VERMILLION, S.D. — Coyote volleyball faces their busiest week of the Summit League slate this week with three matches in five days starting on Tuesday against North Dakota State in Fargo, N.D. The Yotes return to the SCSC for a pair of matches Thursday and Saturday against Denver and North Dakota.
 
Where To Watch

• All three of South Dakota's matches this week can be found the Summit League Network and Midco Sports Plus.
• Jackson Garstecki will be on the call for the USD vs. Denver match on Thursday. Trevan Rychlik is on the mic for the Saturday's match against UND.

 
Key Storylines

• USD and NDSU meet for the first time this season, while Thursday marks the start of the second half of the conference season.
• This week is the fourth week in a row to open the conference slate where the Coyotes are on the road for at least one of their matches that week.
• Through seven Summit League matches, the Coyotes are holding opponents to a .186 hitting percentage which ranks No. 3 in the conference. USD leads the SL in digs per set (15.61) and digs (437). USD is No. 2 in kills per set (13.54).
• The Coyote backrow is among the NCAA's elite ranking No. 13 nationally in digs per set at 16.99. USD ranks No. 25 in total digs with 1,240. USD leads the Summit League in both categories.
• USD's offense, directed by Avery Van Hook, ranks No. 24 in assists per set (12.81), No. 22 in attacks per set (37.11) and No. 23 in kills per set (13.77).
• The reigning Summit League Defensive Player of the Year, Kamryn Farris, leads the Summit League in total digs (350) and digs per set (4.79). She ranks 23rd in the NCAA in digs per set and No. 25 in total digs.
• Farris was on lockdown for the Yotes to start the season as she was named the Summit League Kwik Star Defensive Peak Performer of the Week in four of the first five weeks.
• In year two with the Yotes, Lauren Medeck continues to build off a strong freshman season last year, as she leads the conference in total kills (287) and total points (318.0). Medeck ranks No. 2 in kills and No. 3 in points during Summit League play.
• The floor general, Avery Van Hook, paces the conference with 762 total assists. She also leads the league with a 10.44 assists per set average. Van Hook is No. 9 in the NCAA in assists and No. 15 in assists per set.
• Van Hook also ranks No. 5 in the conference in digs with 234 on the year.
• Amanda Loschen continues to terminate at a high efficiency as she's hitting .361 with 168 kills on the season. Loschen is one of two players hitting above .400 in Summit League play with a .408 clip and 62 kills.
• When out of system, the Yotes have turned to Farris who has tallied 109 assists on the season. She has a pair of double-doubles already on the season (digs and assists).
• Morgan Bode was a brick wall at the net at Denver in the team's first meeting, as she set a new four-set program record with 13 total blocks (3 solo).
• Bode's block total against Denver is tied for the third most in a single four-set match this season in the NCAA.
• Leanne Williamson is in year 12 as the head coach at USD and holds a program best 242-108 record.

 
Midway Point

• Tuesday's match marks the midway point of the Summit League schedule. The Yotes enter the match with a 4-3 league mark.
• South Dakota has racked up the road miles to start the conference slate with five of its first eight league matches on the road.
• The second half of league play will see the Yotes play five of eight in the Sanford Coyote Sports Center.
• Thursday and Saturday's matches will mark the first back-to-back matches in the SCSC since the South Dakota Classic (Sept. 18-20).

Bode's Block Party

• Morgan Bode set a new four-set program record at Denver (Oct. 4) with 13 total blocks.
• It was a new career high for Bode and the first time recording double-digit blocks.
• She was especially dominant in the second set win with seven total blocks (2 solo).
• Bode became the first Coyote with 10+ blocks in a single match since Madison Harms in 2023 vs Drake (12).
• Bode ranks No. 3 in the Summit League in blocks (71), No. 5 in solo blocks (11) and No. 6 in blocks per set (1.06).
• The sophomore sits one block away from 200 in her career.

The Rookies

• Sierra Pokharel and Ava Ball have made an immediate impact in the rotation for the Coyotes in their freshman seasons.
• Pokharel has appeared in all 19 matches and made 14 starts for the Yotes and is No. 4 on the team with 164 digs (2.25 digs/set). She is tied for the third on the squad with 14 aces.
• She has eight matches on the year with 10+ digs, including a five-match streak from 9/11-9/25.
• Ball has appeared in all but one match on the outside for the Yotes so far this season and has made four starts.
• Ball's put away 10+ kills in three of the last four matches and set a new career high with 14 in the Yotes' win at Omaha. She's reached double-digit kills in seven matches.

 
Killin' it Efficiently

• Amanda Loschen has been as efficient as anyone in the Summit League so far this season as she leads the conference with a .361 hitting percentage.
• Since the start of conference play, she has increased her attack rate and is swinging at a .408 clip. She ranks No. 2 in league play in hitting percentage.
• Loschen has seven double-digit kill matches this season and has 10+ in each of the last two matches.
• She has swung at a .300 clip in 13 matches. She has seven matches at a .400+ clip.
• In USD's win over Denver, Loschen tallied 11 kills with no errors for a .579 hitting percentage and put away nine kills on 14 swings for a .643 clip.
• She put away eight kills on 15 swings with just one error for a .467% in the sweep of Ball State and had two solo blocks.
• Loschen also recorded a .400+ attack percentage in the five-set win over Montana State with 11 kills on 24 swings.

The Minis

• The Coyote backline has been amongst the NCAA's best this season.
• The Yotes rank No. 13 in the nation in digs per set at 16.99 and No. 25 in total digs with 1,240. USD leads the Summit League in both categories.
• The Yotes have two players in the top-10 in the Summit League rankings in total digs. Kamryn Farris leads the conference (350), while Avery Van Hook is No. 5 (234) and Lauren Medeck is just outside at No. 12 (189).
• Freshman Sierra Pokharel is No. 14 in the league with 164 digs.
• Farris is the only player in the Summit League averaging over 4.0 digs per set at 4.79.