RAPID CITY/SPEARFISH, S.D. – The Western New Mexico University volleyball team, off to a strong 8-3 start, will look to keep it going on their current road trip to South Dakota against South Dakota School of Mines and Technology and Black Hills State. The Lady Mustangs already began the road swing well with a convincing 3-0 victory against New Mexico Highlands on Tuesday.

First up on Friday night at 7 p.m. will be a matchup against the Hardrockers of South Dakota Mines. They are in their first season in the RMAC and this will be their first home match of the season and are currently 2-8 overall and 0-2 in RMAC play having lost to Colorado Mines and Colorado Christian. The last time WNMU played South Dakota Mines was 2013 when the Lady Mustangs claimed a 3-1 victory. Mikkella Reese leads the team in kills with 110, while Anna Breidt has added 100. Elizabeth Jensen sets the table for the offense with 350 assists, while on defense Kylie Mille has 177 digs and Breidt has 23 blocks.

To close the trip on Saturday WNMU will face Black Hills State at 5 p.m. The two teams didn't play each other last year and the last meeting in 2013 was an epic one in which the Lady Mustangs fought back from a 2-0 deficit to win in five in Spearfish. The Yellow Jackets are 3-7 overall and 0-2 in RMAC play having also lost to Colorado Christian and Colorado Mines. Just like South Dakota Mines, this will be their first home matches of the season when they face New Mexico Highlands on Friday and WNMU on Saturday. Danielle Torpey leads in kills with 107 and Brynn Eckhardt has 301 assists. On defense, Lacy Stevens has 166 digs and Shelby Mayer has 30 blocks.

WNMU is 8-3 overall and 3-0 in RMAC play having won their last two matches in 3-0 fashion against Western State and New Mexico Highlands. Leeta Grap (Kamuela, HI/Hawaii Preparatory Academy) leads the way for the offense with 171 kills, while Heather Verrill (Barstow, CA/Barstow ) has added 90 and 77 from Shannon Rich (Folsom, CA/Folsom). Melanie Hughes (Riverside, CA/Martin Luther King Jr.) continues to set the table with 360 assists, while on defense Ashley Mataele (Laie, HI/Kahuku) has 205 digs and Grap has 126. When it comes to blocks Verrill has 38 and Rich with 34.

In terms of NCAA national rankings WNMU is 13^th in digs per set (18.82), 26^th in team digs (734), 46^th in assists per set (12.41), 51^st in opposition hitting percentage (.139) and 56^th in kills per set (13.26). When it comes to RMAC rankings WNMU is first in digs per set, first in opposition hitting percentage and second in team digs, team attacks per set (40.26) and match win-loss percentage (.700).

Individually, Grap is 27^th in total kills and 28^th in total attacks (432) which ranks her second in the RMAC in both categories. She is also 32^nd in kills per set (4.00) and 42^nd in points per set (4.37), also good for second in the RMAC in both. Mataele is 63^rd in digs per set (5.03), second in the RMAC and Verrill is 76^th in hitting percentage (.341), good for second in the RMAC.

Live video and stats will be available for both matches. After this road trip, the Lady Mustangs will have the next four matches at home.