Volleyball opens NSIC season with Augustana and #5 Wayne State

Friday, September 17

St. Cloud, Minn.

6 p.m.

St. Cloud State

Augustana

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The Huskies were ranked #23 in the AVCA Top-25 poll on Monday.

Photo by: Kylie Macziewski

Volleyball opens NSIC season with Augustana and #5 Wayne State

9/16/2021 10:00:00 AM | Volleyball

ST. CLOUD, MINN. - The time has come. The day is here. For the first time in 672 days, the #23 St. Cloud State University volleyball team is playing a Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) opponent.

After waiting almost two whole years, the nationally ranked Huskies will officially open their conference season at home, as they host Augustana University and #5 Wayne State College this upcoming Friday and Saturday. Friday's match against the visiting Vikings is slated to start at 6:00 p.m. CT, while Saturday's match against the red-hot Wildcats is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. CT.

Fans are encouraged to wear red for Friday's Red Out Match against Augustana. The first 100 fans in attendance will also receive St. Cloud State volleyball schedule posters for the 2021 season. Saturday is Youth Day, meaning kids aged 13 and under receive free admission, and the first 150 fans in attendance will receive Huskies Gameday Bracelets. There will also be a post match autograph session with the student-athletes and coaches.

Regardless of vaccination status, all fans must wear masks to the St. Cloud State volleyball matches this weekend in compliance with the school's COVID-19 policy. Additionally, all fans must enter Halenbeck Hall through Door 2 at the north side of the building.

Live stats, video and radio coverage will be available for both Friday and Saturday's matches. Score updates will also be made to St. Cloud State volleyball's twitter account (@scsuhuskies_vb).

Live links:
Friday, September 17: St. Cloud State vs. Augustana
Live stats
Video
Radio

Saturday, September 18: St. Cloud State vs. #5 Wayne State
Live stats
Video
Radio

Here are the five things to know before the opening weekend of NSIC play:

2018 - The Huskies' trip out west did not necessarily go as planned. After winning the opening match of the CWU/SPU Invitational on Friday, St. Cloud State dropped its next three matches, all in straight sets, falling to 5-3 this season. The last time the Huskies dropped three consecutive matches was back in 2018, when they lost to Northern State, MSU-Moorhead and Wayne State to close the month of September.

3-0 - The good news: St. Cloud State snapped its three game skid that season against none other than Augustana University and did so in 3-0 fashion no less. The Huskies defeated the young Vikings 25-12, 25-15 and 25-17 to get back in the win column and improve to 6-3 in NSIC play. Current senior Linsey Rachel (Maple Lake, Minn. / Maple Lake) tallied a team-leading 18 kills in the match, while Maddy Torve (Loretto, Minn. / Heritage Christian Academy) recorded 34 assists and 14 digs.

.273 - Wayne State has taken the NSIC and nation by storm through the first two weeks of the season, posting a 6-1 record with one of the youngest rosters in the conference. The Wildcats are currently hitting .273 as a team, which ranks second in the NSIC thanks to their 303 kills on 801 attempts. Wayne State's hitters have additionally committed just 84 hitting errors in the team's seven matches, which is the lowest total in the conference amongst teams who have played 20+ sets in 2021.

4 - The Huskies secret to success this weekend will be stopping four of the top-20 hitters in the NSIC this season: Augustana's Payton Rosendahl and Avery Thornson and Wayne State's Maggie Brahmer and Taya Beller. Brahmer and Beller currently rank first and fourth in the NSIC in hitting percentage, with Brahmer hitting .436 from the middle and Beller .371 from the right side. Meanwhile, the Vikings bring some firepower of their own, as Rosendahl ranks 14th with a .302 hitting percentage and Thorson .281.

3.26/.42 - Abigail Groenweg (Forest Lake, Minn. / Forest Lake) took hold of the libero position for St. Cloud State this weekend, appearing as the team's top defensive specialist in 13 of the 14 sets the Huskies played this past weekend. Already one of the top serves in the NSIC, Groeneweg quickly moved up the conference rankings in digs/set and aces/set, averaging 3.26 digs and .42 aces per set after the weekend tournament. She currently ranks eighth in the NSIC in aces/set and 13th in digs/set.

Bonus number:

100/150 - Two giveaways will occur at St. Cloud State this weekend. On Friday, the first 100 fans will receive a Huskies volleyball schedule poster, designed by members of the St. Cloud State athletic communications department. On Saturday, the first 150 fans will receive SCSU Gameday Bracelets.