Friday, September 16
St. Cloud, Minn.
6:00 P.M. CT
St. Cloud State
vs
Northern State
Photo by: Kylie Macziewski
No. 6 St. Cloud State hosts (RV) Northern State and MSUM to open home conference schedule
9/15/2022 3:50:00 PM | Volleyball
The Huskies are two wins away from the program’s all-time best start to a season
ST. CLOUD, Minn. – No. 6 St. Cloud State Volleyball returns home to host (RV) Northern State and MSU-Moorhead this weekend. The Huskies and Wolves are set to begin at 6:00 p.m. CT on Friday evening with a 2:00 p.m. CT start on Saturday. Friday is Club Sports Night with a free SCSU drawstring bag available for the first 50 fans. Saturday's match against MSUM is High School Night, featuring $5 tickets for high school students.
Broadcast Information
Both matches will be broadcast on the NSIC Network along with live stats and audio coverage on the KVSC Sports Stream. Fans can find links to each match on the SCSU Volleyball schedule page.
Huskies Primer
St. Cloud State held strong at No. 6 in this week's AVCA Top-25 poll after sweeping both Mary and Minot State last weekend, taking their first two matches in NSIC play. The Huskies have won 10 straight matches to open 2022, standing two wins away from a new program standard for the best start to a season. Junior outside hitter Kenzie Foley was named AVCA DII National Player of the Week and joined teammate Emma Berran in earning NSIC Player of the Week honors. SCSU is outhitting their opponents .319 to .122 and has yet to allow a team to hit better than .173 in a match. Through 10 matches, the Huskies are 30-1 in sets.
Last Time Out
The Huskies used stellar set distribution to put away Minot State in straight sets on Saturday afternoon. Linsey Rachel recorded career kill No. 1323 in the win, passing Kim Pellman for third all-time in the Huskies' record books. The two-time All-American played just two sets, putting down nine kills and adding seven digs while hitting .727. Phebie Rossi led all scorers with 11 kills on .688 hitting. Kenzie Foley closed out a strong weekend by double-doubling, sending down 10 kills on .471 hitting with a match-high 13 digs. Sam Zimmerman added eight kills on a .500 attack percentage. Emma Berran (23 assists) and Allena Shimon (16 assists) picked their spots well while splitting the match at setter, making strong decisions with the ball to keep their hitters terminal. Keely Kurschner scored a career-high five times from the service line as the Huskies defense forced Minot State into 15 errors and limited them to hit just .123 on the afternoon.
Scouting (RV) Northern State
Northern State has opened 2022 with a 7-3 mark, taking down both Minnesota Crookston and Bemidji State last weekend to begin conference play. The Wolves offense has hit .283 with 13.2 kills per set, ranking fourth across the NSIC in both hitting percentage and blocks/set (2.23). NSU is two spots below SCSU in aces/set at 2.10, good for third in the league. Outside hitter Sally Gaul (4.29 K/S, .278) has been red-hot over her last eight matches, hitting .310 or better in seven of them. Much of the Wolves' offense comes from the pins, as outside Taylor Buckley (2.77 K/S, .287) and opposite Hanna Thompson (2.17 K/S, .209) have supplemented Gaul. Two-year starter Keri Walker (10.97 A/S) provides stability at setter while Madison Langlie (4.03 D/S) anchors the defense.
Scouting MSU-Moorhead
The Dragons are 5-5 to open 2022 with a pair of NSIC wins over Minnesota Crookston and Bemidji State. Defense has been key for MSUM, holding their opponents to a .177 hitting percentage while racking up 16.5 digs per set. Bridget Wiztmann (3.49 K/S, .203) leads the way in kills alongside Jadyn Feist (2.33 K/S, .193) while Tori Thompson (2.00 K/S, .287) and Elise Bakke (1.62 K/S, .274) provide efficiency as the middle pairing. Brooke Walthall (4.31 D/S) and Macie Wieman (3.09 D/S) pace MSUM in digs as part of a unit that ranks third across the NSIC in digs/set. The Dragons enter the weekend having won three of their last four matches.
