VERMILLION, S.D. – For the first time in program history, South Dakota women's basketball is welcoming a service academy to Vermillion, as the Coyotes take the court against Air Force Friday morning for USD's second Education Day.
 
HOW TO FOLLOW ALONG
• South Dakota women's basketball will be available to watch on Midco Sports with Jay Elsen and Brad Newitt on the broadcast. The game will also be streaming on the Summit League Network powered by Midco Sports Plus.
• Fans can listen to Coyote women's basketball on the Coyotes Sports Network powered by Learfield on KVHT 106.3 FM with the voice of the Coyotes, Jerry Palleschi.
 
PROMOTIONS
• Friday's 11 a.m. tip-off inside the Sanford Coyote Sports Center is the second edition of Education Day for USD women's basketball.
• Students from local schools will be welcomed into the SCSC and treated to in game activities and Division I basketball. More info can be found here.
 
KEY STORYLINES
• South Dakota women's basketball began its 55th season Monday night against York (Neb.) University, picking up a 104-33 win.
• The 104 points is the most scored by the Coyotes during the Carrie Eighmey era of South Dakota women's basketball.
• All 14 Yotes who played also scored in the win. Thirteen of the 14 Coyotes recorded an assist and 12 of 14 grabbed a rebound in the balanced attack.
• Three Coyotes scored in double figures, led by Elise Turrubiates and Katy Reyerson with 16 points each. Freshmen Alyssa Bartlett added 11 points.
• South Dakota set an SCSC record with 12 blocks in Monday's game against York. Olivia Kieffer led the way with a career-best three.
• Thirteen of the 15 players on this year's roster are new to USD, including 9 transfers and 4 freshmen, and 12 of them made their debut Monday night.
• Of South Dakota's nine transfers, two of them should be familiar to Coyote fans, as Angelina Robles (Denver) and Jenna Hopp (SDSU) come from Summit League foes. A third, Josie Hill (Chicago State), is a South Dakota native, hailing from Rapid City.
• Two of South Dakota's four freshmen are from the Rushmore State, including one from Vermillion. Brooke Jensen (Vermillion) and Grace Peterson (Sioux Falls) join Josie Hill (Rapid City), Olivia Kieffer (Rapid City), and Coral Mason (Hurley) to give the Yotes five South Dakota athletes on the roster.
 
INSIDE THE AIR FORCE SERIES
• The Coyotes and Falcons meet for the 3rd time in series history.
• The Yotes are 1-1 against Air Force in program history.
• The previous meeting was a 73-66 win for the Falcons at the Academy.
• South Dakota only played eight players in last season's game, where the Yotes held an 11-point halftime lead.
• Olivia Kieffer had six points and six rebounds and Coral Mason totaled five points and two rebounds.
 
RECORD VS THE MOUNTAIN WEST
• The Coyotes went 0-2 against the Mountain West last season, but the Yotes will have a chance to avenge both losses this season.
• South Dakota is 7-6 all-time against Mountain West Conference opponents.
• Last season, South Dakota lost to Air Force 73-66 at Air Force and fell to Wyoming 79-45 at home.
• USD's lone win over Air Force in program history was prior to the Mountain West's founding in 1999, so that win doesn't count towards the Coyotes overall record against the conference.
 
CAREER MARKS
• A handful of Coyotes set career bests Monday night against York.
• Katy Reyerson, a transfer from UNI, set a career high with 16 points. Her five made field goals and six made free throws were also career highs.
• Outside of scoring, Reyerson set career bests in steals (3) and assists (2) and tied a best in blocks (2).
• Olivia Kieffer set a career high in blocks with 3 to lead the Yotes. Alex Flattery also had a career-high in blocks with 2.
 
SUMMIT LEAGUE PRESEASON HONORS
• South Dakota women's basketball was picked fourth in the conference's preseason poll after earning the seven seed in the conference tournament last season.
• Defending regular season and tournament champion South Dakota State was picked to win the conference again, followed by North Dakota State and Oral Roberts.
• With conference Player of the Year, USD's own Grace Larkins, graduating, SDSU's Brooklyn Meyer is the conference's preseason Player of the Year.
• South Dakota's Angelina Robles was named second team preseason all-Summit League.

10 YEARS OF SCSC SUCCESS
• South Dakota women's basketball is in its 10th season of calling the Sanford Coyote Sports Center, a building that has treated the Yotes well, home.
• USD is 108-24 inside the SCSC since the building opened in 2016.
• The Coyotes have had a winning record in the SCSC in 8 of the 9 seasons played in the SCSC.
• South Dakota has a record of 58-13 against Summit League foes in the SCSC, including a winning record against all eight current foes.
• USD is undefeated against two Summit League opponents: North Dakota (8-0) and Kansas City (4-0)
South Dakota has had two undefeated seasons at home during the SCSC era: 2018-19 and 2020-21.
USD's first win against a Top 25 opponent during the Div. I era came in the SCSC (No. 23/22 Iowa State on Nov. 28, 2018).
 
THE TRANSFER PORTAL ERA
• Over 1,500 women's basketball players entered the transfer portal following the 2024-25 season. USD is one of at least six programs with 13+ newcomers.
• USD is one of at least seven programs with 13+ newcomers.
• USD is one of at least 7 programs with at least 9 transfers.
• Seven of USD's nine transfers come from Div. I programs, including two from Summit League foes.
• South Dakota's transfers hail from 6 states: California (1), Iowa (4), Minnesota (1), New Mexico (1), South Dakota (1), and Washington (1).
 
NEW FACES ON THE BENCH
• Not only did the Coyotes bring in new players, but two new coaches will join Eighmey's staff in year two.
• Paul Fessler comes to USD as an assistant coach after one season at Georgia Southern, but also has strong ties to the Summit League, the Midwest, and to success.
• Fessler was a 16-year head coach of Concordia-St. Paul, where he racked up 326 wins and 10 NCAA Championship bids.
• After moving to the Division I ranks, Fessler coached at Bradley, making the NCAA Tournament in 2021, and at Kansas City before heading south.
• The second assistant coach to join the Yotes is Dalton Smith, a former student assistant for Eighmey's Nebraska-Kearney squads.
• Most recently, Smith was a director of video operations and analytics for Kansas State for the last three seasons.
• Smith was a student assistant for Eighmey and the Lopers, where UNK racked up 62 wins in three seasons.
• He then completed his Master's and was a GA for Wayne State, where he worked with two NSIC South Division Player of the Year athletes.
   
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