SIOUX CITY, Iowa - The 2008 season was filled with memories for the Black Hillls State volleyball team.

Coach Jhett Albers set several goals for the Lady Jackets at the start of the season - win 20 games, win both the regular season and tournament in the Dakota Athletic Conference, qualify for the national tourney and win two of three matches at the national tournament.

BHSU achieved the majority of those goals. The Lady Jackets won their first-ever DAC regular season and tourney titles. The Stingers qualified for the national tourney.

BHSU hosted and defeated William Penn University, Iowa., in the first round of the tourney at the Young Center.

At the national tourney, BHSU lost to No. 1-rated Fresno Pacific, but came back with a stunning three-game sweep over Great Plains Athletic Conference tourney champion Morningside College. BHSU came up two points short (15-13) in the fifth and deciding game of pool play against Point Loma Nazarene at the national tourney.

Kristin Engle, a junior from Newcastle, Wyo., Maggie O'Neill, a sophomore from Martin and Mandy Brumfield, a junior from Dickinson, N.D., were all selected to the first team on the all-DAC squad. Engle was honored as most valuable player. Albers and Chris Mahoney, of Jamestown College, shared coach of the year honors.

The Lady Jackets finished the season at 26-8, the most wins in Albers'

10-year tenure at Black Hills State.

"We always want to be a better program than the year before," said Albers. "We were able to accomplish most of our goals."