Leading the Pack
Through the first conference weekend of the 2022 season, Huskies can be found all over the NSIC leaderboards. Kenzie Foley leads the conference in points (5.64) and kills (4.76) per set, ranks fourth in hitting percentage (.385), is eighth in aces per set (0.45) and lands 20th in both blocks (0.79) and digs (3.17) per set. Phebie Rossi is third in blocks per set (1.20) while ranking sixth in hitting percentage (.367) and 14th in points per set (3.62). Keely Kurschner ranks second in aces per set (0.61) and sixth in digs/set (4.06). Linsey Rachel lands ninth in aces/set (0.44) – two spots ahead of Rachel Houle (0.42) – while ranking 16th in digs/set (3.44), 18th in kills/set (2.93) and 19th in points/set (3.44). Emma Berran ranks fourth in assists per set (11.18) while Sam Zimmerman is ninth in hitting percentage (.342) and 12th in blocks/set (0.87).
Rachel's Record Watch
Grad student Linsey Rachel enters the weekend third among the Huskies' all-time kill leaders with 1330, fresh off passing Kim Pellman with her second kill against Minot State on Saturday. Rachel needs 166 kills to move into second, which would pass Kathy Davis. She also ranks sixth all-time in digs, 52 away from passing Chelsea Nagle.
Can't Stop Kenzie
Junior outside hitter Kenzie Foley was named AVCA DII National Player of the Week following her terrific conference-opening weekend. Foley hit .644 as the Huskies swept both Mary and Minot State, averaging 5.92 points and 5.50 kills a set. The reigning AVCA DII National Freshman of the Year ranks fourth across DII in points/set and is fifth nationally in kills/set. Through the first three weeks of the season, Foley leads the Northern Sun in kills/set and points/set while ranking fourth in hitting percentage.
Keeping it 100
Both Linsey Rachel and Rachel Houle will play in their 100th collegiate matches on Friday evening, each having missed just one in their four-year playing careers at SCSU. Houle has missed just two sets dating back to September 22, 2018 – appearing in 316 of the Huskies' last 318 sets played.
Berran Pilots the Offense to New Heights
Reigning NSIC Setter of the Week Emma Berran has been brilliant in her true freshman season, ranking fourth in the NSIC and 12th nationally with 11.18 assists per set. The Berran-guided Huskies offense is second in the NCAA with a .319 hitting percentage and is seventh in kills per set at 14.59.
Dominating Defense
St. Cloud State owns the second-best defense in the Northern Sun entering the weekend, holding opponents to a .122 hitting percentage and the fewest kills/set in the league at 9.29. Incredibly, SCSU has yet to allow an opponent to hit better than .173 in a match this season.
Serve-and-Pass Success
SCSU has excelled in the serve-and-pass game this season, allowing the fewest aces (26) and aces per set (0.84) in the NSIC while leading the league in with 2.48 aces/set of their own. The Huskies rank 14th nationally in aces per set.
Information regarding single game and season tickets can be found at scsutickets.com. For all the latest on St. Cloud State Volleyball, stay tuned to SCSUHuskies.com and follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
Broadcast Information
Both matches will be broadcast on the NSIC Network along with live stats and audio coverage on the KVSC Sports Stream. Fans can find links to each match on the SCSU Volleyball schedule page.
Huskies Primer
St. Cloud State held strong at No. 6 in this week's AVCA Top-25 poll after sweeping both Mary and Minot State last weekend, taking their first two matches in NSIC play. The Huskies have won 10 straight matches to open 2022, standing two wins away from a new program standard for the best start to a season. Junior outside hitter Kenzie Foley was named AVCA DII National Player of the Week and joined teammate Emma Berran in earning NSIC Player of the Week honors. SCSU is outhitting their opponents .319 to .122 and has yet to allow a team to hit better than .173 in a match. Through 10 matches, the Huskies are 30-1 in sets.
Last Time Out
The Huskies used stellar set distribution to put away Minot State in straight sets on Saturday afternoon. Linsey Rachel recorded career kill No. 1323 in the win, passing Kim Pellman for third all-time in the Huskies' record books. The two-time All-American played just two sets, putting down nine kills and adding seven digs while hitting .727. Phebie Rossi led all scorers with 11 kills on .688 hitting. Kenzie Foley closed out a strong weekend by double-doubling, sending down 10 kills on .471 hitting with a match-high 13 digs. Sam Zimmerman added eight kills on a .500 attack percentage. Emma Berran (23 assists) and Allena Shimon (16 assists) picked their spots well while splitting the match at setter, making strong decisions with the ball to keep their hitters terminal. Keely Kurschner scored a career-high five times from the service line as the Huskies defense forced Minot State into 15 errors and limited them to hit just .123 on the afternoon.
