Women’s Basketball: Undefeated Summit Champions

Back Row (l-r): Aaron Horn, Dawn Plitzuweit, Kylea Sheley, Caleb Heim, Hannah Sjerven, Alexi Hempe, Monica Arens, Regan Sankey, Liv Korngable, Allison Peplowski, Jeniah Ugofsky, Jason Jeschke, Alex Antonen, Jenna Schlafke Front Row: Malika Glover, Macy Guebert, Ciara Duffy, Madison McKeever, Taylor Frederick, Claudia Kunzer, Megan Bonar, Chloe Lamb, Britni Smith

The team celebrates on the court after defeating South Dakota St.

espnW Mid-Major Player of the Year, senior Ciara Duffy

The South Dakota volleyball team produced a second straight memorable season under head coach Leanne Williamson in the fall of 2019.

The Coyotes won a school-record 31 matches, claimed the Summit League regular season title with a perfect 16-0 record and despite not qualifying for the NCAA Tournament, won four postseason matches in the National Invitational Volleyball Championships before falling in the title match to Georgia Tech.

The 31-3 season included a school-record 24 match win streak while a 14-1 mark inside the Sanford Coyote Sports Center saw an average attendance of 1,167 which included a record 2,431 to view the Georgia Tech match.

Three Coyotes captured individual honors from the Summit League while a total of five members were honored following a season that saw nine new team records in the Division I era.

Elizabeth Juhnke, the Summit League Freshman of the Year, led the league in kills (520) and kills per set (4.23) while also contributing 356 digs and 87 total blocks. The Lakeville, Minnesota, native, was named to the American Volleyball Coaches Association All Region team and was the Region Freshman of the Year.

Juhnke, who earned all-tourney honors following the season-opening weekend in Indianapolis, her first collegiate contests, hammered home a seasonhigh 27 kills in a thrilling five-set win over the Big Ten’s Iowa Hawkeyes in front of 1,637 fans inside the Sanford Coyote Sports Center.

Junior Sami Slaughter

The Yotes celebrate a point on the court

The Iowa match also featured a season-high 56 assists from sophomore Madison Jurgens, named the Summit League Setter of the Year after leading the league and ranking sixth nationally in assists per set at 11.72. Jurgens’ 1,442 assists were third-most in a single season while she also provided 331 digs, 45 service aces and 76 kills.

Sophomore Madison Jurgens