By Matt Gade

605 Sports

VERMILLION — In high school, Olivia Kieffer knew her role and excelled at it.

The offense ran through her, and it was her role to put points on the board.

In fact, she set the career scoring record for Rapid City Christian in 2023 and sits 10th all-time in South Dakota girls basketball history with 2,492 total points.

Now in her second season playing for the University of South Dakota, Kieffer’s primary job isn’t necessarily scoring.

Playing behind seniors Grace Larkins - who just set the school’s single-game scoring record on Saturday with a 45-point performance against Omaha - and Adara Groman, Kieffer’s role varies game-to-game.

That doesn’t mean the 5-foot-10-inch sophomore isn’t putting up points. Kieffer is currently averaging just under seven points per game while averaging roughly 19 minutes per game.

“Whatever my role looks like, starting, not starting, I don't really care. I just want to serve my team best,” Kieffer said. “If that's scoring or not scoring, rebounding, playing defense, whatever that looks like, I'm happy to do whatever to contribute and help the team the best I can.”

Kieffer is one of two South Dakota players currently on the Coyotes roster joining Coral Mason of Viborg-Hurley.

“I think we would both say it's very cool and a huge honor to get to wear the South Dakota name on our chest,” Kieffer said. “It’s something we don't take lightly. And I think it's one of the reasons that I decided to stay in South Dakota. I think it's just so cool and something so special about getting to play for the state that you're from.”

University of South Dakota's Olivia Kieffer grabs a rebound during the Coyotes game against Bellevue University on Nov. 18 at the Sanford Coyote Sports Center on the USD campus. (Photo Courtesy USD sports information)

Despite being nearly 400 miles away, Kieffer’s family has attended almost every home game she’s had.

“It's kind of more chaotic, like I was there last night, drove back this morning to coach. I'll drive tomorrow to go watch it,” said Olivia’s dad and former girl’s head coach Joe Kieffer before the start of the boys’ basketball game at Sturgis on Friday. “It's one thing nice about being an assistant coach versus a head coach, that coach Kyle (Courtney) gives me the ability to go watch Olivia. That was kind of our deal we had struck and so it's just nice. I've had the chance to make it to almost all her games. I've only missed a handful, which has been really great.”

Not only does the family get to see as much of Olivia’s games as they can, Olivia also tries to stay up to date on her brother’s games whether in person or watching online.

She returned home over the Christmas break to watch the Rapid City Christian boys as the Comets won the Lakota Nation Invitational.

Growing up, Olivia and her three younger brothers, Benson, Sully and Finnegan, have always been involved in basketball.

Olivia said she remembers as young as kindergarten shooting hoops eventually playing different levels of club basketball through high school.

During that time, Joe was almost always her team’s head coach.

“I was really blessed to have my dad coach me all through my childhood, through high school, but I obviously knew the day would come when I would have a different coach,” Olivia said. “It was definitely a transition, but I would say something I was expecting and ready for.

“Obviously, there's a lot of differences just going between high school and South Dakota, Division I basketball. But they're similar in a lot of ways… We have a lot of different personnel that you'd have in high school. So, I'd say, different X's and O’s, but I would say overall, honestly, there are a lot of similarities.”

Olivia said some of the biggest differences in going from Class A basketball in South Dakota to the Division I level is bigger opponents, more talented players and tougher defenses.

While she said she has great friends on her team, occasionally Kieffer is greeted by friends on the opposing team.

One of those friends was former club basketball teammate Jayda McNabb, who is a part of the Air Force Academy women’s basketball team which the Coyotes met on Nov. 8 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. 

“We played basketball together since probably elementary school, all the way through high school. So that's just, it's super fun and kind of a full circle moment to get to play against someone like that, that we're such good friends, and it's cool where basketball has taken us both and the opportunities it's given us,” Olivia said.

Joe said it’s fun for him as a former coach and as Olivia’s dad to see his former players playing at the college level.  

“The AAU team of girls I coach all ended up playing college basketball. There's about six of them, and they all played in some form or fashion. So, she's been really blessed with great friends and teammates that really helped her rise up as well,” Joe said. “They all got together over Christmas, and it was just a really special time for all of them. So it's been really, really fun for all of them.”

Heading into the season, the Coyotes were tabbed in the preseason poll to finish fourth in the Summit League with in-state rival South Dakota State picked to finish first.

Kieffer said that ranking has motivated the Coyotes to prove the preseason rankings wrong and outperform those expectations.

University of South Dakota's Olivia Kieffer brings the ball up the court during the Coyotes game against the University of Wyoming on Dec. 15 at the Sanford Coyote Sports Center on the USD campus. (Photo Courtesy USD sports information)

Four games into the season, the Coyotes sit third behind South Dakota State and North Dakota State in league standings.

Larkins’ 45-point performance on Saturday only adds to the senior’s season average and Summit League best 24.7 points per game.

Getting to play alongside Larkins is something Kieffer doesn’t take lightly.

“She's such an awesome person, obviously an amazing basketball player, but so blessed to be able to play with her and to learn from her, not only from her basketball abilities but just her leadership and just who she is as a person, it’s definitely a huge blessing,” Olivia said. “I know getting to play with her and against her in practice and stuff like that has just made me so much better, and it's such an awesome opportunity to learn from someone who's so amazing at what she does.”

As Kieffer and the Coyotes are focused on their Summit League foes, Joe said he’s definitely noticed Olivia’s willingness to adapt to how the team needs her.

“Olivia has always been a pretty prolific scorer, and so it's really not her role this year as much, even though she scores a little,” Joe said. “But she's learning how to play physical and play defense. That's how she’s getting on the court.”

Kieffer, who is studying biology at USD, said after her playing days she intends to attend dental school to become a dentist.

But first, Olivia is excited to have a Saturday free as she plans to watch her brothers Benson and Sully in person as the fourth-ranked Rapid City Christian boys travel to meet No. 1 Sioux Falls Christian on Jan. 18.