VERMILLION, S.D. — After a 3-0 week, the South Dakota volleyball team will hit the road for a pair of matches this week against St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota Thursday and at South Dakota State Saturday in Brookings, South Dakota.
 
Where To Watch

• Both of South Dakota's matches this week can be found on the Summit League Network and Midco Sports Plus.

Key Storylines

• Following a 3-0 week, South Dakota will face two tough road tests at St. Thomas Thursday and at South Dakota State Saturday night.
• SDSU, St. Thomas and South Dakota enter this week's matches as the top three teams in the Summit League standings.
• This will be the Coyotes first week of the conference season where both matches are on the road. Four out of the first five weeks of the Summit League slate as been a home / away split.  
• Through seven Summit League matches, the Coyotes are holding opponents to the second lowest hitting percentage in the conference at .184. The Jackrabbits lead the conference with a .153 opponent hitting percentage.
• USD leads the conference in digs per set during conference play (15.44), are No. 2 in kills per set (13.85) and No. 3 in hitting percentage (.247).
• The Coyote backrow is among the NCAA's elite ranking No. 15 nationally in digs per set at 16.73. USD ranks No. 15 in total digs with 1,405. USD leads the Summit League in both categories.
• USD's offense, directed by Avery Van Hook, ranks No. 34 in assists per set (12.88), No. 22 in attacks per set (36.7) and No. 24 in kills per set (13.88).
• The reigning Summit League Defensive Player of the Year, Kamryn Farris, leads the Summit League in total digs (394) and digs per set (4.69). She ranks 29th in the NCAA in digs per set and No. 22 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 (317) and total points (351.5). Medeck ranks No. 3 in kills and No. 4 in points during Summit League play.
• The floor general, Avery Van Hook, paces the conference with 878 total assists. She also leads the league with a 10.45 assists per set average. Van Hook is No. 5 in the NCAA in assists and No. 15 in assists per set.
• Van Hook also ranks No. 6 in the conference in digs with 257 on the year.
• Amanda Loschen continues to terminate at a high efficiency as she's hitting .358 with 190 kills on the season. During Summit League play, Loschen ranks No. 2 in the league with a .388 hitting percentage with 84 kills.
• When out of system, the Yotes have turned to Farris who has tallied 122 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.
• Audrey Nelson was red-hot in the Yotes three matches last week, recording a .450+ hitting percentage in all three contests. In the second match of the week, Nelson put away 11 kills on 12 swings across sets 2-4 to help lead USD to a 3-1 win.
• Leanne Williamson is in year 12 as the head coach at USD and holds a program best 246-108 record. 

Midway Point

• The Coyotes hold a 7-3 record in the Summit League and are third in the standings just past the midway point of the conference season.
• South Dakota has racked up the road miles to start the conference slate after having five of the first eight league matches be on the road.
• After this week featuring two road matches, the Coyotes will close the regular season three of the final four matches in the SCSC.

Heating up on the Outside

• Audrey Nelson found her rhythm at the pin last week as she swung at a .450+ clip in all three matches.
• Nelson started the week with nine kills and just one error for a .471 swing rate in a four-set win over NDSU.
• She matched her career-high of 12 kills in a 3-1 win over Denver Thursday. After Denver took the first set, Nelson was key in the Coyote attack over sets 2-4 as she put away 11 kills on 12 swings with no errors.
• In the sweep of UND Saturday, she posted her second straight errorless match with seven kills on 15 swings (.467%).

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 eclipsed 200 career blocks last week and sits No. 4 in the conference with 83.0 on the season. 

Dropping Dimes

• Avery Van Hook enters Thursday's match three assists shy of 3,000 in her career.
• Van Hook ranks No. 5 across the NCAA with 878 assists on the season and No. 15 in assists per set (10.45).
• Van Hook has guided the Yotes to a .247 hitting percentage in Summit League play, which ranks No. 3 in the conference.
• Van Hook's also a threat to call her own number as she's totaled 43 kills in 10 conference matches and has six straight with 3+ kills. 

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 .358 hitting percentage.
• Since the start of conference play, she has increased her attack rate and is swinging at a .388 clip. She ranks No. 2 in league play in hitting percentage.
• Loschen has seven double-digit kill matches this season.
• She has swung at a .300 clip in 16 matches. She has eight 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. 15 in the nation in digs per set at 16.73 and No. 15 in total digs with 1,405. 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 (394), while Avery Van Hook is No. 6 (257).
• In Summit League play, Farris paces the league with 163 digs and a 4.18 digs/set average. Van Hook is No. 9 (105, 2.69) and Sam Untiedt is No. 12 (93, 2.38). 

Winning Traditions

• Over the past seven seasons, the Coyotes have seen their fair share of success with either a Summit League Regular Season or Tournament Championship in each of those seven seasons.
• In 2022, South Dakota was crowned the regular season champions after posting a 16-2 league record and also claimed the tournament championship. It was the first time in program history, the Yotes claimed both titles in the same season.
• From 2020-22 the Coyotes won three straight conference tournaments and have five postseason titles in the last seven seasons.
• USD became the first Summit League team to win the postseason title as the No. 3 seed or higher, winning three games in three days.
• The Coyotes have made five appearances at the NCAA D1 National Tournament, most recently in 2024 when the Yotes faced No. 2 seeded Creighton in Omaha, Nebraska.

Fast Starts

• Under head coach Leanne Williamson, the Coyotes have been extremely successful when getting out to fast starts in matches.
• The Yotes are 189-22 since 2014 when they've won the first set in a match.
• The loss against SDSU earlier this season snapped a 26-game win streak when the Coyotes took the first set of a match.
• South Dakota went 14-0 in 2024 when winning the first set.
• When taking the first two sets in a match, USD is 134-4 under Williamson and has won 28 straight.
• The Coyotes started fast against Oral Roberts Saturday, and made quick work of the third set with a 25-8 set win to close the sweep.
• The eight points allowed in the third set was the lowest total scored by an opponent in a set this season.