GREEN BAY, WIS. – South Dakota (4-5) defeated tournament host Green Bay in five sets tonight inside Kress Center. The Coyotes survived three match points to defeat the Phoenix in the gritty win. Game scores went 25-15, 25-22, 21-25, 19-25, 19-17.
 
Who Stood Out
South Dakota put together another balanced attack and excelled from the service line, tallying 11 team service aces. Middle blocker Madison Harms put together another impressive stat line with 18 kills on 30 attempts to hit .467, seven total blocks, and two solo blocks. Outside hitter Kylen Sealock recorded her third double-double of the season with 16 kills and 15 digs. Sealock also added two service aces for the Yotes.
 
Green Bay (2-8) saw three hitters record double-digit kill performances, including a match-high 21 kills from outside hitter Hannah Vanden Berg. Vanden Berg added a season-high 15 digs to record her third double-double on the season. The Phoenix had four players reach double-digit digs in the back line, including a match-high 22 digs from libero Emma Best.
 
Turning Point
It was another rollercoaster of a match for South Dakota, who came out strong in sets one and two but lost the edge in sets three and four. The deciding fifth set proved to be the turning point as both teams battled well past the 15-point threshold. The Phoenix got out to an early lead at 7-4 to force USD's first timeout. The Yotes scored first out of the timeout on Sealock's 14^th kill of the match to bring it back within two points. Green Bay would make it to eight points first to enact the side switch, but a kill from freshman right side Amanda Loschen and a monster block from Loschen and Brynn Paumen would tie the set at eight a piece. The two teams traded points from there until South Dakota approached its first match point with a 14-12 lead. Green Bay would not be put down and a kill from Vanden Berg and a block from the Phoenix would tie the game up at 14-14. The Yotes and Phoenix traded kills until another tie up at 17-17. Evelyn Diederich put down her ninth kill of the night to bring the Yotes back to match point, and a monster kill from Paumen secured the deciding set in favor of South Dakota.
 
Notable

• Freshman setter Avery Van Hook recorded a career-high 51 assists. She added 15 digs and seven kills to record her sixth double-double on the season.
• Loschen had a career night, with nine kills on 14 attempts with just one error to hit .571 from the right side. Her nine kills and five digs are both career-highs for the freshman, while the .571 hitting clip is just shy of her career-best .600.
• Junior libero Alaina Wolff had a career-high 20 digs. She added two service aces and five assists.
• Senior Mattie Johnson had 13 digs and two service aces to record her third double-digit dig match of the season.

 
Quotable
"That was a gritty win! We had a letdown in sets three and four, but we stayed in it and found a way to win," said head coach Leanne Williamson. "We didn't play as clean as we would have liked, but sometimes it is important to be able to win on the road even when things aren't our best. Harms was incredible again tonight on the offensive end. Amanda came up with a huge block and kill in the fifth set when we needed it the most and Alaina anchored our defense in the back court. Now we have to recover and get ready for another battle tomorrow."  
 
Up Next
The Capital Credit Union Classic continues tomorrow as South Dakota faces Illinois State at 3 p.m. inside Kress Center. There will not be a stream, but live stats will be available here.