VERMILLION, S.D. — South Dakota volleyball returns home to the Sanford Coyote Sports Center this week for its Summit League home opening matches against St. Thomas on Thursday at 7:00 p.m. and Omaha on Saturday at 6:00 p.m.
 
The Coyotes kicked off the Summit League slate with a pair of sweeps at Denver and Oral Roberts last week and carry an overall record of 10-3 and are 2-0 in conference play.
 
ABOUT THE YOTES

• The Coyotes return to the Sanford Coyote Sports Center following a pair of road sweeps over Denver and Oral Roberts to kick off Summit League play.
• South Dakota is on a seven-game Summit League regular season win streak, and have won four straight conference games on the road, dating back to last season
• South Dakota welcomes St. Thomas and Omaha to the SCSC this week. The Coyotes hold a 3-0 record at home this season.
• The Coyotes opened the conference slate with a pair of sweeps for the first time since the 2020.
• During the spring 2020 COVID season, the Yotes won in straight sets at North Dakota to begin the conference season, and swept Omaha in the next match to sweep in three straight matches.
• Avery Van Hook leads the Summit League in assists per set (10.81) and ranks No. 14 in the NCAA. Her 519 assists also pace the conference and rank No. 19 in the nation.
• The sophomore setter has also registered 43 kills on a .350 attack rate and has 16.0 blocks.
• Kamryn Farris is one of two Summit League players to eclipse 200 digs on the season, and currently ranks No. 2 in digs (212) and digs per set (4.33).
• St. Thomas' Ella Voegele leads the conference in both categories.
• Morgan Bode is one of four Coyotes with 100+ kills on the season and ranks No. 4 in the Summit League in hitting percentage (.300).
• Entering the weekend, USD ranks No.1 among Summit League teams in assists per set (12.78), No. 2 in digs per set (15.57), hitting percentage (.235) and are No. 1 in kills per set (14.10).
• The Coyotes have earned either a Summit League Regular Season Title or Tournament Championship in each of the last six seasons.
• Leanne Williamson is in her 11th season as the head coach of the Coyotes and holds the record for most win by a USD head coach with a 220-94 record (.701).
   
• Where To Watch
• All Summit League matches can be found on the Summit League Network on Midco Sports Plus.
   
• Summit League Sweeps!
• The Coyotes kicked off Summit League play with a pair of sweeps at Denver and Oral Roberts last week.
• The last time the Yotes opened the season with a pair of sweeps was during the spring 2020 COVID season
• USD won in straight sets at North Dakota to begin the conference season, and swept Omaha in the next match to sweep in three straight matches.
• The match against the Pioneers was tightly contested, 25-22, 25-22, 25-21, despite the Yotes holding a 55-31 lead in kills.
• USD dominated vs Oral Roberts (25-17, 25-8, 25-16) with 44 kills to 20 for ORU.
• USD registered its second-best hitting percentage of the season vs ORU at a .323 clip. The Yotes hit a red-hot .458 in the second set.
• The Coyotes hit .392 in the 3-0 season-opening win over Fordham.
• Kylen Sealock paced the Yotes with 13 kills and one solo block vs the Pioneers.
• Morgan Bode put together an all-around match vs the Pios with 12 kills (career-high), a .391 attack rate, six blocks (one solo), one ace and three digs.
• Cheyenne Hlady notched her third straight double-digit kill game with 12 at a .320 clip.
• Seven Coyotes tallied four or kills vs the Golden Eagles, led by Hlady's nine (.353 attack rate).
• Avery Van Hook tallied her sixth double-double of the season with 30 assists and 10 digs. Van Hook also put away six kills at a .667 clip.

Yotes in the Rankings

• The Coyotes enter this weekend's slate of play ranked No. 13 in the NCAA in kills per set (14.10).
• The Yotes attack is paced by senior Kylen Sealock and freshman Lauren Medeck who are averaging 3.20 and 2.59 kills per set, respectively.
• Sealock ranks No. 6 in the Summit League, while Medeck is No. 11 in kills per set.
• Behind Avery Van Hook's 10.81 assists per set, which ranks No. 14 in the NCAA and No. 1 in the conference, the Yotes are No. 29 in the NCAA in assists per set (12.78).
• Van Hook's 519 total assists rank No. 21 across the NCAA.
• Kamryn Farris ranks No. 2 in the Summit Leauge in both digs and digs per set with 212 and 4.33.

