COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - The University of Colorado Colorado Springs volleyball team (5-5 / 1-1 RMAC) travels to Spearfish S.D. to take on Black Hills State (5-5 /10-2 RMAC) on Friday night and Chadron Neb. to take on Chadron State (3-8 / 0-3 RMAC) on Saturday night. 

UCCS is coming off the 2013 conference opening weekend, in which the Mountain Lions played ten sets to split the weekend with a win against Colorado Christian and a loss to No. 19 Colorado Mines.

The Mountain Lions were led in the conference opening weekend by Jordan Banich, who recorded a team-high 30 kills, with three service aces, and added 22 digs and five blocks. Banich was also named to the All-Tournament First Team in the BritKare Classic opening weekend and in the Peggy Martin Challenge the following weekend.

Freshman Emily Whitelaw was the top defender for UCCS in the opening weekend of conference play with a team-high nine blocks. She also had a stellar weekend offensively with a hitting percent of .375 as she tacked on 23 kills, including seven in the fifth set against Colorado Mines.

Setter Grace Gordon averaged 9.7 assists per set for a total of 97 assists in the first two conference matches of the season. She also added 20 digs, three service aces, and two blocks for UCCS. UCCS leads the all-time series against Black Hills State 2-0 after a series sweep last season.

Black Hills State is currently first in the RMAC for blocks per set (2.45), third for service aces per set (1.36), and fourth for assist per set (14.26). The Yellow Jackets are led on offense by Amy O'Neil, who is third in the conference for kills per set (4.53).

UCCS also leads the all-time series against Chadron State 19-9 and have won the previous 16 matches, dating back to 2004. Chadron State enters the match fifth in the RMAC for digs per set (15.98), led by Brittany Oddo, who is eighth in the RMAC (4.0).

The match on Friday against Black Hills State begins at 7 p.m. and the match on Saturday against Chadron State has a start time of 6 p.m.