Coyotes split pair of road games
The USD volleyball program opened the conference season with two consecutive home victories, but suffered their first setback of the conference slate at Oral Roberts before defeating Kansas City over the weekend.
The Coyotes (6-7, 3-1) fell to Oral Roberts in four sets Thursday evening in Tulsa, Okla. Oral Roberts won 25-19, 17-25, 25-19, 25-18.
Elizabeth Juhnke had another strong performance, tallying 11 kills and 23 digs in the loss for the Coyotes. Sami Slaughter had a team-high 13 kills and six blocks. Madison Harms pitched in eight kills and six blocks. Lolo Weideman tallied 11 digs defensively for the Coyotes.
Oral Roberts (10-3, 4-0) is 4-0 to start conference play for the first time since 2017, when the Golden Eagles made the Summit League Tournament and an appearance in the National Invitiational Volleyball Championship (NIVC).
Aixa Vigil tallied 16 kills and Trinity Freeman 14 for Oral Roberts. Bryanne Soares allid 47 assists and 14 digs. Sarah Thiessen added 17 digs and Jeslyn Spencer 12.
The Coyotes bounced back Saturday, as USD was in Kansas City to take on the Roos. USD took a five-set thriller 25-20, 25-20, 21-25, 19-25, 15-9.
Sami Slaughter went over 20 kills for the match, finishing with 21 kills to lead USD. Elizabeth Juhnke continued her double-double streak with 16 kills and 18 digs. Madison Harms added 16 kills. Madison Jurgens tallied 57 assists and Lolo Weideman 25 digs for the Coyotes.
Kansas City (12-5, 3-2) rallied from a 2-0 deficit and led the deciding fifth set before the Coyotes scored the final eight points to win the match.
The Roos had four hitters over 10 kills, with Melanie Breck leading the way with 16. De’Janae Arnold added 15 kills, Bree Thomspon 13 and Odyssey Warren 11. Alli Schomers pitched in 50 assists on the afternoon. Maddie Renn led the Roos defense with 18 digs, while Brecka added 15 and Kennedy Schritenthal 14.
The Coyotes play host to three conference opponents within the next week, including a match against the Summit League’s newest member, St. Thomas.
The Coyotes and Tommies are in action Thursday night at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls. The game counts as the Coyotes’ home match with St. Thomas and first serve is scheduled for 7 p.m.
The Coyotes then play in back-to-back matches over the extended weekend. Saturday at 10:30 a.m., USD hosts Western Illinois in the Sanford Coyote Sports Center (SCSC). The match is being played prior to the USD vs. North Dakota football game scheduled for 2 p.m. in the DakotaDome. Finally, Monday, the Coyotes host North Dakota in a 7 p.m. first serve inside the SCSC.
