FIRST SERVE
The South Dakota Coyotes (3-6) open the Summit League season with the first of two South Dakota Showdown Series matchups with rival South Dakota State (8-3). Match time is 7 p.m. Friday inside the Sanford Coyote Sports Center. 

THE COYOTES
South Dakota went 0-3 at the Shocker Classic hosted by Wichita State, falling to host Wichita State in five sets, 17th-ranked Creighton and Wyoming. Coyote senior libero Lolo Weideman had a strong three-match weekend, becoming the 17th player in school history to reach 1,000 career digs. She also posted career-high 30 digs against Wichita State and a three-match career-high 19 digs against Creighton. She was named to the all-tournament team after posting 70 digs, an average of 5.83 per set. Weideman is up to 4.59 digs per set, which rank fourth in the Summit League. The Coyote offense, which ranks seventh in the Summit League at 11.71 kills per set, is paced by junior Elizabeth Juhnke, who has 112 kills (3.29 kills/set). Fifth-year senior Sami Slaughter and junior Madison Harms average 2.35 kills per set while Aimee Adams chips in 1.82 kills per set. Senior setter Madison Jurgens is fourth in the Summit League at 9.24 assists per set. Harms is the league leader in blocks per set at 1.35 while South Dakota ranks second in the Summit League at 2.47 blocks per set as a team. 

SOUTH DAKOTA STATE 
The Jackrabbits 8-3 start to the season is the program's best since 2012. South Dakota State is coming off a 2-1 weekend at its own Jackrabbit Classic, defeating Southeastern Louisiana and Idaho before flaling to Drake. Crystal Burk and Carly Wedel earned all-tournament honors. Burk, the Summit League leader in kills per set at 3.93, has reached double figures in kills in nine of the 11 matches this season. Wedel ranks second in the Summit League at 10.03 assists per set. South Dakota State's offense, which sports a .248 team hitting percentage that ranks second in the Summit, averages 12.63 kills per set. Chloe Sitt is averaging 3.00 kills per set while Ella Thompson is at 1.88 and Hailee Blau 1.76. Tatum Pickar (4.12 digs per set) and Faith Saewert (3.15 digs per set) anchor the back row. 

THE SERIES
The Division I era series history dates back to 2010 as South Dakota holds a 20-2 advantage. The Coyotes have won 11 in a row in the series. Coach Leanne Williamson is 13-1 against the Jackrabbits as head coach of South Dakota. 

UP NEXT
The Coyotes will host Summit League foe North Dakota State on Tuesday, Sept. 28 inside the Sanford Coyote Sports Center.