| SOUTH DAKOTA STATE AT ORAL ROBERTS, DENVER |
South Dakota State opens the Summit League season on the road at Oral Roberts Thursday and at Denver Saturday.
The Jacks enter the week with an 11-0 mark following an unbeaten non-conference season. Most recently, SDSU went 3-0 at the Jackrabbit Invitational hosted by the Jacks at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls.
Oral Roberts enters the weekend 2-11 while Denver is 5-5 overall.
KEY STORYLINES
- The Jackrabbits are one of seven remaining unbeaten teams in the country as of Thursday morning. Their 11-0 start is the program's best since starting 14-0 in 2000.
- Sydni Schetnan (co-offensive) and Madison Burr (defensive) are the reigning Summit League Peak Performers of the Week.
- As a team, SDSU ranks sixth in the country in blocks per set (3.08). Freshman middle Madison Burr (1.48) ranks 13th in the country in that category while Sydni Schetnan (1.35) ranks 38th.
- The Jacks have four of the top nine players in the Summit in terms of blocks per set - Madison Burr (second), Sydni Schetnan (third), Annalee Ventling-Brown (seventh) and Alyssa Groves (ninth).
- Sydni Schetnan leads the Summit League and is 24th in the nation with a .424 hitting percentage on the season.
- SDSU's offense is led by Sylvie Zgonc's 4.43 kills per set, which is first in the Summit League and 18th in the country.
- Sylvie Zgonc returns for her second season after Summit League Freshman of the Year and Summit First Team honors a year ago.
- The Jackrabbits lead the Summit in team hitting percentage (.244), kills (13.77 per set), blocks (3.08) and aces (1.80). The team holds opponent to a .140 clip and 1.08 aces per set, both of which are also first in the conference.
- Rylee Martin has 17 services aces on the season, the most in the Summit League, and averages .43 per set, which ranks second. Sylvie Zgonc is fifth in the same category (12 aces, .35 per set).
- SDSU's roster features a blend of seven returners and eight newcomers. The team comes with plenty of experience as there are eight players listed as a junior, senior or graduate student.
- SDSU will finally return to Brookings to play the first-ever event at the Jacks' newly-renovated First Bank & Trust Arena October 3. The Jacks host Kansas City for that match.
-GoJacks.com-