FIRST SERVE
The South Dakota Coyotes (7-7, 4-1) host Western Illinois (3-14, 2-4) in a Saturday morning 10:30 a.m. match inside the Sanford Coyote Sports Center.
THE COYOTES
The Coyotes are paced by junior outside hitter
Elizabeth Juhnke at 3.51 kills per set and 3.09 digs per set. The returning first-team All-Summit League performer is up to 3.89 kills per set and 3.42 digs per set in league play. Juhnke has reached double figures in kills in all 14 matches and has registered eight double-doubles on the season.
Sami Slaughter, a fifth-year senior, is averaging 2.60 kills per set while junior
Madison Harms is right behind at 2.50.
Aimee Adams, a junior, and
Maddie Wiedenfeld, a senior, chip in 1.87 and 1.60 kills per set, respectively for the South Dakota offense.
The offense is directed by senior setter
Madison Jurgens, who ranks third overall in Summit League at 10.09 assists per set. She ranks second in league play at 11.63 assists per set.
The Coyotes boast a .328 team hitting percentage in the five Summit League matches, tops in conference play, while its 14.00 kills per set average in league play ranks third.
Defensively, senior libero
Lolo Weideman ranks third in the Summit League at 4.47 digs per set.
Harms averages 1.26 blocks per set, tops in the league, and Wiedenfeld 0.81 for a team that ranks second to Denver in Summit League in blocks per set at 2.40.
LAST TIME OUT
Juhnke had 14 kills and hit .579, Adams eight, Wiedenfeld seven and Slaughter seven in a sweep over St. Thomas at the Sanford Pentagon. Jurgens contributed a three-set season-high of 39 assists.
Lolo Weideman had six of the Coyotes' season-high 12 service aces in the match. The victory was career win No. 150 for coach
Leanne Williamson.
CAREER MARKS
Madison Jurgens became just the third Coyote ever to reach 4,000 career assists during Thursday's win over St. Thomas.
Madison Harms became just the seventh Coyote to reach 300 career blocks against St. Thomas.
WESTERN ILLINOIS
Kennedy Davis, a 6-1 sophomore, leads the offense at 2.63 kills per set while Peyton Bowman, a 6-1 senior, adds 2.24. Maggie Craker directs the offensive attack and averages 6.71 assists per set. Karli Wenzel averages 3.00 digs per set while Erika Moore is at 2.87. Wenzel, who averages five digs per set in league play, has recorded 20 or more digs in four of six league matches. Head coach Ben Staupe is in his fourth season after spending the previous eight at Wisconsin-Whitewater.
LAST TIME OUT
Brittany Wulf had a career-high 14 kills in a four-set setback at South Dakota State for the Leathernecks. Kennedy Davis had 11 kills and Emma Norris 10 in the loss. Maggie Craker had 40 assists and 11 digs while Karli Wenzel led the defense with 17 digs, one of five to reach double figures in digs in the loss.
THE SERIES
The Coyotes have won the last 11 meetings and own a 18-3 advantage in the Division I era.
UP NEXT
The Coyotes will return to the Sanford Coyote Sports Center on Monday with a 7 p.m. first serve against North Dakota.
