VERMILLION, S.D. — The South Dakota volleyball team will face a tough slate of games this weekend at the NKU Invitational in Highland Heights, Kentucky. The Coyotes square off first with No. 4 ranked Louisville Friday at 2:00 p.m. USD will face host team Northern Kentucky Saturday at 4:00 p.m., and will close out the weekend trip with RV Missouri Sunday morning at 10:00 a.m.
 
ABOUT THE YOTES

• South Dakota volleyball opened its 2024 campaign with a pair of sweeps over Fordham and Air Force at the Amy Svoboda Memorial Classic last weekend.
• 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).
• Van Hook dished out 79 assists across the first two matches and enters the weekend with 990 assists in her career.
• Sealock paced the Coyotes in kills in the opening weekend, putting away 34 kills, including a three-set career best 21 kills against Fordham.
• 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.
• Kamryn Farris and Kylen 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 212-91 record (.700).
• 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.

 
Locked In

• After the first weekend of play, Kylen Sealock ranks 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 this past weekend 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.

 
Dropping Dimes

• Avery Van Hook dished out 79 assists as the primary setter for the Coyotes in the opening weekend.
• Van Hook is the NCAA leader in assists per set heading into the weekend, after handing out 13.17 helpers per set in the first two matches.
• The sophomore enters Friday's contest just 10 assists away from 1,000 in her career.

 
Block Party

• The Coyotes were a force at the net against Air Force Sunday evening, as they notched 11 blocks against the Falcons.
• The Yotes were led by freshman middle Audrey Nelson who took part in eight blocks (1 solo, 7 assisted).
• Nelson had all phases of her game working against the Falcons, as she put away nine kills on 19 attacks for a .421 attack rate.
• Cheyenne Hlady assisted in four blocks, while Kylen Sealock tallied two solo blocks.

 
Milestone Watch (as of 9/5/24)  
Season Opening Sweeps

• The Coyotes kicked off the 2024 season with a pair of sweeps over Fordham and Air Force last
• weekend at the Amy Svoboda Memorial Classic.
• With the 3-0 win over Fordham, USD earned a season opening sweep for the first time since the 2000 season when they won 3-0 over Tarleton State.
• Kylen Sealock, the Yotes kills leader from a season ago, picked up right where she left by setting a new three-set career-high with 21 kills.
• Sealock tallied 21 kills in a reverse sweep win over South Dakota State last season (11/14/23)
• In her first match as a Coyote, Cheyenne Hlady posted a new career high with nine kills.
• After dowing Air Force in straight sets, the Coyotes begin the season 2-0 for the first time since 2019.