SALT LAKE CITY - Westminster volleyball (3-15, 1-8 RMAC) had 17 kills as a team with a .250 hitting percentage in the third set, but were unable pull away and climb out of a two-set hole in a 3-0 loss to S.D. Mines (9-8, 3-6 RMAC) on Friday night at the Behnken Field House.

S.D. Mines had an equally efficient offense through the first two sets, finishing with a .333 hitting percentage in both the first and second frames with 16 kills as a team in each set to begin the match.

The Hardrockers jumped out 10-3 early in set one and led from start to finish in a 25-19 first-set opening to the match. 

S.D. Mines again wasted little time creating separation on the scoreboard in set two, jumping ahead 16-7 after a 6-0 run. The Griffins finished the second set with a negative attack percentage as S.D. Mines cruised to a 25-14 win to go up, 2-0, in the match.

Sadie Babka, who finished with a season-high 12 digs, entered the game at libero in the third and helped bring down the S.D. Mines attack percentage to a match-low .231 but the Hardrockers were still able to generate 13 kills as a team.

The two teams traded quick 5-0 runs to begin the third set and went back-and-forth into the later stages with Westminster fending off the Hardrockers' first set point opportunity with kills from Olivia Curtis and Katie Culver to even the match at 24-24.  S.D. Mines followed up a Griffins' attack error with Shyann Bastian's ninth kill of the match to finish off the straght-set victory.

Westminster will look to bounce back tomorrow night as it hosts Black Hills State beginning at 4 p.m.

Follow us on social media or visit westminstergriffins.com for all the latest Westminster Athletics scores, news and updates.