GUNNISON, Colo.  The Mountaineer volleyball and football teams are in action on the road and at home, with volleyball heading to South Dakota and eighth-ranked football hosting at Mojo Field in Mountaineer Bowl at the Rady Family Sports Complex.

VOLLEYBALL at SOUTH DAKOTA MINES
Fri., Sept. 11, 6 p.m. | King Center | Rapid City, S.D.
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VOLLEYBALL at BLACK HILLS STATE
Sat., Sept. 12, 5:30 p.m. | Donald E Young Center | Spearfish, S.D.
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• Western kicked off the season with a 4-0 start – the program's best start to a campaign since 2001's 6-0 start – when hosting its inaugural Virginia Harris/Jeanie Miller Invitational. But the Mountaineers saw their overall record even to 4-4 after participating in in the Hawaii Challenge in Honolulu.
• The weekend's matches against the Hardrockers and the Yellow Jackets open Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference action for Western.
• Overall, the Mountaineers have a 9-5 record against S.D. Mines and are winners of five of the past eight outings. Mines won last year's match, 3-0, in Gunnison. Western and Black Hills are 8-8 over the series history, with the Yellow Jackets' win last season breaking a four-match winning streak by Western.
• Kyra Kidd is 14th in the RMAC in total blocks with 20, while teammate Galatia Andrew leads the conference in digs per set at 4.82 (106 total digs).
• Mines' Maria Bouman is second in the league in hitting percentage (.380), and Izzy Saiki leads the Black Hills attack with 86 total kills, 13th most in the RMAC

No. 8 FOOTBALL vs. CHADRON STATE
Sat., Sept. 12, 6 p.m. | Mountaineer Bowl | Gunnison, Colo.
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• Coming off a hard-fought 23-21 win over Angelo State in non-conference action, the Mountaineers begin RMAC action with Saturday's game against visiting Chadron State.
• The Eagles ran off a 15-game winning streak over the Mountaineers beginning with the 2000 season's game, but the Mountaineers have topped CSC in six of the last nine meetings. Last season's 27-24 loss in overtime broke a five-game win streak by Western.
• Chadron is coming off a week in which linebacker Jarred Marquez earned the RMAC's defensive player of the week, and punter Triston Hit earned the special teams player of the week.
• Western is averaging 37.5 points per game and surrendering 21.0 PPG, compared with Chadron State's 20.5 PPG on offense and 31.5 PPG allowed by its defense.
• Leading the league in totals sacks (8), Western's rush defense gives up only 75 yards per game while the Mountaineer ground attack is churning out 189 YPG.
• Chadron's pass defense is second best in the league (175 YPG) but that could be because teams are finding success running the ball against the Eagles, who are giving up 214 yards on the ground per game.
• If Western can punish the Eagle defense on the ground, bringing the back seven in closer to the line of scrimmage, it should open up shots downfield for Mountaineer quarterback Josiah Roy, who has thrown for 390 total yards and 6 touchdowns through the opening two games of the season.