OMAHA, Neb. - Having kicked off Redemption Week with a commanding 3-1 victory over South Dakota State Thursday night, there is still one last team in the Summit League the Mavericks are looking to get even with, South Dakota.

Currently sitting in first place in the league at 19-2 overall and 8-1, the Coyotes come to Omaha in first place in the conference and as winners of six straight matches. South Dakota is currently the only team in the Summit League Omaha has yet to beat this season after falling by the slimmest of margins in a 2-3 loss in Vermillion, S.D. earlier this season. It's been almost a month since then, however, and the Mavericks have fully hit their stride in October, entering the weekend in second place in the Summit League at 13-7 overall and 8-2 in the conference. If they beat South Dakota on Saturday, it will place atop the Summit League for the first time this season.

Weekend Slate

• Saturday, October 22, vs. South Dakota (18-2, 7-1) at 3 p.m.
  • Stats: omavs.com
  • Video: omavs.com & Cox YurView
  • Radio: MavRadio

Quick Hits

• After getting even with South Dakota State Thursday night with a 3-1 victory, the Mavericks have extended their historic winning streak to eight. This ties them with the 2015 team for the second longest winning streak in the program's Division I history. Omaha has also won 24 of its last 26 sets played during this streak which dates all the way back to September 29.
• The streak has propelled the Mavericks into second place in the Summit League and only half a game behind South Dakota for first. Before the streak began, Omaha was sitting near the bottom of the standings at 5-7 overall and 0-2 in the conference. South Dakota had handed UNO its first conference loss with a razor thin 3-2 victory at home that saw the final set go past 15 points, ending with the Coyotes on top 16-14.
• Four Mavericks topped 10 kills in the last meeting with South Dakota: Marriah Buss (21), McKenna Ruch (12), Kali Jurgensmeier (12), and Shayla McCormick (11). Ruch also led the team with nine total blocks, while McCormick picked up a double-double with her 11 digs. These four combine for 922 kills on the season. For context, Omaha's opponents have all collectively combined for 925 kills against them this year.
• In Thursday night's win over South Dakota State, McCormick was everywhere on the court, leading the team with 19 kills and finishing second in digs with 16, giving her her 11th double-double of the season.
•  Buss also racked up 16 kills for her 11th double-digit kills match of the season, while Jurgensmeier had 11 kills, giving her nine matches in her rookie season with at least 10 kills.
• Basketball star turned volleyball player Mariah Murdie made her second career start in Thursday's match, giving her best performance yet as she set career highs in kills (5), digs (4), and blocks (8). Her eight total blocks were also the most of any player in the match.

Scouting South Dakota

Since losing 2-3 to North Dakota State on September 27, The Coyotes have won five straight, including back-to-back 3-0 sweeps of Oral Roberts and Kansas City last week and a narrow 3-2 victory over Denver Thursday night. They barely edged out the Mavericks in their previous meeting this year 3-2 at home. At 19-2 overall and 8-1 in the conference, USD maintains a half-game lead over the Mavericks for first place in the Summit League.

Junior Elizabeth Juhnke has won six offensive player of the week honors this season and leads the entire NCAA with 446 kills, while her 5.31 kills/set rank third. Against the Mavericks this year she set a new career best with 28 kills in the match.

Junior Madison Harms has one offensive player of the week award this season and is one of the most efficient attackers in the Summit, slotting in at third in hitting percentage at .354. She's also third in total blocks with 106. She recorded eight kills and seven blocks vs. the Mavericks earlier this year. 

Graduate student Lolo Weideman was named defensive player of the week back on September 27, and currently occupies the top spots in the league in service aces (38) and digs (391). She led USD with three aces and 19 digs in their match vs. Omaha.  

Series History

Omaha has won 61 out of 85 meetings between these two programs. They split the regular season series in 2021, before USD came out on top in the Summit League Championship with a 3-0 victory. The Mavericks' last win over the Coyotes came on November 14 last season, when they won 3-1 in Vermillion, S.D.