FIRST SERVE
The South Dakota Coyotes (14-8, 11-2) are on the road to close out a two-match road swing with Saturday's 3 p.m. match at St. Thomas (3-21, 2-12)

THE COYOTES
South Dakota sits tied with Denver for second place in the Summit League, one game behind Omaha, with three weeks remaining in the regular season.
Elizabeth Juhnke, who has reached double figures in kills in all but one match, leads the offensive attack at 3.74 kills per set. The junior averages 4.04 kills per set in league play while her 202 total kills in league play are most in the Summit.
Senior Sami Slaughter averages 2.51 kills per set while junior Madison Harms contributes 2.51 kills per set for a team that is averaging 13.00 kills per set while posting a .248 attack percentage in all matches.
Aimee Adams, a junior, adds 2.00 kills per set and senior Maddie Wiedenfeld 1.69 for an offense directed by senior setter Madison Jurgens who is at 10.25 assists per set. 
South Dakota leads the Summit League in blocks per set (2.38) as Harms, who leads the Summit League in solo blocks with 20, is second in the Summit at 1.30 blocks per set. 
Harms also ranks second in the Summit League in hitting percentage at .398 while Wiedenfeld is sixth in the league at .317. 
Defensively, senior libero Lolo Weideman leads the Summit League, averaging 4.62 digs per set while Juhnke is at 2.94 and Jurgens 2.01. 

LAST TIME OUT
South Dakota swept a gritty and scrappy Western Illinois team using a season-high for a three-set match of 57 kills while hitting over .300 for the fourth straight match in this current four-match win streak.
Juhnke had 19 kills, Harms and Adams 11 each while Slaughter chipped in seven and Wiedenfeld six.
Jurgens contributed 42 assists and 12 digs while Weideman had a career-high for a three-set match with 24 digs to go with seven assists.

HONORS
Juhnke and Weideman were each named Summit League players of the week on Tuesday. 
Juhnke, the offensive player of the week, had 38 kills in the Coyotes four-set wins over Kansas City and Oral Roberts. She also added 27 digs and seven total blocks while hitting .333.
Weideman, the defensive player of the week, contributed 45 digs, 5.63 per set, in the two matches, including a four-set career-high of 29 against Kansas City. 

ST THOMAS
St. Thomas is led by Lauren Galvin at 3.37 kills per set, ranking her seventh in the Summit League.
Libby Mattila is at 1.85 kills per set while Claire Ricard chips in 1.21 for a team that averages 9.91 kills per set and is hitting .133.
Grace Anetipa is averaging 5.58 assists per set, but that number jumps to 7.42 during league play.
Carrie Rutledge leads defensively at 3.24 digs per set, Anetipa is at 2.36 and Galvin 2.15.

LAST TIME OUT
St. Thomas won the first set before falling in four sets to South Dakota State on Friday.
Galvin had 13 kills while Selena Levendoski added 10.
Anetipa contributed 34 assists and 13 digs while Rutledge had 18 digs.

THE SERIES
The Coyotes won the previous meeting this season, a sweep, in a match that was played at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls.

UP NEXT
The Coyotes return home to the Sanford Coyote Sports Center for their final regualar season home stand, hosting Denver on Thursday and Omaha on Sunday.