Alaina Wolff has found a home with the University of South Dakota volleyball team.
The 2020 Jackson County Central graduate started her collegiate career at Wayne State before transferring to USD.
Wolff and the Coyotes have won two tournaments this season, capping off last weekend’s South Dakota Classic with a 3-2 win over Northern Colorado Saturday night at The Pentagon in Sioux Falls.
“We’ve been playing in some really tough preseason tournaments,” Alaina said. “This is the fourth time game we’ve gone to five and we’re 4-0 in fifth sets so we felt really confident going into the fifth. We knew they were a great team with some great outside hitters so it was a great team win. We’re feeling good.”
Wolff said USD’s concentration has been on USD.
“We’re focusing on our side of the net,” she said. “We’ve gone through some highs and some lows but we focus on what we can control and play Coyote volleyball. It’s been such a fun season and this is only preseason.”
South Dakota started its season by hosting the Coyote Invitational and going 2-1. That loss was to Louisville, a Final Four team last year that was ranked fourth at the time in the American Volleyball Coaches Association Division I poll and has since moved up to No. 3.
The match drew a record crowd of 2,774 to Sanford Coyote Sports Center.
“That was an amazing experience,” said Alaina. “I’ve never played in an environment like that. It was a White out. The gym was electric. There were so many students and other people. I was honestly emotional. I was so excited and so happy to be part of such an amazing environment and such an amazing program and community.”
Wolff couldn’t be happier in Vermillion.
“I love it here. This is where I belong,” she said. “I’m myself completely. I know that there’s confidence in me even if I’m not playing my best. My teammates are confident in me. My coaches are confident in me. I’m so grateful and thankful to be here.”
The win over Northern Colorado was USD’s eighth straight and the Coyotes extended their streak to nine with a 3-1 win over Stetson Friday at the Bulls Volleyball Invitational in Tampa, Fla. Alaina had eight digs and was 14-for-15 in that match.
For the season Alaina is third on the team in ace serves with seven and is fourth in digs with 79.
South Dakota has matches remaining in Florida vs. Cornell and host South Florida.
When the Yotes went to El Paso, Tex. for a tournament over Labor Day weekend, Alaina assembled a vlog of the trip.
Here’s the final product:
“The media people said I was a good vlogger,” Wolff said. “I think I’m going to get to do it again. It was a lot fun.”
After the tournament in Florida this weekend, USD has two tough matches to open its Summit League schedule.
The Coyotes host Omaha Thursday and Denver Saturday.
In the Summit League Coaches Preseason poll, Denver was first, South Dakota second and Omaha third. Each drew first-place votes, with the Pioneers garnering six, the Coyotes three and the Mavericks one.