OMAHA, Neb. — South Dakota made it a 2-0 week with a five-set win over Omaha at Baxter Arena Saturday. The Yotes improve to 11-6 and 3-2 in Summit League play.
 
Lauren Medeck paced the Coyote attack with 23 kills, one short of her career high, on a .291 hitting percentage and had a double-double with 12 digs and three blocks. A balanced attack saw six Yotes tally six or more kills and three register 10+. Ava Ball and Audrey Nelson both set new career highs in kills with 14 and 12, respectively.
 
On the defensive end, USD tied its season high with 83 digs and had five players reach double-digit digs led by Kamryn Farris' 19. Avery Van Hook (16), Sam Untiedt (14), Sierra Pokharel (13) and Medeck (12) all had 10 or more digs. The block was led by Morgan Bode and Amanda Loschen who combined for nine blocks, as the Yotes had 11 total blocks.
 
The Coyotes dominated the fifth set, taking an 8-2 lead at the side change, and hit .474 with three blocks compared to Omaha's .120 hitting percentage. Medeck had four kills on six swings with a block in the fifth, while Bode had one kill and a pair of blocks. After a Loschen kill and solo block started the fifth, Medeck was involved in four of the next five USD points with three kills and a block. Nelson closed out the match with kills on point 14 and 15 as the Yotes earned their third Summit League win of the season.  
 
Neither team was extremely efficient in the first set with Omaha holding an edge in hitting percentage .162-.077 and in blocks 6.0-4.0. The Mavs jumped out to a 6-1 edge in the first and would hold the lead until a 5-1 run from the Yotes tied it at 19-19. Ball had a pair of kills and a block in the run, but the Mavericks scored six of the next eight to take set one 25-21.
 
Medeck and the Yotes found their rhythm in the second with a .361 hitting percentage on their way to a 25-20 set win. Medeck put away eight kills on 14 swings for a .500 swing rate in the second. The Mavs countered with a .333 hitting percentage but were limited to 10 kills to the Yotes' 18. The score changed for the third and final time in the set on a 7-1 run powered by Medeck who had five kills.
 
Omaha put together a better hitting percentage in the third (.200-.115) but it was the Yotes who would move up 2-1 in the match with a 25-23 set win. Both teams committed seven hitting errors and had three blocks in the frame, but the Yotes serve/receive was errorless in the third, while the Mavs had three service and one reception error.
 
USD had a more balanced attack in the third with Medeck leading the way with four kills, and she was followed by Nelson and Bode who had three each. The Yotes had an early 6-0 run in the third to take control, but the Mavs answered at the midway point to grab a 15-13 advantage. The Yotes regained the lead, 22-20, on a pair of 4-1 runs late and would trade the next six points to take set three 25-23.
 
South Dakota had a chance to close out the match in the fourth with a 23-20 lead late. The Mavs scored five unanswered to extend the match to a deciding fifth set. Omaha's block picked up in the fourth with five total blocks, and the Mavs held USD to a .182 hitting percentage.
 
South Dakota is back on the road next week in Kansas City, Missouri to face the Roos on Wednesday night at 7 p.m.
 
Notes

• The Coyotes improve to 11-6 on the season, 3-2 in the Summit League and 2-3 in true road matches
• Lauren Medeck was one shy of tying her career record with 23 kills against the Mavs
• Ava Ball and Audrey Nelson each set career highs with 14 and 12 kills, respectively
• Six Yotes had six or more kills and three had 10+
• South Dakota had five players with 10+ digs and matched a single-match high of 83 total digs
• Medeck and Avery Van Hook had double-doubles
• Van Hook matched her career-high with 58 assists
• Morgan Bode had eight kills, two aces, five blocks and three digs on her birthday
• The Yotes had 10 kills and hit .474 in the fifth