 

• First Time at the SCSC
• A slew of Coyotes made their first appearances in the SCSC at the South Dakota Classic in Audrey Nelson, Lauren Medeck, Morgan Bode, Cheyenne Hlady and Barrett Power.
• USD Classic Totals
• Audrey Nelson • Fr. • MB
  • 24 kills / .290 / seven blocks
• Lauren Medeck • Fr. • OH
  • 49 kills / .266 / 34 digs / nine blocks
• Morgan Bode • Fr. • MB
  • 21 kills / .133 / 14 blocks / three aces
• Cheyenne Hlady • Gr. • OH
  • 29 kills / .371 / 11 digs / three blocks
• Barrett Power • Gr. • S
  • seven digs / one ace

Home Sweet Home

• South Dakota opened its home slate at the Sanford Coyote Sports Center with a bang at the South Dakota Classic, as they registered a 3-0 weekend on its brand new TeraFlex floor.
• In front of 2,130 fans Saturday night, the Coyotes earned the program's first victory over Iowa State (3-1) and its second Power 4 win in under a week.
• Across the three South Dakota wins of the USD Classic, the Coyotes outhit their opponents .244 to .224 had more services 12-6
• Since 2016, the Yotes have defended their home floor at a high percentage with a 70-13 record (84.3%) and a 46-8 (83.6%) mark in Summit League play.
• USD has not lost more than four games on their home floor in a single season since 2016. 
   
• Summit League Success
• In each of the past six seasons, the Coyotes have either earned a Summit League Regular Season Title or Conference Tournament Championship.
• Since 2018, the Coyotes are 86-15 (85.2%) during the conference regular season and won at least 12 conference games and lost no more than four matches during that stretch.
• South Dakota is the most recent Summit League team to put together an undefeated conference regular season, when the team went a perfect 16-0 during the 2019 season.
• USD is 2-0 during Summit League play so far this season.
  
  Locked In
• Kylen Sealock continues her steady play on the outside for the Yotes, as she paces the teams in kills per set (3.20), a mark that ranks sixth in the Summit League.
• Sealock's registered double-digit kills in nine matches, and in four of those she hit at a .350+ clip.
• Sealock has tallied 10+ kills in four of the last six matches, averaging 11.5 kills per match.
• After the first weekend of play, Sealock ranked third in the NCAA in kills per set at 5.67.
• Sealock put away 34 kills in six sets against Fordham and Air Force.
• Sealock paced the Coyotes in both matches in Colorado with 21 against Fordham and 13 against Air Force.
• She recorded her first double-double of the season by adding 10 digs against Air Force.
  
  Have a Week, Avery!
• Avery Van Hook had an exceptional week at the Kwik Star Klassic (Sept. 19-21), as she was named the tournament's MVP and the Summit League co-Offensive Peak Performer of the Week after leading the Yotes to a 2-1 record.
• Van Hook dished out 144 assists across the three matches for a 11.08 assist per set average. That mark ranked No. 8 across the NCAA last week.
• She tallied 15 kills of her own, two aces and 40 digs.
• In the Yotes 3-1 win over Drake, Van Hook handed out 51 assists and helped the Coyote hitters to a .259 attack rate, their best of the weekend.
• She was also busy at the net with a career high eight kills on 11 attacks and assisted in three blocks.
• Van Hook recorded double-doubles with assists and digs in all three matches.
• She just missed her first career triple-double with eight kills against Drake.

Spreading the Wealth

• It was a balanced attack that led the Coyotes to a 3-1 win over Drake Friday, as six Yotes tallied eight or more kills.
• Lauren Medeck paced the team with 14 kills and was followed closely by Cheyenne Hlady (13), Kylen Sealock (12) and Morgan Bode (11).
• Of those four, Bode was the most efficient hitter with a .345 attack rate.
• Audrey Nelson put away nine kills, while Avery Van Hook notched eight on 11 attacks (.727%)
• The all-around team effort carried over to Saturday's four-set win over Saint Louis with five Coyotes reaching eight or more kills.
• Hlady led the Coyotes in kills for the first time and put away a career-high 15 kills on 30 swings for a .367 attack rate.
• Nelson also put down a career-high with 11 kills on 23 swings.
   
• Can You Dig It?
• Kamryn Farris has commanded the Coyote back row to begin the season, leading the team in digs in 12 of the first 13 matches.
• Farris matched a career-high of 30 digs in the Yotes win over Drake.
• She reached the 30-dig mark last season in a five-set win over South Dakota State.
• Farris has recorded double-digit digs in 12 matches so far this season and has hit the 20+ dig mark three times.
   
• Dropping Dimes
• Avery Van Hook has dished out 519 assists across the nonconference schedule.
• Her 10.81 assists per set average ranks No. 1 across Summit League setters and ranks No. 14 nationally.
• Van Hook dished out 51 assists in two straight matches to close out the Kwik Star Klassic and has hit the 50-assist mark three times this season and six times in her career.
• The sophomore setter tallied her 1,000th career assist in the Coyotes match against #4 Louisville.