First Serve
South Dakota heads back on the road to continue Summit League play with matches against North Dakota on Thursday (7 p.m.) and North Dakota State on Saturday (1 p.m.). Both matches will be streamed on the Summit League Network. South Dakota's match against North Dakota will also be available on Midco Sports. 
 
The Coyotes
South Dakota (7-7, 1-2 Summit) is coming off a split weekend of league play after falling to Kansas City in four sets and sweeping Denver last weekend. The Yotes recorded a season-high hitting percentage (.406) while tying their season-low for errors at the net (nine) against the Pioneers.
 
Senior middle blocker Madison Harms averages 1.19 blocks per set, good for second in the league. Harms 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. The middle blocker had seven kills and three blocks on the match. Defensive specialist Kamryn Farris has rotated into the libero position for the Coyotes. The sophomore put up a career-high 21 digs against Kansas City on Sept. 28 and has tallied double-digit digs in three of four games as the libero.
 
Freshman setter Avery Van Hook has stepped into the setter role for the Coyotes and has recorded six double-doubles in 14 games, including a career-high 51 assists in USD's five-set win over Green Bay on Sept. 14. Sixth-year middle blocker Brynn Paumen was named the Summit League Defensive Peak Performer of the Week for the first time in her Coyote career on Sept. 19. Paumen and Van Hook put up a massive block against Denver on Sept. 30, putting up seven assisted blocks as a duo at the net.
 
The Fighting Hawks
North Dakota (5-11, 2-2 Summit) is coming off a split weekend with a five-set loss to Omaha and a sweep of St. Thomas. The Fighting Hawks opened league play at Denver, falling in straight sets, but defeating Oral Roberts in five sets.
 
Sophomore outside hitter Paige Barber leads North Dakota on offense with 2.51 kills per set. Barber has had seven double-digit kill matches on the season so far. Montana State transfer Kaycee O'Dell fills a middle blocker roll opposite of sixth-year middle blocker Marissa Stockman. Stockman averages a team-high .90 blocks per set and her .304 hitting clip sits at sixth in the league.
 
Setter Elizabeth Norris ranks third nationally with three triple-doubles on the season so far. The senior is averaging 5.14 assists per set this season as she is splitting the setter role with freshman Teagan Timperley. Timperley has put up double-digit assists in all 15 matches this season, including a career-high 21 assists in UND's win over Oral Roberts.
 
The Bison
North Dakota (10-5, 2-2 Summit) is also coming off a split weekend of league play, sweeping St. Thomas but falling to Omaha in five sets in Fargo. The Bison rest at fourth overall in the league standings but lead the league statistically in hitting percentage (.260), kills per set (13.49), and assists per set (12.46).
 
Outside hitter Ali Hinze recorded her 1,000^th career dig in the Bison's loss to Omaha last week. The senior is just the second Bison in the Division I era to record 1,000 career digs and 1,000 career kills. Her 3.39 kills per set average leads the Bison and sits at fourth in the league.
 
Sophomore middle blocker Ally Barth leads the Summit with a .373 hitting clip so far this season. Senior setter Kelley Johnson leads the league with 10.25 assists per set, which ranks 39^th nationally. Johnson is one of four Bison to reach the 3,000 career assists mark in NDSU's Division I era (3,440).
 
Up Next
South Dakota returns to Vermillion to host St. Thomas on Oct. 12 at 7 p.m. The Coyotes then hit the road to take on Kansas City on Oct. 14 at 1 p.m. in Kansas City, Mo.