The Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) announced the 2024 Volleyball Preseason Coaches’ Poll on Wednesday, morning August 21, 2024, which featured Black Hills State University voted 14th by the league’s coaches with 26 points. The 2024 Yellow Jacket volleyball season gets underway in Billings, Montana, at the Yellowjacket Invitational, where they will face both Minot State and Montana State Billings on September 6.
2024 RMAC Volleyball Preseason Poll
School (First-place votes) Points
1-MSU Denver (7) 189
2-Colorado Mesa (6) 183
3-Regis (2) 174
4-South Dakota Mines 143
5-CSU Pueblo 139
6-Colorado Mines 137
7-Colorado Christian 126
8-Chadron State 96
9-Fort Lewis 86
10-Westminster 82
11-UCCS 75
12-Adams State 56
13-Western Colorado 40
14-Black Hills State 26
15-New Mexico Highlands 23
KEY RETURNERS:
Abigail Renner and Emily Freeland gives Black Hills State one of the top returning duos in the RMAC this upcoming season, as BHSU is one of six schools in the league to return their top-2 kills leaders and one of just two with both players posting 250 or more a year ago. The pair of six rotation players were two of the four Yellow Jackets to play all 98 sets last season, however they are the only ones of that respective group to return to the court in 2024.
Renner, a senior from Lander, Wyoming, returns for a fifth season in the green and gold after earning All-RMAC Honorable Mention last year. In 2023 she posted a total of 318 kills, ranking fifth in the RMAC, along with an average of 3.24 kills per set that was seventh in the league. Additionally, she notched ten double-doubles as she tacked on a total of 235 digs that was second on the team, averaging 2.40 per set. Renner will also be the top player at the service line and at the net for the Yellow Jackets, as she posted 28 aces and 35.0 blocks a year ago to lead all returners.
Freeland, a junior from Evanston, Wyoming, gives BHSU another attacking threat this upcoming year after ranking second on the team with 250 total kills a year ago and averaging 2.55 kills per set. Playing an active role on the defense as well, she recorded four double-doubles as she tallied 142 digs (the second most among BHSU returners) and averaged 1.45 digs per set as just a sophomore. Freeland will also be second among returners at the service line and at the net, posting 14 aces and 32.0 blocks a year ago.
IMPACT NEWCOMERS:
Black Hills State will look to fill the void at the libero position following the graduation of Haedyn Rhoades as they bring in junior college transfer Ellie Thomas from Northwest College. The native of Gillette, Wyoming, was one of the top players in program history at NC, where she set the single season (516) and career (967) digs records. Prior to her time with the Trappers, she was a 2021 All-State selection and was named the 4A Defensive Player of the Year while leading Thunder Basin High School to back-to-back third place state tournament finishes.
Another impact player transferring into the BHSU program will be outside hitter, Brooke Miller, who spent last season at NCAA Division I Northern Arizona. The native of Las Vegas, Nevada, appeared in four matches during her time with the Lumberjacks. Previously she had spent a pair of seasons at Grossmont College where she helped lead the Griffins to the CCCAA Tournament Quarterfinals in 2021 and 2022. Miller tallied 321 kills and 281 digs, averaging 2.38 and 2.08 per set respectively during her time with GC.
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