Things to watch: South Dakota volleyball Fans Receives More Tantalizing News to Cheer About

The South Dakota volleyball team celebrated Senior Day with a sweep against Oral Roberts on Saturday afternoon at the Sanford Coyote Sports Center. Senior Kylen Sealock led the charge with a match-high 19 kills and a hitting percentage of .275.

Senior Cheyenne Hlady added 10 kills on 21 attempts for a .429 hitting percentage and contributed a block, while seniors Alaina Wolff recorded eight digs and Barrett Power provided three assists.

Lauren Medeck was the most efficient hitter for the Coyotes, scoring 10 kills at a .526 attack rate with no errors, and she recorded a double-double with 10 digs. Avery Van Hook also achieved a double-double, finishing with 37 assists and 11 digs. Kamryn Farris led the match with 19 digs, along with one ace and four assists.

Sealock started the match strong, securing kills for three of South Dakota’s first five points. She sparked a 6-1 run mid-set, helping the Coyotes take control with a 17-10 lead. A kill from Sealock put USD on set point, and Morgan Bode sealed the opening set with a kill. Hlady contributed four kills on five swings, Medeck added three on six attempts, and Wolff made four digs in the first set.

The Yotes carried their momentum into the second set, scoring the first four points and then going on an 11-2 run to gain a 22-9 advantage. During this stretch, Medeck served two aces, Hlady tallied two consecutive kills, and Sealock added a kill and a block. The second set ended similarly to the first, with Sealock putting USD on set point and Bode scoring the final point to give the Coyotes a 2-0 lead in the match. Medeck excelled in the second set, with four kills on seven attempts, three digs, and two aces.

In the third set, Amanda Loschen, Medeck, and Hlady each contributed two kills in an 8-1 run that put South Dakota ahead 12-9. After trailing late in the set at 21-20, the senior outside hitters closed out the Senior Day sweep with Hlady scoring two quick kills followed by three straight kills from Sealock to win the set 25-22 and the match 3-0. In the third set, Sealock recorded seven kills on 14 swings, while Hlady had four, and both Medeck and Loschen contributed three each.

South Dakota will be on the road for the next three matches, starting Thursday in Fargo, N.D., against North Dakota State at 5:30 p.m.

Notes:

• South Dakota improved to 17-6 on the season, with a 9-3 record in Summit League play and 8-2 at home.
• The Coyotes have won seven of their last eight matches and five straight at home.
• South Dakota completed sweeps in both matchups against Oral Roberts this season.
• Kamryn Farris has had double-digit digs in 17 consecutive matches.
• Kylen Sealock has recorded double-digit kills in her last eight matches.
• In addition to Sealock’s 19 kills, both Lauren Medeck and Cheyenne Hlady also reached double digits with 10 kills each.
• Medeck had a .526 hitting percentage, while Hlady hit at a .429 clip.
• Avery Van Hook recorded her 14th double-double of the season with 37 assists and 11 digs.
• USD hit .355 overall in the match; this marked their fifth match this season with an attack rate over .300 and the second over .350.
• The Coyotes have celebrated Senior Day with victories for three consecutive years, each time achieving a sweep.