PUEBLO, Colo. – Colorado State University Pueblo volleyball returns home to Massari Arena this weekend as the ThunderWolves continue Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference play against South Dakota Mines and Black Hills State.
The Pack will open the weekend against South Dakota Mines on Friday, Sept. 18 before closing the weekend against Black Hills State on Saturday, Sept. 19.
CSU Pueblo enters the weekend 5-6 overall and 2-0 in RMAC play after opening conference action with a pair of road victories last weekend. The ThunderWolves swept Regis in three sets on Friday before battling past Chadron State in five sets on Saturday to complete an unbeaten opening weekend of league play.
Pack Among RMAC Unbeatens
The ThunderWolves enter the second weekend of conference play as one of five teams still unbeaten in RMAC action.
Colorado Mesa, South Dakota Mines, Colorado Christian, MSU Denver and CSU Pueblo all sit at 2-0 in conference play. Friday night's matchup will feature two of those unbeaten teams as the Pack welcomes South Dakota Mines to Massari Arena.
The RMAC also continues to receive national recognition in the AVCA rankings. MSU Denver is ranked No. 19 nationally, while Colorado Mesa and UCCS are both receiving votes.
Bruere Leading the Pack
CSU Pueblo is led by second-year head coach Jordan Bruere, a former ThunderWolf who returned to lead her alma mater prior to the 2025 season.
Bruere made an immediate impact in her first season leading the program, guiding CSU Pueblo to a 20-9 record and a perfect 10-0 mark inside Massari Arena. The ThunderWolves also earned a berth in the NCAA Tournament.
Following CSU Pueblo's 2-0 start to RMAC play this season, Bruere owns a 25-15 career record as the head coach of the ThunderWolves.
Pack Riding Momentum Into Home Weekend
CSU Pueblo will look to carry the momentum from its opening conference road trip back to Pueblo.
Senior Lilly Zwart has paced the ThunderWolves offensively through the opening 11 matches. Zwart leads the Pack with 128 kills and is averaging 2.84 kills per set while hitting .250.
Finja Schul has added another strong presence in the middle, recording 83 kills while hitting .287. Schul has also been one of CSU Pueblo's top defensive players at the net with 49 total blocks.
The Pack has been particularly effective at the net this season. CSU Pueblo has recorded 108.5 total blocks and is averaging 2.41 blocks per set, while opponents have totaled 77 blocks and are averaging just 1.71 per set.
Andi Nothdurft leads the ThunderWolves with 50 total blocks and 1.11 blocks per set, while Schul follows with 49. Zwart has added 35 blocks of her own.
Defensively, Chinaru Pao continues to anchor the back row. The senior has collected 185 digs and is averaging 4.11 digs per set through 11 matches. Pao also leads CSU Pueblo with 10 service aces.
Scouting South Dakota Mines
South Dakota Mines comes to Pueblo with an 8-2 overall record and a perfect 2-0 mark in RMAC play.
The Hardrockers opened conference action with a four-set victory over Western Colorado before sweeping Fort Lewis. South Dakota Mines has won three consecutive matches entering the weekend.
South Dakota Mines is led by eighth-year head coach Lauren Prochazka, who was named the 2024 RMAC Volleyball Coach of the Year.
Prochazka took over a Hardrocker program that had won just one match the season before her arrival and has developed South Dakota Mines into a consistent RMAC postseason contender. She owns a 121-121 career head coaching record and has led the Hardrockers to multiple RMAC Tournament appearances while producing the program's best Division II season.
South Dakota Mines has been one of the more efficient offensive teams CSU Pueblo has faced this season. The Hardrockers are hitting .258 as a team and averaging 13.89 kills per set while holding their opponents to a .163 hitting percentage and 12.11 kills per set.
Cate Warren leads South Dakota Mines with 120 kills and 3.43 kills per set while hitting .301. Lexi Glendenning follows with 114 kills and 3.17 kills per set while hitting .336.
Maria Bouman has also been a major factor for the Hardrockers, recording 74 kills while hitting .363. Bouman leads South Dakota Mines with 17 service aces and 39 total blocks.
South Dakota Mines has also been strong at the net, averaging 2.27 blocks per set while limiting opponents to just 1.05 blocks per set.
Scouting Black Hills State
Black Hills State enters the weekend with a 5-5 overall record and a 1-1 mark in RMAC play.
The Yellow Jackets opened conference play with a five-set victory over Fort Lewis before falling in straight sets to Western Colorado.
Black Hills State is led by first-year head coach Grayson DuBose, who brings extensive Division I coaching experience to the Yellow Jackets.
DuBose spent the previous three seasons at Eastern Washington, where he helped the Eagles post their best Big Sky Conference record since 2016 with an 8-8 league mark. He worked primarily with the middle blockers and helped Bri Gunderson earn First Team All-Big Sky honors after she was previously named Second Team All-Big Sky in 2023.
Prior to Eastern Washington, DuBose spent 14 seasons as the head coach at Utah State from 2006-19, making him the longest-tenured head coach in program history. He collected 187 victories with the Aggies and was named WAC Coach of the Year in 2007 and 2012.
DuBose led Utah State to its first NCAA Tournament appearance in 2010 after the Aggies captured their first WAC Championship and finished the season 24-9. During his tenure, Utah State produced 25 all-conference selections and 115 academic all-conference honorees.
On the court, Black Hills State is hitting .225 as a team while averaging 11.66 kills per set. The Yellow Jackets' opponents are hitting .249 and averaging 12.92 kills per set.
Zoie Husman leads the Yellow Jackets offensively with 108 kills and 2.84 kills per set. Carsyn Mettler follows with 105 kills and 2.76 kills per set while hitting a team-best .284 among Black Hills State's primary attackers.
Izzy Saiki has added 101 kills and is tied with Husman for the team lead with 13 service aces. Keira Thompson anchors the Black Hills State defense with 143 digs and 3.86 digs per set.
Home Sweet Home
After beginning RMAC play with two road victories, CSU Pueblo now returns to Massari Arena looking to remain unbeaten in conference action.
The Pack went a perfect 10-0 at home during Bruere's first season in 2025 and will now begin its first home RMAC weekend of the 2026 campaign against a South Dakota Mines squad that also enters the weekend 2-0 in league play.
Following Friday's matchup with the Hardrockers, CSU Pueblo will turn its attention to Black Hills State as the ThunderWolves look to continue their strong start to conference play.
