First Serve
South Dakota will open Summit League play at Omaha on Saturday at 7 p.m. inside Baxter Arena in a rematch of last season's championship match. The game will be streamed on the Summit League Network.
 
The Coyotes
South Dakota (6-5) enters league play on a five-game winning streak, including a 3-0 weekend at the Capital Credit Union Classic hosted by Green Bay. The Coyotes defeated Green Bay in a hard-fought five-set battle before defeating Illinois State in four sets and sweeping Central Michigan. Fifth-year senior Madison Harms was named the tournament MVP and freshman setter Avery Van Hook joined her on the all-tournament team.
 
Harms' .362 hitting clip sits at second in the Summit League and ranks 88^th nationally, while her 52 total blocks and 1.24 blocks per set average also sit at second in the league.  The middle blocker recorded her first career double-double in South Dakota's five-set battle against Drake on Sept. 7. Harms tallied 14 kills while adding a season-high and match-high 12 blocks, just one shy of her career-high. She is just one kill away from reaching 1,000 career kills. Van Hook has stepped into the setter role for the Coyotes and has recorded six double-doubles in 11 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 is the reigning Summit League Defensive Peak Performer of the Week for the first time in her Coyote career. Paumen averaged 1.08 blocks per set through South Dakota's three wins in Green Bay, totaling 13 blocks on the weekend. Junior outside hitter Kylen Sealock is a six-rotation player for the Yotes this season and is averaging 3.24 kills per set. Sealock has recorded double-digit kills in all but two matches this season and tied her career-high with 18 kills in South Dakota's sweep of Central Michigan on Sept. 16. She also has three double-doubles on the year so far.
 
The Mavericks  
Omaha (1-10, 0-1 Summit) is coming off its first loss of league play. The Mavericks fell to Kansas City in five sets on Thursday night inside Baxter Arena. For the first time this season, three Mavericks recorded double-digit kills, including a team-high 16 kills from outside hitter Shayla McCormick. Freshman Amanda Hardt had 15 kills while middle blocker McKenna Ruch added 10 kills. Ruch and Hardt both lead the Mavericks with 96 kills on the season and both average 2.34 kills per set.
 
Last weekend, Omaha picked up its first win of a tough nonconference season. The Mavericks swept Bradley in their final game of the Northern Colorado Classic after dropping two five-set matches, one to Wichita State and one to tournament host Northern Colorado. The two five-set battles were the first of the season for Omaha as they've battled through a nonconference slate full of ranked and receiving votes opponents. Thursday's five-set match against Kansas City marks Omaha's third five-setter of the season.
 
The Series
Last season, the Coyotes went 3-0 against the Mavericks, including the championship match sweep that sent the Yotes to their fourth NCAA tournament in five years. South Dakota has won the last four matchups, with Omaha's most recent victory coming in Vermillion in 2021.
 
Up Next
Summit League play continues as the Coyotes return home to host Kansas City on Sept. 28 and Denver on Sept. 30 inside the Sanford Coyote Sports Center in Vermillion. Both games will be streamed on the Summit League Network.