VERMILLION, S.D. — The South Dakota volleyball team begins the 2024 season Saturday at the Amy Svoboda Memorial Classic at U.S. Air Force Academy, Colo. The Coyotes will face Fordham in their first match of the weekend Saturday at 6:00 p.m. and the United States Air Force Academy Sunday at 3:00 p.m. Both games will be streamed on the Mountain West Network.
 
ABOUT THE YOTES

• South Dakota volleyball begin its 2024 campaign at the Amy Svoboda Memorial Classic facing off against Fordham and Air Force.
• USD was selected to finish third in the Summit League Preseason Coaches Poll after earning a share of the conference regular season title a season ago.
• The Coyotes have earned either a Summit League Regular Season Title or Tournament Championship in each of the last six seasons.
• The Yotes return a pair of All-Summit League players in outside hitter Kylen Sealock (first team) and setter Avery Van Hook (all-freshman team).
• Kamryn Farris and Sealock were tabbed as players to watch by the conference. Farris led the Coyotes and the conference with 409 digs in her sophomore season, while Sealock led the Yotes with 362 kills, a mark that ranked No. 5 in the Summit League.
• Leanne Williamson begins her 11th season as the head coach of the Coyotes and holds the record for most by a USD head coach with a 210-91 record.
• The Coyotes are no strangers to tough matchups to begin seasons, as they've faced off against a nationally ranked opponent within the first two weekends of play in each of the last four seasons. After this weekend's slate of games, the Yotes square off against preseason No. 6 Louisville and RV Missouri at the Northern Kentucky Invitiational.

 
SERIES HISTORY

• This weekend's set of games will be the first time the Coyotes take the floor against both Fordham and Air Force.

On Lock

• Kylen Sealock was the Yotes go-to on the outside a season ago, pacing the team with 363 kills and 3.16 kills per set.
• Sealock entered her junior season with just 55 career kills and would surpass that mark in just the sixth game of the 2023 campaign after putting up five double-digit kill performances in the first six games.
• Sealock put away double-digit kills in 23 of the Yotes 29 games, including a career-best 21 in the reverse sweep win over SDSU on Nov. 14.
• She notched 10 double-doubles (kills-digs) in her junior season and tallied a season best 21 digs in a win at North Dakota on Oct. 5.
• Sealock led all Summit League players in service aces with 46. Sealock had three or more aces in eight matches and totaled a season best five in a win over Omaha on Oct. 19.
• She earned the final Offensive Summit League Peak Performer of the Week honor of the 2023 season on Nov. 16. Sealock averaged 19.5 kills to help the Yotes go 2-0 in the final week of regular season play to help the team earned a share of the Summit League regular season title.

 
Off the Hook

• Avery Van Hook was named to the Summit League All-Freshman team a season ago after dishing out 911 assists and notched 27 service aces.
• Van Hook handed out a career high 58 assists in a five-set reverse sweep win at South Dakota State on Nov. 14, 2023. That win over the Jackrabbits also secured a share of the Summit League Regular Season Title.
• She reached the 50-assist mark in three games and 40 or more assists 10 times.

 
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.
• During the past six years, the Coyotes are 84-15 (84.9%) 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.

 
Home Sweet Home

• The Coyotes are still almost two weeks out from playing their first home matches at the Sanford Coyotes Sports Center, when they host the South Dakota Classic.
• Since 2016, the Yotes have defended their home floor at a high percentage with a 67-13 record (83.8%) 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. 

 
The Newcomers

• The Coyotes added five freshmen in Lauren Medeck, Morgan Bode, Audrey Nelson, Cora Hokenstad, and Carly Ries and a pair of graduate transfer in Barrett Power and Cheyanne Hlady to the 2024 squad.
• Medeck was the top-ranked recruit in Nebraska and 30th overall by prepdig.com and racked up 1,583 career kills as she led Papillion South HS to two state championships. She was also named the 2022 Nebraska State Gatorade Player of the Year.
• Bode was also a member of the two-time state champions Papillion South HS and was the 55th ranked recruit by prepvolleyball.com. Bode finished her career with a .350 hitting percentage and was a honorable mention all-state in Nebraska Class A.
• Nelson eanred all-state honors three times and set Madison HS record for career kills with 1,410 to go with 315 blocks. Nelson posted 429 kills on a .466 hitting percentage as a senior.
• Hokenstad set Jefferson HS career records in digs (1,576), single-season digs (548), single-match digs (38) and single-match aces (6).
• Reis was the 11th ranked recuit in Nebraska and set a Norfolk HS school record with 1,175 career kills and a three-time honorable mention all-state selection.
• Power played four seasons at Colorado State and totaled 275 assists, 114 digs and 22 aces for the Rams.
• Hlady joins the Yotes from UTSA where she saw action in 24 matches and totaled 64 kills and 53 blocks in two seasons as a Roadrunner.