Gunnison, Colo.    Mountaineer Volleyball begins conference play at home as they host South Dakota Mines and Black Hills State on Fri. Sept. 19 at 6pm and Sat. Sept. 20 at 5pm.
 
WESTERN COLORADO GOING INTO THE WEEKEND | 2025 STATS

• Western Colorado enters the season with a 1–7 record, gaining valuable experience through its first eight matches.
• The Mountaineers have combined for 241 kills on 848 attempts, with 224 assists and 40 service aces fueling their offensive efforts.
• Defensively, WCU has recorded 280 digs and 30 total blocks, showing persistence in the back row, and developing presence at the net.
• Senior Olive Rolseth leads the attack with 75 kills and adds 6 service aces, while junior Liv Marshall has contributed 61 kills and 42 digs, providing balanced production.
• Freshman setter Anuhea Kaalele has guided the offense with 87 assists, while sophomore Galatia Andrew anchors the defense with 64 digs (2.56 per set). Junior Kyra Kidd has chipped in 9 blocks to strengthen the net defense.
• Overall, individual performances from Rolseth, Marshall, Kaalele, and Andrew highlight the Mountaineers' talent and potential.
• With continued focus on blocking and team coordination, WCU is positioned to grow stronger as the season progresses.

S.D. MINES GOING INTO THE WEEKEND | 2025 STATS

• South Dakota Mines enters the stretch with an 0–8 record, working to turn promising effort into wins.
• Through eight matches, the Hardrockers have recorded 363 kills on 1,099 attack attempts (attack pct .176), with 344 assists and 36 service aces, showing offensive activity though still seeking consistency.
• Defensively, the team has collected 446 digs and has begun building its block presence with 54 total blocks.
• Leading the team offensively: Morgan Daugherty tops the list with 91 kills, followed closely by Lexi Glendenning at 87 kills. On the serve side, Hannah Joseph has assisted most frequently with 235 assists. In the defensive backrow, Hannah Benes has led with 128 digs.
• Overall, there are strong individual efforts—even amid the team's struggles—with players like Daugherty, Glendenning, Joseph, and Benes showing they can make consistency happen.
• As S.D. Mines continues to build chemistry, focusing on improving attack efficiency, reducing errors, and strengthening block coordination will be key to closing the gap in matches.

BLACK HILLS STATE GOING INTO THE WEEKEND | 2025 STATS

• Black Hills State enters the season with an 0-4 record, working to sharpen its performance in both offense and defense.
• The team has totaled 166 kills on 512 attack attempts (attack percentage .146), along with 155 assists and 16 service aces, showing effort though still seeking efficiency.
• Defensively, BHSU has recorded 196 digs and has contributed 25.0 total blocks, showing tenacity in the back row and growing presence at the net.
• Offensively, Emily Freeland leads with 53 kills, followed by Randi Wellhoefer with 32 and Jaeda Davis-Golliher with 26. On assists, Elena Atkinson is the top distributor with 96 assists. In defense, Ellie Thomas has led with 57 digs.
• While the team is still searching for consistency—especially in attack percentage and minimizing errors—these individual performances by Freeland, Wellhoefer, Atkinson, and Thomas highlight the talent and competitive potential.

UP NEXT
Mountaineer Volleyball hits the road again to take on RMAC opponents Regis University and Chadron State on Friday and Saturday Sept. 26 & 27.

For more information visit gomountaineers.com.