VERMILLION, S.D. — South Dakota volleyball opens up the Summit League Tournament Monday at 3 p.m. against No. 3 seed St. Thomas in the semifinals round. The Yotes secured the No. 2 seed in the championships after posting a 12-4 record during the Summit League season.
 
Where To Watch

• The Summit League Tournament is available to watch on Midco Sports Plus and the Summit League Network.
   

Key Storylines

• Head coach Leanne Williamson made Summit League history in the Yotes win over Kansas City (11/8/25) as she became the winningest coach in conference history with 249 overall wins and 147 Summit League wins.
• South Dakota had six players recognized on the All-Summit League teams, highlighted by a second straight Defensive Player of the Year honor for Kamryn Farris. Farris was joined on the All-Summit League First Team by Lauren Medeck. Avery Van Hook, Morgan Bode and Amanda Loschen were second team selections, while Ava Ball was named to the All-Freshman team.
• USD led the conference with 985 digs during the Summit League season and was No. 2 with a 15.63 digs per set average. The Yotes were No. 3 in kills per set (13.33), blocks per set (2.11) and held opponents to the second lowest hitting percentage (.168).
• The Coyote backrow is among the NCAA's elite ranking No. 19 nationally in digs per set at 16.56. USD ranks No. 21 in total digs with 1,788. USD leads the Summit League in both categories.
• USD's offense, directed by Avery Van Hook, ranks No. 658 in assists per set (12.52), No. 49 in attacks per set (36.47) and No. 52 in kills per set (13.57). Van Hook was one of three players in the NCAA to record 1,000+ assists, 300+ digs and 100+ kills this season.
• The back-to-back Summit League Defensive Player of the Year, Kamryn Farris, leads the Summit League in total digs (504) and digs per set (4.67). She ranks 33rd in the NCAA in digs per set and No. 24 in total digs. Farris has recorded 500+ digs in each of the last two seasons.
• 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.
• Amanda Loschen terminated at a high efficiency during league play with a .347 hitting percentage with 131 kills, which was higher than the three players with a higher hitting percentage than her.
• When out of system, the Yotes have turned to Farris who has tallied 157 assists on the season. She has three of double-doubles already on the season (digs and assists).
• Morgan Bode was a brick wall at the net at Denver on October 4, 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.
• Freshman Ava Ball, who led USD in kills during league play, had a career high 17 kills at South Dakota State earlier this season on a .300 hitting percentage and had two aces and six digs.
• Sierra Pokharel has tallied nine aces over the last four matches and has had an ace in 10 of the last 11 matches.
• Following last week's win over Omaha, the Coyotes moved to 8-0 on the season in matches following a loss.
• Leanne Williamson is in year 12 as the head coach at USD and holds a program best 251-109 record.

 
20 / 12 wins in a season

• With the win in Tuesday's match over NDSU, the Coyotes secured their 12th win in Summit League play this season, marking the ninth time the team has won 12 conference games under head coach Leanne Williamson.
• The victory was also the 20th win of the season, which is the seventh time the team has posted 20+ wins in a season with Williamson at the helm.

 
Made History

• Head coach Leanne Williamson made Summit League history last week as she became the winningest coach in conference history with 249 overall wins and 147 Summit League wins.
• Since taking over as the bench boss in 2014, the Coyotes have won over 15 games each year and 20+ six times. The Yotes put together a 31-3 record in the 2019 season, including a perfect 16-0 record in Summit League play.
• South Dakota has now won 10 or more Summit League matches in 11 of the last 12 seasons under Williamson.
• In each of the last seven seasons, the Coyotes have won either the Summit League regular season or tournament championship. The 2022 season saw USD accumulate a 29-4 record (16-2 SL) and claimed the Summit League title in the regular season and postseason tournament.

 
Ball Out

• Freshman Ava Ball set a new career-high a couple weeks ago in the Yotes loss to SDSU with 17 kills on a .300 clip.
• Ball had eight double-digit kills matches during the Summit League season and 10 on the season.
• She has had an ace in five of the last six matches and had a career-high of three against Kansas City.
• She has seven matches on the year with a .300+ hitting percentage.

 
Heating up on the Outside

• Audrey Nelson was on fire at the pin a couple weeks ago as she swung at a .450+ clip in all three matches (10/21-25).
• 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. 4 in the Summit League in blocks (108 ), No. 4 in solo blocks (20) and No. 5 in blocks per set (1.02).
• The sophomore eclipsed 200 career blocks earlier this season.

 
Dropping Dimes

• Avery Van Hook ranks No. 12 across the NCAA with 1,095 assists on the season and No. 36 in assists per set (10.14).
• Van Hook has guided the Yotes to a 13.18 kills per set average during Summit League play which ranks No. 3 in the conference.
• Van Hook ended the regular season one of three players in the NCAA to total 1,000+ assists, 300+ digs and 100+ kills.

 
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.

 
Chased the Feeling

• The Coyotes mantra in the 2024 season was "Chase the Feeling" meaning the dogpile at the end of the conference tournament after winning the program's fifth tournament title in the previous seven seasons.
• The Coyotes became the first team in Summit League history to win three matches in three days to capture the title.
• After sweeping Kansas City in the quarterfinals, the Coyotes avenged a pair of regular season sweeps over Omaha and South Dakota State.
• The Yotes swept the Mavericks 3-0 in the semifinals and would win their third match in as many days with a 3-2 win over the Jackrabbits to claim the title and punch their ticket to the NCAA Tournament.