Volleyball hits the road to face Mankato, Concordia-St. Paul

ST. CLOUD, MINN. – In case you didn't hear, the St. Cloud State University volleyball team is off to a historic start this 2019 season. The Huskies are perfect to open the season, as they've compiled a 10-0 record with a 2-0 mark in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) play. Of those 10 wins, three are over ranked opponents and another came against a team receiving votes in the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) poll, helping vault St. Cloud State to its first national ranking in 20+ years.

This weekend, the road isn't about to get any easier for the Huskies, as they are set to face (RV) Minnesota State University and #7 Concordia-St. Paul in their first road matches of the conference season. First serve against the Mavericks is slotted for 6 p.m. in Mankato, Minnesota, while St. Cloud State will face off against the Golden Bears at 1 p.m. in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Live stats and video will be available for both matches, and score updates can be found on St. Cloud State volleyball's official Twitter page (@SCSUhuskies_vb).

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

10/6 – All three teams enter this weekend riding substantial win streaks and have perfect 2-0 records in NSIC play. The Huskies enter with the longest streak, as they've won 10 matches this season and 12 consecutive dating back to 2018. Concordia-St. Paul and Minnesota State both enter the weekend riding six match win streaks, and the two teams last loss occurred on the very same day. Both the Golden Bears (#1 Tampa) and Mavericks (#16 Barry) lost to nationally ranked opponents on September 7 and have since both gone on six-match win streaks.

15 – St. Cloud State continued to move up the AVCA rankings this past week and make even more history. The Huskies were ranked #15 this past week, their highest ranking since the 1996 season. That year, the team qualified for the NCAA Tournament and concluded the season with an impressive 20-11 record.

8 – St. Cloud State and Concordia-St. Paul are two of the eight NSIC teams ranked in the latest AVCA Top-25 poll, while Minnesota State is one of three teams to receive votes this past week. Currently, Minnesota-Duluth is the highest ranked team in the conference, as the Bulldogs rose to #4 in the latest poll, while the Golden Bears were close on their heels at #7. Those two teams will face off on Friday, one day before the #15 Huskies take on Concordia-St. Paul at 1 p.m. on Saturday. Also ranked from the NSIC: Northern State (#8), Southwest Minnesota State (#9), Wayne State (#17), Sioux Falls (#19) and Upper Iowa (#23).

5.44/3.78 – Sophomore outside Linsey Rachel (Maple Lake, Minn. / Maple Lake) is once again off to a rip-roaring start, as she was named the NSIC Offensive Player of the Week for the second time in her career this past Monday. Rachel averaged an NSIC-leading 5.44 kills/set in two wins over (RV) Winona State and #25 Upper Iowa last weekend as she recorded 49 kills, including a career-high 26 in the win over Upper Iowa. She also tallied her seventh and eighth double-doubles of the season thanks to a 3.78 digs/set average, the highest average for any player other than a libero last weekend.

3/9 – Rachel isn't the only Husky who's had a strong start this season. Junior setter Maddy Torve (Loretto, Minn. / Heritage Chrisitian Academy) and senior libero Clara Krenz (Oakdale, Minn. / North St. Paul) are both off to hot starts of their own, as they both currently rank in the top-10 in the nation in two statistical categories. Torve currently ranks third in the nation, yes the nation, in assists per set, as she's averaged an impressive 12.51 through the first 10 matches of the season. Krenz continues to be one of the top liberos in the nation, a she currently ranks ninth in digs/set average (6.31).

Volleyball hits the road to face Mankato, Concordia-St. Paul

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Clara Krenz

Linsey Rachel

Maddy Torve

Saint Cloud State University Athletics