FIRST SERVE
The South Dakota Coyotes (4-6) host North Dakota State (6-8) in a Summit League match on Tuesday at 7 p.m. inside the Sanford Coyote Sports Center.
THE COYOTES
South Dakota comes in at 1-0 in Summit League play having posted a four-set win over rival South Dakota State in a match that saw four players record double digits in kills and a season-high .425 team hitting percentage.
Elizabeth Juhnke posted a rare 20-20 double-double with 20 kills and 20 digs to become just the second Coyote in Coach
Leanne Williamson's era to do so. Kendall Kritenbrink had a 29-kill, 21-dig performance against Creighton in 2014. Juhnke, a junior, leads South Dakota with 132 kills and a 3.47 kills per set average. Juhnke chips in 3.13 digs per set and is the lone Summit League player in the top 10 in both categories. The South Dakota offense, ranked seventh in the Summit League at 12.21 kills per set also has
Sami Slaughter at 2.42 kills/set,
Madison Harms at 2.41 kills/set,
Aimee Adams at 1.84 kills/set and
Maddie Wiedenfeld at 1.66 kills/set.
Madison Jurgens, coming off a career-high 57 assists, is fourth in the Summit League at 9.76 assists per set.
Lolo Weideman recorded her fourth 20-plus dig performnace of the season with 21 against SDSU and is ranked third in the Summit League at 4.66 digs/set. Harms leads the Summit League in blocks per set at 1.30 for a team that leads the league at 2.39 blocks per set.
NORTH DAKOTA STATE
North Dakota State, playing 15 of its first 17 matches on the road, opened Summit League playing dropping a pair of matches, a four-setter to Kansas City and a three-setter to Oral Roberts. Ali Hinze, the Summit League Freshman of the Year in 2020, had 17 kills and 10 digs against Kansas City and paces the Bison at 3.33 kills per set. Syra Tanchin, who has reached double figures in kills in eight straight matches, is at 3.17 kills/set. Tanchin had 11 kills and hit .476 against Oral Roberts. North Dakota State's offense, which averages 12.51 kills/set, also get 2.02 kills/set from Michelle Glover. Freshman setter Raegen Reilly is averaging 8.53 assists per set. Kaylee Hanger has reached double figures in digs in nine matches and leads the team at 3.08 digs per set. Glover is sixth in the Summit League at 1.06 blocks per set. North Dakota State coach Jennifer Lopez, a former Bison player, is in her fifth season.
THE SERIES
The Division I era series history dates back to 2011 as South Dakota holds a 16-7 advantage. The Coyotes have won eight in a row in the series. North Dakota State leads the all-time series, dating back to 1978, 50-20.
UP NEXT
The Coyotes will hit the road in Summit League play for matches on Thursday at Oral Roberts (4 p.m.) and Saturday at Kansas City (1 p.m.).
