St. Cloud State
Southwest Minnesota State
Volleyball journeys west for NSIC matches
9/23/2021 4:25:00 PM | Volleyball
ST. CLOUD, MINN. - The No. 20 St. Cloud State University volleyball team picked up right where it left off in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) play. After setting a program record for conference wins in 2019, the Huskies opened the 2021 with a pristine 3-0 record, earning key wins over Augustana, Wayne State and Bemidji State. St. Cloud State's trek through its NSIC schedule will continue, as the team travels to No. 5 Southwest Minnesota State and Sioux Falls over the weekend.
This will mark the Huskies first road trip of the conference season, though the team is well-versed in the art of travel. St. Cloud State is 2-0 in away games this season, having spent the first two weekends of the regular season at out-of-state tournaments, and earned a 3-1 win over Bemidji State in Bemidji, Minnesota this past Tuesday. Wins won't be easy to come by this weekend, however, as the Huskies are set to face No. 5 SMSU at 6:00 p.m. CT on Friday and Sioux Falls at 2:00 p.m. CT on Saturday.
Live stats and video will be available for both matches over the weekend, and fans can also tune in to KVSC's live stream as well. Score updates will be made to the team's official Twitter accounts (@scsuhuskies_vb) when possible.
Live links:
Friday, September 24: St. Cloud State vs. No. 5 SMSU
Live Stats
Video
Radio
Saturday, September 25: St. Cloud State vs. Sioux Falls
Live Stats
Video
Radio
Here are the five things to know before this weekend's road matches:
.371 - St. Cloud State's offense has been one of the best in the NSIC through the first three conference matches, and it was on full display against Bemidji State Tuesday evening. The Huskies hit .371 as a team with 53 kills in 105 total attacks. Senior right side Bella Erne (Blaine, Minn. / Blaine) was unstoppable against the Beavers, as she recorded 10 kills on 12 swings with zero errors, compiling a career-high hitting percentage of .883.
10 - The Huskies serving game has vastly improved since beginning NSIC play. In the win over Bemidji State, St. Cloud State recorded 10 aces as a team, led by four by Abigail Groeneweg (Forest Lake, Minn. / Forest Lake). As a team, the Huskies rank fourth in the NSIC in total aces, while their weekend opponents, SMSU and Sioux Falls, rank first and second respectively.
.077 - In order to improve to 4-0 in NSIC play, St. Cloud State will have to get past the Mustangs, who boast one of the top defenses in the conference this season. As a team, SMSU is holding conference opponents to a .077 hitting percentage and just 8.50 kills per set with two student-athletes ranking in the top-10 in defensive categories. Katelyn Nichols ranks seventh in the conference in blocks per set (1.10) while Payton Hjerleid ranks seventh in digs per set (4.50).
.320 - Saturday's match at Sioux Falls has the potential to be one of the best of the season, as it features two of the top offenses in the NSIC this season. Both the Cougars and Huskies rank in the top-10 in the conference in hitting percentage, as Sioux Falls ranks second with a .320 average. Interestingly enough, the Cougars rank seventh in the conference in both assist per set (12.67) and kills per set (13.67) and rank tenth in total kills (141).
26 - The Huskies all-time combined record against SMSU and Sioux Falls is not the greatest. In 57 total meetings, St. Cloud State is just 26-31 against the two teams, with a 23-24 record against the Mustangs and a 3-7 mark against the Cougars. The Huskies have had their number in recent meetings, though. In 2019, St. Cloud State swept the weekend series against its two foes, defeating SMSU 3-1 on Friday before downing Sioux Falls 3-0 on Saturday.
