Volleyball Has Three NSIC Matches This Week

St. Cloud, Minn. – The St. Cloud State volleyball team (9-2, 2-0 NSIC) will try to keep the winning ways going with three tough NSIC matches this week. The program starts the week with a stiff test against No. 6 Minnesota Duluth (9-1, 2-0 NSIC) on Tuesday, Sept. 19, at Romano Gymnasium at 6 p.m. The program then returns home to face a pair of ranked teams over the weekend with matches against No. 12 Augustana (8-3, 0-2 NSIC) on Friday, Sept. 22, at Halenbeck Hall at 6 p.m. The program continues the home stand and hosts No. 18 Wayne State (6-4, 1-1 NSIC) on Saturday, Sept. 23, at 1 p.m.

This Week's Opponents / Series History

Minnesota Duluth swept both Minnesota Crookston and Bemidji State last week.
The program has swept each of its last six matches.
The team currently leads the NSIC in both kills per set (15.84) and assists per set (14.87).
Sarah Kelly is the team leader with her 117 kills (3.77 per set).
Makenzie Morgen has 113 kills (3.65 per set) and 12 service aces.
Emily Torve has totaled 369 assists (12.30 per set) this season
Allison Olley is the club leader with her 31 blocks.
SCSU is 37-75 all-time against Minnesota Duluth in a series that started in 1969.
Augustana lost a pair of five-set matches over the weekend to Sioux Falls and to No. 1 Southwest Minnesota State.
Courtney Place is the team leader with her 144 kills (3.51 per set)
Ashley Wilson has totaled 113 kills (2.69 per set) and 47 blocks
Lauren Waite has 109 kills
Alex Banker leads the team with her 452 assists (10.76 per set) plus has 122 digs.
Hanna Justesen is tied for the team lead with 10 service aces.
Tahlyr Banks also has 10 service aces along with a team leading 193 digs.
The Vikings will take on No. 17 Wayne State on the road on Tuesday.
St. Cloud State is 17-47 all-time against Augustana in a series that started in 1982.
Wayne State College split the team's two matches last week to No. 1 Southwest Minnesota State (L, 3-0) and Sioux Falls (W, 3-2).
Erin Gross is the team leader with 107 kills (2.67 per set) and 41 blocks.
Maddie Duffy has 12 service aces.
Morgan Gebhardt has 355 assists and 11 service aces.
Katie Stephens has recorded 86 kills (2.26 per set).
Haley Kauth leads the team with her 171 digs
Jaci Brahammer sports a club best 50 blocks.
The Huskies are 2-11 all-time against Wayne State College in a series that began in 1992.

Live Stats and Web Streaming

Live stats for the road match against Minnesota Duluth can be found at this link / web streaming for the match against the Bulldogs can be found here / live audio for the match from KVSC can be found here
Live stats for the home matches against Augustana and Wayne State can be followed at this link / web streaming for the matches against the Vikings and Wildcats can be found at this link / live audio for the matches from KVSC can be found here

Notables

St. Cloud State started the conference campaign with a 2-0 mark after victories over Bemidji State (3-1) and Minnesota Crookston last week.
This is the first time since 2013 that SCSU has began the conference season with a pair of victories.
This is only the third time since 2008 that the program has started NSIC play with a 2-0 mark (also in 2010).
The program was led last week by senior Becca Gruber's 23 kills (3.29 per set).
Senior Nicole Miller picked up 18 kills and 25 digs plus three service aces.
Senior Kayla Crane had 49 assists (an average of 7.0 per set).
Sophomore Clara Krenz led the squad in both digs (36) and service aces (5).
Gruber leads the team and is placed 18th in the NSIC in kills per set (3.03).
She is also 19th in the conference in hitting percentage (.294).
Miller is second on the team in kills 110 and ranks seventh in the conference in service aces (16).
She is also 16th in digs per set (3.44).
Crane is 14th in assists per set (6.51) and 17th in service aces (12).
Sophomore Marah Mulso ranks 18th in blocks per set (0.86).
Krenz leads the NSIC and is placed 24th nationally in digs per set (5.69).
Her 222 digs are also the most in the league.
Krenz is also placed ninth in the NSIC in service aces (15)
In the NSIC team rankings, SCSU is third in service aces (1.77), fourth in digs (17.21), fifth in kills (13.92) and sixth in assists (12.74).

Up Next

St. Cloud State faces another stiff test against the top ranked team nationally in Southwest Minnesota State on Sept. 29 at 6 p.m. in Marshall, Minn. The program continues the road swing and takes on Sioux Falls on Sept. 30 at 2 p.m.
The program is 21-22 against Southwest Minnesota State since the two schools first squared off in 1969. SCSU is 2-4 all-time against Sioux Falls since the first match in 2012.

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