DENVER, Colo. — Morgan Bode set a four-set program record with 13 blocks Saturday, but South Dakota volleyball fell in four sets to Denver at Hamilton Gymnasium.
 
Three of Bode's 13 blocks on the day were solo rejections and sets a new program record held previously by Melissa Firtko, Nicole Johnson and Madison Harms who were tied for the most with 12 in a four-setter. As a team, the Coyotes totaled 15.0 blocks, the second most in a match this year.
 
Lauren Medeck paced the Yotes with 13 kills and had a double-double with 10 digs. Amanda Loschen, the Yotes leader in hitting percentage this season, put away 11 kills on an errorless 19 swings for a .579 clip.
 
Each team had a pair of extended runs early in the first set, and USD would take a 12-10 edge with a 7-1 run. Loschen was in on three of the final five points in the spurt with a pair of kills and a block. However, the Pioneers used a 5-1 run to grab a 21-18 lead late and would hold off the Yotes to take set one 25-22. Denver hit .258 in the first while holding USD to a .219 clip.
 
The Coyote block was the difference in the second set with eight total team blocks, compared to just one from the Pios. Of the eight USD blocks, Bode was involved in seven of them with a pair of solo rejections. Loschen led the Coyote attack in the frame with four kills on five swings, while Medeck added three. Loschen kicked off the set with three straight kills as the Yotes would race out to a 9-1 lead. Three of the final four points in the run saw Bode involved in three blocks. Denver would close the gap to three, but the Yotes held the lead throughout to a 25-18 set win.
 
Denver's attack regrouped in the third with .306 hitting percentage to USD's .135. Bode continued to show her presence at the net as she was involved in all three of the Coyotes blocks in the third. Denver utilized a 6-0 run in the middle of the set to pull ahead 17-12. The Yotes, however, answered with four straight to pull within one, but the Pios scored seven of the next nine to take the third set.
 
Needing to force a fifth set, the Yotes put together their best hitting percentage set of the match at .333, but the Pios would secure more kills 19-14. A neck-in-neck set saw seven lead changes and the score tied 14 times. Trailing 13-15, the Yotes scored on nine of the next 13 rallies to pull ahead 22-19. Three straight errors by the Yotes and three Denver kills in a row closed out the set 25-23 and match 3-1.
 
The Coyotes return to the Sanford Coyote Sports Center next Thursday to host St. Thomas at 7 p.m.
 
Notes

• The Coyotes move to 9-6 on the season and 1-2 in the Summit League
• Morgan Bode set a new four-set program record with 13 blocks
• Amanda Loschen hit .500+ for the second match in a row
• The Yotes 15 total blocks was the second most in a match this season
• Bode is the first Coyote with 10+ blocks in a match since Madison Harms (vs Drake, 9/7/23)