per set (3.52) and ninth in hitting percentage (.325). In addition, the Western Nebraska Community College transfer has also had 17 blocks and has recorded 124.5 points. In addition to Meoni, outside hitter Paisley Gibson has had 82 kills and is averaging 2.56 kills per set and 1.94 digs per set.
 
Libero Hannah Benes leads the RMAC in aces with 25 and is second in the league in aces per set as she averages 0.76 per set and is also second in the league in digs (169) and digs per set (5.12). Three other Hardrockers have recorded double-digit aces on the year.
 
The setter position is manned by Kiley Metzger as she is averaging 9.12 assists per set and is also averaging 2.24 digs per set and has had eight aces.
 
Middle blocker Kiera Walsh leads the team in blocks with 27 as she is averaging 0.84 blocks per set, while middle blocker Annelise Larson is sixth in the league in blocks per set as she is averaging 0.92 per set and has also had 41 kills and is hitting .236 on the year.
 
As a team, the Hardrockers lead the RMAC in digs with 582 and are averaging 17.64 digs per set and are third in opponents hitting percentage at .171. In addition, South Dakota Mines has recorded 437 kills, 393 assists, 60 blocks and 83 aces. The 83 aces are tops in the RMAC.
 
South Dakota Mines is coached by Lauren Torvi Prochazka, who is in her sixth season as the Hardrockers coach. She has compiled a 49-83 record with the Hardrockers and is 91-106 in his eighth season as a collegiate head coach after spending two seasons at Minnesota-Morris from 2016-18.
 
In the Preseason RMAC Coaches' Poll, South Dakota Mines was tabbed to finish eighth as they earned 100 points from the league's head coaches.
 
UP NEXT FOR PACK
Following this weekend's matches in South Dakota, the Pack will remain on the road next weekend (Sept. 29-30) with non-conference matches against RMAC foes UCCS and No. 16 ranked Regis in Denver, Colo. The Pack will face UCCS on Friday, Sept. 29 at 5 p.m. and then face Regis on Saturday, Sept. 30 at 3 p.m.