First Serve
South Dakota is heading to face Oral Roberts for the first time this season on Thursday at 7 p.m. in Tulsa, Okla. On Saturday, the Coyotes take on Denver for the second time this year at 2 p.m.
 
The Coyotes
South Dakota (12-8, 6-3 Summit) is coming off a big week of league play last week after reverse sweeping both in-state rival SDSU and league-leading Omaha. Five of the Coyotes' last six matches have gone to five sets and they have won four of those matches.
 
Sophomore libero Kamryn Farris is the reigning Summit League Defensive Peak Performer of the Week after earning the honor for the first time in her career on Oct. 24. Farris averaged 4.90 digs per set through South Dakota's 2-0 week of league play and recorded a career-high 30 digs in USD's win over SDSU on Oct. 17.   
 
Senior middle blocker Madison Harms recorded her 600^th career block in USD's sweep of St. Thomas, becoming just the second Summit League player to record 600 career blocks. The Sergeant Bluff, Iowa, native recorded her 1000^th career kill in South Dakota's match against Omaha on Sept. 23, becoming the 12^th Coyote in program history to join the 1,000-kill club.
 
Junior outside hitter Kylen Sealock plays all six rotations for the Yotes and has recorded eight double-doubles on the season so far. The Lincoln, Neb., native has tallied double-digit kills in all but three matches this season and recorded a career-high 18 kills in South Dakota's sweep of Central Michigan on Sept. 16. Sealock tallied a career-high five service aces in USD's reverse sweep of Omaha on Oct. 19, which ties for 11^th in USD history in a single game.
 
Freshman outside hitter Samantha Laird has rotated into the main lineup for the Yotes and joins fellow freshman Amanda Loschen in the front row. Laird recorded a career-high 13 kills in USD's five-set win over North Dakota on Oct. 5. Laird tied her career-high with 13 kills in the Coyotes' five-set reverse sweep of Omaha on Oct. 19. Loschen put up a career-high 10 kills against Kansas City on Sept. 28. In South Dakota's five-set reverse sweep of SDSU, Loschen tallied a career-high seven blocks.
 
The Golden Eagles
Oral Roberts (3-18, 1-8 Summit) is looking to snap a four-game skid that began with a 3-1 loss to South Dakota State on Oct. 12. The Golden Eagles first and only Summit win came at St. Thomas when they defeated the Tommies 3-1.
 
Outside hitter Trinity Freeman paces the Golden Eagle offense as she has led the team in kills in 15 of the last 16 matches. The junior leads the league in kills per set at 3.56 and ranks 12^th nationally in attacks per set at 11.55.
 
Freshman defensive specialist Alaina Larson leads the league in service aces at 0.48 per set, which ranks 34^th in the NCAA. Libero Breanna Rivas has logged double-digit dig performances in the last three matches and ranks fourth in the league in digs per set at 3.68.
 
The Golden Eagles are led by new head coach Luke Ward, who previously spent eight seasons as the head coach at Trinity International University where he led the Trojans to an NCCAA National Championship in 2022. Prior to the start of the season, Ward added eight additions to the Golden Eagles, including four freshmen.
 
The Pioneers
Denver (8-10, 7-3 Summit) is looking to bounce back from a 3-0 loss to North Dakota State. Earlier this season, the Coyotes swept Denver 3-0 in Vermillion behind Harms' 10 kills and four blocks.
 
The Pioneers lead the league in service aces behind Cadi Boyer's 0.42 service aces per set. Boyer leads Denver on defense with 1.16 blocks per set, good for third in the league. Redshirt freshman setter Briley Decker dishes out 9.66 assists per set for the Pioneers which ranks third in the league.
 
Earlier this season, South Dakota handed Denver its first league loss of the season in straight sets. Outside hitter Cassie Davis led the Pioneers with six kills and one block. Boyer, Molly Mirabelli, and Ava Reynolds each added five kills for Denver.
 
Denver is led by first-year head coach Megan Pendergast, who came to Denver after stints as an assistant coach at UCLA, Oklahoma, and Tulsa.  
 
Up Next
South Dakota has another split weekend ahead as they head to St. Paul to face St. Thomas on Nov. 2 at 7 p.m. On Saturday, the Coyotes return home to host North Dakota at 2 p.m. in the Sanford Coyote Sports Center.