Volleyball home stand continues Friday and Saturday

ST. CLOUD, MINN. – It's hard to believe that the St. Cloud State volleyball team is already a month into its 2018 season. Yes, certainly quite a bit has happened in the last 30 to 31 days, but the Huskies are hoping the next 30 to 31 are just as eventful, starting with their home stand this weekend.

St. Cloud State will take on two Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) opponents this weekend, starting with Friday's 6 p.m. match against Wayne State College and concluding with a 2 p.m. match against Augustana University on Saturday. The two matches will serve not only as the Huskies final two matches of September, but their final two home matches for the foreseeable future, as the team hits the road next weekend.

St. Cloud State is looking to snap a two-match losing streak, its longest streak of the season, as the team dropped two matches at home to Northern State and MSU-Moorhead last week. The Huskies fell in straight sets to the No. 1 team in the country 3-0 (20-15, 14-25, 20-25) on Friday before dropping a close four-setter to the Dragons 3-1 (25-22, 23-25, 24-26, 25-27) on Saturday.

There are some big promos fans can take advantage of over the weekend. Friday, all military members/veterans and one guest can get in free with a valid military ID to celebrate Military Appreciation Day. Then, on Saturday, all youth up to seniors and high school can get in to the game for free with a paid adult/parent as part of Youth Day. The team will also give away free autographs cards and will stick around to sign them post-match.

Fans who can't watch the games in person can follow along online via live stats, video and KVCS's live radio broadcasts. Score updates will also be made to the team's official Twitter account (@scsuhuskies_vb) when time allows.

Here are the five things to know before this weekend's big NSIC matches:

RV – No, technically the Huskies aren't playing another nationally ranked opponent this weekend, but they are still playing one of the best teams in the country on Friday. Wayne State has spent the majority of the 2018 volleyball season as one of the top-25 teams in the country. This week, the Wildcats fell out of the top-25 for the first time all season; however, they still received 91 votes in the latest AVCA coaches poll, keeping them just outside the top-25.

18 – Earlier, this season, St. Cloud State earned its first win against a top-10 opponent in the national rankings in 20+ years. However, it wasn't the Huskies first victory over a ranked opponent in what feels like eons. Last season, St. Cloud State broke that drought with its 3-0 (25-12, 25-16, 25-23) sweep of Wayne State, which was then the No. 18 ranked team in the country. Marah Mulso (Marshall, Minn. / Marshall) led the charge for the Huskies, tallying 11 kills and an impressive four blocks in the victory.

5 – Don't let the 0-7 record in NSIC play fool you. The Vikings have lost five of their seven conference matches in four or five sets, meaning they've only been swept in NSIC play twice this season. In fact, Augustana took then No. 2 and reigning national champs Concordia-St. Paul to five sets on September 15, eventually losing 3-2 (25-18, 20-25, 23-25, 20-25, 12-15). The Vikings also lost a five-setter to rival Sioux Falls early in the season and lost in four sets to Northern State, Mankato, and Winona State.

16.93 – Friday night's match could be one of the best defensive match ups of the season, as Wayne State and St. Cloud State rank five and six in the NSIC in digs this season. As a team, the Wildcats average 16.93 digs per set this season, while the Huskies are just ticks behind, averaging 16.91 digs per set. Leading the charge for St. Cloud State is none other than junior libero Clara Krenz (Oakdale, Minn. / North St. Paul), who moved to third in the conference in digs/set (4.96) this week after outstanding performances against Northern State and MSU-Moorhead.

6 – Krenz isn't only statistically the No. 3 libero in the NSIC this season. The junior is six digs away from moving to fourth all-time in St. Cloud State history in career digs. Currently, Krenz has tallied 1336 digs in her career as a Husky, and she surpassed Cami Selbitschka earlier this season in the category. On Friday, it's likely she will pass former student-athlete Chelsea Nagle and move to fourth all-time on the list.

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Players Mentioned

Clara Krenz

Marah Mulso

Saint Cloud State University Athletics