By Paxton Ritchey-CSC Sports Information
CHADRON, Neb. – The final two home matches of the year for Chadron State volleyball will feature a senior day celebration and a chance to replicate some of the year’s biggest wins.
The Eagles (4-18, 0-10 RMAC) will face Black Hills State (5-17, 1-9 RMAC) on Friday before the third and final meeting of the season with South Dakota Mines (14-8, 7-3 RMAC) on Saturday, which will also be Senior Day. Both matches will start at 6 p.m. in the Chicoine Center.
Looking Back
In two non-conference “competition pod” matches, Chadron State volleyball suffered a four-set loss to South Dakota Mines and a three-set loss to CSU Pueblo.
The Eagles faced those opponents based on a grouping of last year’s RMAC standings, as South Dakota Mines, CSU Pueblo and Chadron State were fourth, fifth and sixth, respectively, in the RMAC in 2023-24. While the two games last week were non conference games, the Eagles’ final four games of the season will all count in the RMAC standings.
Senior Day
Six Chadron State players will be honored in a pre-match ceremony during Saturday’s clash against South Dakota Mines – Paige Boitz, Aiyana Fujiyama, Alondra Hernandez, Kendyl Kirkwood, Sofia Langer and Maddison Wright.
Boitz played in three sets during CSC’s season-opening doubleheader on September 6 but has been out since with injury. Hernandez, Fujiyama and Kendyl Kirkwood have all been key contributors, all playing in 75 or more sets and all 22 of CSC’s matches. Fujiyama was also an All-RMAC Honorable Mention selection in 2022-23, one of three all-conference selections for the Eagles a season ago.
Langer (22 sets, 11 matches played) and Wright (28 sets, 14 matches played) have also been contributors for the Eagles throughout the season. Aside from Langer, who transferred this season from Lewis-Clark State, the other five were all members of CSC’s 2022-23 team, which became the first Eagle squad in 20 years to qualify for the RMAC Tournament.