Volleyball Starts 2017 Season This Week In California

St. Cloud, Minn. – The St. Cloud State volleyball team kicks off the 2017 season this week with a trip to San Marcos, Calif. to play against five opponents starting on Thursday, Aug. 31.

This Week

The program starts the campaign against Saint Katherine College on Thursday, Aug. 31, at 6 p.m. Saint Katherine College recently changed the name of the school to the University of St. Katherine and is located in San Marcos, Calif. The school opened in 2011 and competes as members of the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA). This is their first year of having an intercollegiate volleyball program for the school. This is also the first time that the schools have met.
The Huskies continue the stay in California and participates in the Cougar Classic hosted by Cal State San Marcos from Sept. 1-2 at Sports Center on the campus of CSUSM. SCSU begins the tournament against Saint Martin's on Sept. 1 at 2 p.m. The Saints are ranked ninth in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) Preseason Poll after finishing 6-18 and 2-18 in the GNAC last season. The meeting will be the first time the schools have met.
St. Cloud State then takes on the host institution Cal State San Marcos in the second match of the day on Sept. 1 starting at 8 p.m. The Cougars are picked to place eighth in the California Collegiate Athletics Association (CCAA) Preseason Poll. CSUSM is post-season eligible for the first time since moving up from the NAIA to Division II. The program went 15-11 an 8-9 in the CCAA last season and returns All-CCAA First Team selection and Libero of the Year Samantha Flores this season. This will be the first meeting between the schools.
SCSU continues the tournament the following day, Sept. 2, with matches against Adelphi University at 4 p.m. and Fresno Pacific at 6 p.m.The Adelphi Panthers went 20-13 last season and 9-5 in the Northeast 10 Conference. Adelphi have made the NCAA Tournament 10 straight seasons and are picked to finish fourth in the Northeast 10 this season. This will be the first meeting between the schools.
The Fresno Pacific Sunbirds went 11-13 and 9-11 in the PacWest last season. The program is predicted to finish 10thh in the league this season in the preseason poll. This will be the first meeting between the schools.

Live Stats and Web Streaming

At this point the only confirmed live stats and web streaming option will be for the four Cougar Classic matches. The live stats can be followed at this link / web streaming at this link

Notables

St. Cloud State went 8-21 last season and had a 3-17 mark in the super competitive NSIC.
The program fought hard and recorded four five-game losses a season ago in the second year of head coach Chad Braegelmann.
The program returns several key players from last year's team including senior Nicole Miller, who ranked third in the conference with her 45 service aces.
SCSU also brings back Micah Nier, who finished third on the team with 155 kills and 185.5 points.
The program is predicted to finish 13th in the NSIC this season in annual Coaches' Poll.
The team's player to watch this season is sophomore Clara Krenz.
Krenz ranked seventh in the NSIC in digs as a rookie with 447. She played in 104 matches and placed second on the team with 25 service aces.
The program also welcomes in six new freshmen plus transfers setter Kayla Crane (Sioux Falls) and outside hitter Emma Melander (Minnesota Crookston)

Up Next

St. Cloud State continues the tournament action and heads to Houghton, Michigan to play in the Keweenaw Classic hosted by Michigan Tech from Sept. 8-9.
The program begins the tournament with matches against Wisconsin Parkside at 1:30 p.m. and Michigan Tech at 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 8.
SCSU then takes on Northern Michigan at 1 p.m. and Lake Superior State at 5 p.m. on Sept. 9.
The Huskies are 32-25 all-time against next weekend's opponents with a mark of 2-4 against Wisconsin Parkside, 11-5 against Michigan Tech, 8-15 against Northern Michigan and 11-1 against Lake Superior State

Located in Central Minnesota along the oak-crowned west bank of the Mississippi River in the city of St. Cloud, Minn., St. Cloud State University sponsors 19 varsity intercollegiate athletic programs. The Huskies compete at the NCAA Division I level in men's hockey (National Collegiate Hockey Conference) and women's hockey (Western Collegiate Hockey Association), while its NCAA Division II programs hold membership in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference and the University's nordic ski team competes in the Central Collegiate Ski Association.

To learn more about the academic opportunities available at St. Cloud State University, please visit stcloudstate.edu