The Black Hills State University volleyball team has unveiled their 2024 schedule, announced by head coach Bree Davis. The 26-match slate is set to begin on September 6 at the Yellowjacket Invitational in Montana. Entering the new season, Davis has added Haedyn Rhoades and Hannah Lamon to her staff as graduate assistants.
Haedyn is set to return to the Yellow Jacket bench this season, albeit in a new role. “We are so excited to have Haedyn (Rhoades) and Hannah (Lamon) back in new roles this upcoming season,” noted Davis. “Both of them began their coaching careers with us this spring semester and it has been so fun to watch them grow and learn. I look forward to continuing to work with them and mentor them!”
The Yellow Jackets will open the season with a trip to the state of Montana for the Yellowjacket Invitational, hosted by Montana State University Billings in the first weekend of September (Sept. 6-7). At the invite, BHSU will play both MSU Billings and Minot State (N.D.) twice to open the campaign.
The following week, Black Hills State will host their own classic and conclude the non-conference slate with the three-day Yellow Jacket Classic on September 12-14 inside A2 Arena. The Yellow Jackets will open the home slate with a rematch against the familiar Yellowjackets of Montana State Billings on Thursday, September 12 at 7:00 p.m.
I am really excited to be hosting the Yellow Jacket Classic again. To be able to play half of our non-conference schedule at home is a big deal. With how extensive the RMAC travel schedule is, it is really good for the girls to be home the week leading into conference play,” commented Davis. “Additionally, we have some fun home match-ups throughout the year, seeing us at home for Homecoming for the first time in a very long time. I am looking forward to our team getting to play in front of rowdy Homecoming crowd and hopefully break some attendance records too!”
The Classic continues into Saturday with a pair of matches against Eastern New Mexico University of the Lone Star Conference (LSC) and Minnesota – Crookston out of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (NSIC). Matches are slated for 2:00 and 6:00 p.m., respectively.
The 2024 Yellow Jacket Classic will conclude on Saturday, September 14 at 5:30 p.m. with a clash against the second NSIC school and fellow South Dakota institution of the Cougars of the University of Sioux Falls.
RMAC play is set to begin on September 20 and 21 when BHSU welcomes UCCS and Regis to A2 Arena. Regis is coming off their 2023 RMAC Tournament title run as the No. 3-seed, before falling in a hard fought five-set clash against Angelo State in the NCAA Regional Quarterfinal.
The first league road trip of the season will be September 27-28 when the Yellow Jackets will visit Pueblo and Alamosa, Colorado to battle the Thunderwolves and Adams State, which will also conclude the opening month of the schedule.
“Every year the RMAC is a dog fight. Standards and expectations raised in our gym which should put us in a good position to compete,” noted Davis on the strength of the RMAC heading into the 2024 season. “We are looking to battle in each match and give ourselves a shot at that RMAC Tournament Bid.”
The month of October will open with four-straight home matches inside A2 Arena on the campus of Black Hills State University. In the first mid-week installment of the year, BHSU will welcome I-90 rival in the South Dakota School of Mines to Spearfish for a 6:00 p.m. clash on Tuesday, October 1.
The homestand continues with the welcoming of Chadron State to town the following Friday, October 4 for a 6:00 p.m. clash. The following week, Fort Lewis and Western Colorado will make trek to western South Dakota for matches on October 11-12.
A stretch of three-straight road matches follows, first with a trip to the Denver metro area for clashes with the defending RMAC Regular Season champions of MSU Denver on Friday, October 18. A Roadrunner squad that advanced to the NCAA Regional Final in 2023. The weekend trip will conclude with a match against the Orediggers of the Colorado School of Mines on October 19.
“(Abby) Renner is coming back to us for her fifth and final year. Her maturity on the court was fun to watch this spring but even more exciting was watching her develop and step into a vocal leadership role,” said Davis. “Additionally, we are returning (Emily) Freeland who played in every match last Fall. Emily has done a wonderful job putting herself in a position to compete well at the net and back row this upcoming season.”
The road stretch will wrap up with a return trip down I-90 to the King Center for the second regular season clash with the Hardrockers of the South Dakota School of Mines for a first serve slated for 7:00 p.m. in Rapid City.
BHSU will end the month of October of Saturday, October 26 when they play host to New Mexico Highlands at 11:00 a.m. inside the Donald E. Young Center.
The 2024 RMAC Power Pod will see Black Hills State head down to Gunnison, Colorado for matches against both Western Colorado and New Mexico Highlands on Friday and Saturday, November 1-2, completing the regular season meetings between the two squads.
“(Jaeda) Davis-Golliher also returns to the court after taking a medical redshirt this past fall. She is a seasoned veteran in the RMAC and is healthy and ready to go. Jaeda is going to be big for us in the Middle position this season and I look forward to seeing her compete again,” concluded Davis. “We have a ton of new faces and returners that I am excited to see compete. A big role we are looking to fill is the Libero position. Haedyn has worn the jersey for five years and we are going to see a new face in that jersey this fall. The competition is heating up in the gym and I look forward to seeing the team battle.”
The final road trip of the season will be BHSU make trips to Chadron, Nebraska to square off with the Chadron State Eagles and Lakewood, Colorado to battle the Colorado Christian Cougars.
The regular season will come to a close on the weekend of November 15 and 16, when Colorado Mesa and Westminster make the journey out to Spearfish. BH will face the Mavericks on November 15 at 2:00 p.m., followed by Westminster on November 16 at 11:00 a.m.