Scouting (RV) Northern State
Northern State has opened 2022 with a 7-3 mark, taking down both Minnesota Crookston and Bemidji State last weekend to begin conference play. The Wolves offense has hit .283 with 13.2 kills per set, ranking fourth across the NSIC in both hitting percentage and blocks/set (2.23). NSU is two spots below SCSU in aces/set at 2.10, good for third in the league. Outside hitter Sally Gaul (4.29 K/S, .278) has been red-hot over her last eight matches, hitting .310 or better in seven of them. Much of the Wolves' offense comes from the pins, as outside Taylor Buckley (2.77 K/S, .287) and opposite Hanna Thompson (2.17 K/S, .209) have supplemented Gaul. Two-year starter Keri Walker (10.97 A/S) provides stability at setter while Madison Langlie (4.03 D/S) anchors the defense.
Scouting MSU-Moorhead
The Dragons are 5-5 to open 2022 with a pair of NSIC wins over Minnesota Crookston and Bemidji State. Defense has been key for MSUM, holding their opponents to a .177 hitting percentage while racking up 16.5 digs per set. Bridget Wiztmann (3.49 K/S, .203) leads the way in kills alongside Jadyn Feist (2.33 K/S, .193) while Tori Thompson (2.00 K/S, .287) and Elise Bakke (1.62 K/S, .274) provide efficiency as the middle pairing. Brooke Walthall (4.31 D/S) and Macie Wieman (3.09 D/S) pace MSUM in digs as part of a unit that ranks third across the NSIC in digs/set. The Dragons enter the weekend having won three of their last four matches.
Leading the Pack
Through the first conference weekend of the 2022 season, Huskies can be found all over the NSIC leaderboards. Kenzie Foley leads the conference in points (5.64) and kills (4.76) per set, ranks fourth in hitting percentage (.385), is eighth in aces per set (0.45) and lands 20th in both blocks (0.79) and digs (3.17) per set. Phebie Rossi is third in blocks per set (1.20) while ranking sixth in hitting percentage (.367) and 14th in points per set (3.62). Keely Kurschner ranks second in aces per set (0.61) and sixth in digs/set (4.06). Linsey Rachel lands ninth in aces/set (0.44) – two spots ahead of Rachel Houle (0.42) – while ranking 16th in digs/set (3.44), 18th in kills/set (2.93) and 19th in points/set (3.44). Emma Berran ranks fourth in assists per set (11.18) while Sam Zimmerman is ninth in hitting percentage (.342) and 12th in blocks/set (0.87).
Rachel's Record Watch
Grad student Linsey Rachel enters the weekend third among the Huskies' all-time kill leaders with 1330, fresh off passing Kim Pellman with her second kill against Minot State on Saturday. Rachel needs 166 kills to move into second, which would pass Kathy Davis. She also ranks sixth all-time in digs, 52 away from passing Chelsea Nagle.
Can't Stop Kenzie
Junior outside hitter Kenzie Foley was named AVCA DII National Player of the Week following her terrific conference-opening weekend. Foley hit .644 as the Huskies swept both Mary and Minot State, averaging 5.92 points and 5.50 kills a set. The reigning AVCA DII National Freshman of the Year ranks fourth across DII in points/set and is fifth nationally in kills/set. Through the first three weeks of the season, Foley leads the Northern Sun in kills/set and points/set while ranking fourth in hitting percentage.
Keeping it 100
Both Linsey Rachel and Rachel Houle will play in their 100th collegiate matches on Friday evening, each having missed just one in their four-year playing careers at SCSU. Houle has missed just two sets dating back to September 22, 2018 – appearing in 316 of the Huskies' last 318 sets played.
Berran Pilots the Offense to New Heights
Reigning NSIC Setter of the Week Emma Berran has been brilliant in her true freshman season, ranking fourth in the NSIC and 12th nationally with 11.18 assists per set. The Berran-guided Huskies offense is second in the NCAA with a .319 hitting percentage and is seventh in kills per set at 14.59.
Dominating Defense
St. Cloud State owns the second-best defense in the Northern Sun entering the weekend, holding opponents to a .122 hitting percentage and the fewest kills/set in the league at 9.29. Incredibly, SCSU has yet to allow an opponent to hit better than .173 in a match this season.
Serve-and-Pass Success
SCSU has excelled in the serve-and-pass game this season, allowing the fewest aces (26) and aces per set (0.84) in the NSIC while leading the league in with 2.48 aces/set of their own. The Huskies rank 14th nationally in aces per set.
Information regarding single game and season tickets can be found at scsutickets.com. For all the latest on St. Cloud State Volleyball, stay tuned to SCSUHuskies.com and follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
Players Mentioned
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