FIRST SERVE
The South Dakota Coyotes (20-9, 15-3) play 11-ranked Minnesota (20-8) in an NCAA First Round Tournament contest on Friday at 7 p.m. inside Maturi Pavilion.

THE COYOTES
South Dakota, making their third NCAA appearance in the last four seasons, had to outlast South Dakota State in a five-set semifinal before sweeping top-seeded Omaha to win the Summit League tournament title.
Elizabeth Juhnke, who has reached double figures in kills in all but one match, leads the offensive attack at 3.97 kills per set, the best in the Summit League. The six-foot junior also averages 2.98 digs per set and produced 16 double-doubles (kills/digs) on the season.
Fifth-year Senior Sami Slaughter averages 2.64 kills per set while junior Madison Harms contributes 2.56 kills per set for a team that is averaging 13.24 kills per set while posting a .256 attack percentage in all matches, good for second-best in the Summit.
Aimee Adams, a junior, adds 1.92 kills per set and senior Maddie Wiedenfeld 1.64 for an offense directed by senior setter Madison Jurgens who is at 10.53 assists per set. 
South Dakota ranks second in the Summit League in blocks per set (2.24) as Harms is second in the Summit at 1.20 blocks per set.
Harms leads the Summit League in hitting percentage while ranking 14th nationally at .412 while Wiedenfeld ranks ninth in Summit League at .306.
Defensively, senior libero Lolo Weideman is the Summit League leader, averaging 4.66 digs per set while Jurgens is at 2.27 and Brooklyn Bollweg 1.66.

ALL-SUMMIT LEAGUE
Four Coyotes were honored on the All-Summit League teams as Elizabeth Juhnke and Madison Harms were named to the First team and Madison Jurgens and Sami Slaughter were honorable mention selections.
Juhnke, a junior and now three-time first-team selection, ranked second in league play in kills per set (4.08) and first in total kills (290) while also producing 212 digs and 33 total blocks as South Dakota finished second at 15-3 in the Summit League. The Lakeville, Minn., native, had 10 double-doubles during league play and reached double digits in kills in 17 of 18 league matches played.
Harms, a junior from Sergeant Bluff, Iowa, led the Summit League in hitting percentage (.440) while ranking third in blocks per set (1.25) during league play. The repeat first-team selection also contributed 178 kills, 14 solo and 71 assisted blocks from her middle blocker position. Her 23 overall solo blocks on the season are tied for the most in school history during the 25-point rally scoring era. She produced nine matches of over 10 kills during league play while having a hitting percentage over .450 in 11 of 18 league matches.
Jurgens, a senior from O'Dell, Nebraska, earns honorable mention honors for the third time in four seasons. The setter ranked third in Summit League play with 10.86 assists per set while also contributing 29 service aces and 165 digs and 15 total blocks. She recorded at least 30 assists in all but one Summit League match and posted seven double-doubles in league play.
Slaughter, a senior from Harrisburg, S.D., ranked 10th in the Summit League and second on the team in kills per set during league play at 2.72. She added 50 digs and 44 total blocks in league play. She posted a season-high 22 kills during a five-set win at Kansas City and recorded double digit kills in nine of 18 league matches.

CAREER LISTS
Juhnke currently sits seventh on the career kills list with 1,315. Next on the list is Kristen Miller (2002-2005) with 1,324.
Jurgens sits second on the career assists list with 4,662, a total that ranks sixth in Summit League history. 
Jurgens sits third on the service aces list with 152 and is only three away from Amber Kobus (2005-08) in second.
Weideman is in seventh on the career digs list with 1,378. Next on the list is Lacey Ross (2001-04) at 1,411.

COSIDA
Junior Aimee Adams (4.0 GPA, Nursing) was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District First Team, becoming just the fourth Coyote to earn that distinction in the team's Division I era. 

SUMMIT TOURNEY
South Dakota battled through adversity to post a pair of wins and capture its third Summit League tournament title in four seasons, this time on its home floor inside the Sanford Coyote Sports Center.
The Coyotes had to stave off three match points during its five-set semifinal win over rival South Dakota State before posting a three-set sweep over top-seeded Omaha in the championship.
Elizabeth Juhnke, named tourney MVP for the second straight season, had 47 kills (5.88 per set) in two matches while also contributing 26 digs and four solo blocks. She set a new three-set career high of 24 kills in the title match, equaling the school record. 
Sami Slaughter, who joined Juhnke and Madison Jurgens on the all-tourney team, had a 15-kill, no-error performance while hitting .500 in the championship match. 
Jurgens, contributing 105 assists and 25 digs in two matches, posted double-doubles in both, posting a three-set season high 46 assists in the finals. 

SCOUTING MINNESOTA
Minnesota redshirt senior opposite Stephanie Samedy was named the Big Ten Player of the Year for the second straight season, just the fourth in Big Ten history to win consecutive awards. She led the league in points (5.39) and kills (4.84) per set while tallying 11 20-plus kill matches and three 30-plus kill matches this season.
Samedy along with senior libero CC McGraw earned All-Big Ten First Team honors while sophomore outside Jenna Wenaaas was named to the All-Big Ten Second Team. McGraw ranked second in the Big Ten at 4.72 digs per set and had three matche sthis season over 30 digs. Wenaas tallied double digit kills 21 times this year and averaged 3.29 kills per set, second on the team behind Samedy. 
The Gophers lead the Big Ten and rank 14th nationally in digs per set at 17.22 as Samedy averages 3.75 and Melani Shaffmaster 2.85. 

NOVEMBER SURGE
The Coyotes went 7-1 in November as the offense averaged 14.41 kills per set while hitting .283 and the defense averaged 17.00 digs per set.
Juhnke had 154 kills (4.81 per set) and 98 digs (3.06/set) while Slaughter had 94 kills (2.94/set) and Madison Harms 81 (2.79/set). 
Jurgens contributed 371 assists (11.59/set) and 100 digs (3.13/set) while libero Lolo Weideman had 163 digs (5.09/set).

SERIES HISTORY
This is the first ever meeting. 

NCAA HISTORY
South Dakota lost to #9 Creighton in 2018 and to #25 Missouri in 2020. 

HEAD COACH
Leanne Williamson (Milwaukee '08) is in her eighth season and owns a career mark of 163-75 as her teams have won at least 15 matches in all eight seasons. Five of those eight seasons has resulted in the team winning either the Summit League regular season or tourney titles.

COACHING CONNECTION
Minnesota Associate Head Coach Matt Houk spent six seasons as head coach at South Dakota where Williamson spent five seasons as an assistant under Houk.