Friday, October 6
Marshall, Minn.
6:00 P.M. CT
St. Cloud State
at
Southwest Minnesota State
No. 6 St. Cloud State Volleyball Looks Ahead to Road Tilts at No. 8 SMSU, Sioux Falls
10/5/2023 4:30:00 PM | Volleyball
Huskies look to gain ground in NSIC standings, enter week five in second place
ST. CLOUD, Minn. – No. 6 St. Cloud State Volleyball (13-3, 6-1 NSIC) continues their three match road trip with a pair of critical weekend tilts at No. 8 Southwest Minnesota State (12-2, 5-1 NSIC) and Sioux Falls (6-8, 2-4 NSIC) on Friday and Saturday, October 6 and 7. Friday's serve is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. at the PE Gym in Marshall with Saturday's weekend finale in Sioux Falls set for 2:00 p.m. at the Stewart Center.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
Both matches will be broadcast on the NSIC Network with live stats provided by the host institutions. Links to each streaming option can be found on the SCSU Volleyball schedule page.
LET'S GO POLLING
The Huskies remained at No. 6 in week five's AVCA Top-25 poll, their 21st consecutive week in the Top 10 dating back to the 2021 season. St. Cloud State has spent 25 weeks in the Top 10 under head coach Chad Braegelmann.
LAST TIME OUT
The No. 6 Huskies (13-3, 6-1 NSIC) opened a key conference road trip by emphatically cruising past Minnesota Crookston (3-11, 1-5 NSIC) in straight sets on Tuesday evening in Crookston, taking the match 25-15, 25-17 and 25-19. The Huskies hit .312 on the evening with 46 kills while holding UMC to 22 kills on .096 hitting, leaning on a terminal offense combined with a gritty defense to improve to 6-1 in conference play. Senior outside hitter Kenzie Foley led all players with 17 kills on .400 hitting, adding nine digs and a pair of blocks as part of a dominant effort. Redshirt sophomore middle blocker Sam Zimmerman dominated with a phenomenal evening, hitting .588 with 12 kills and a pair of blocks. The Huskies owned a .518 kill percentage on sophomore setter Emma Berran's sets as the standout piled up 43 assists to go with eight digs, three aces and a block. Multiple Huskies saw court time as SCSU worked in different lineups throughout the evening, highlighted by freshman defensive specialist Annika Forbes earning her first collegiate start and providing a career-high 11 digs.
NAVIGATING THE NORTHERN SUN
The Huskies are 55-12 in league play dating back to 2019 and earned the 2021 NSIC Regular Season Championship with a 19-1 campaign, adding two 15-win seasons in that span while establishing themselves as a true power in the Northern Sun. Over that span, nine of SCSU's 12 losses have been at the hands of ranked teams - speaking to the strength of the ever-competitive NSIC. SCSU has finished .500 or better in conference play for four straight seasons and have earned a top five finish in three consecutive campaigns.
DYNAMIC DEFENSE
The Huskies' defense has been nothing short of incredible through their first 16 matches of 2023, limiting opponents to just 9.88 kills/set on .148 hitting and a .301 kill percentage. SCSU has allowed the fewest kills/set in the Northern Sun while boasting the No. 3 hitting percentage defense in the league, adding the sixth-most digs across the conference at 15.58 a set. In conference play the Huskies boast the No. 1 hitting percentage defense (.129), the No. 1 opponent kills defense (9.24/set) and the No. 4 serve receive (1.10 opp. aces/set) while ranking third in digs per set at 16.86.
EXPLOSIVE OFFENSE
St. Cloud State enters week five with one of the most terminal offenses in all of NCAA DII Volleyball, sending down 14.83 kills per set on .256 hitting while boasting an incredible .418 kill percentage. The club's K/S mark ranks third in the nation while their hitting percentage is No. 16 across the NCAA. SCSU's current kills per set and kill percentage marks would both be the program's highest since the Huskies produced respective marks of 15.41 and .422 under Dianna Glowatzke.
ALL HAIL QUEEN KENZIE
Senior outside hitter Kenzie Foley is enjoying a tremendous third collegiate season, averaging 4.92 kills and 5.41 points per set on .293 hitting with a whopping .460 kill percentage. Defensively, Foley is the club's top passer in serve receive with a .980 reception percentage while producing 3.17 digs per set, second-best on the team. Her .982 mark in serve receive would set a new program record, besting Taylor Olstad's .975 recorded in 2019. She leads the NSIC in points, kills, points/set and kills/set while landing third and fourth nationally in kills per set and points per set respectively.
COUNT ON KEELY
Junior libero Keely Kurschner has been dominant as the anchor of the NSIC's top defense in conference play this fall, averaging 5.19 digs per set over the first seven league matches. St. Cloud State boasts the top defense in Northern Sun competition with the No. 1 hitting percentage and opponent kills defense with Kurschner as the unit's leader. She also serves a .990 with seven aces and just one service error in conference play, boosting the team defense with her work in keeping foes out of system.
DIRECTING THE ATTACK
Sophomore setter Emma Berran is continuing her rise as one of the nation's best at her position, entering the weekend third in the NCAA and second in the conference with 11.79 assists per set. The Huskies own a .418 kill percentage on her sets and have each of their five qualifying hitters recording 2.00 or more kills per set. SCSU has hit below .200 in a match just once this season and ranks among the nation's top teams in both kill/set and hitting percentage.
TERRIFIC TESCH
Stepping into the starting role at the right pin at the onset of conference play, junior opposite Natalie Tesch has provided stability to the Huskies offense with 2.25 kills per set on a .446 kill percentage. She has averaged at least 2.00 kills a set in six of the Huskies' seven matches in NSIC action while hitting .333 or better in four of seven.
LEGEND STATUS
Senior outside Kenzie Foley's 13th kill of Tuesday's match – and 1187th of her career – moved her past Leah Herrbolt (2001-04) for sixth all-time in program history as the senior's rapid climb up the Huskies career kill leaderboard continues. Foley also entered the program's top 10 in career points last weekend and is 23.5 away from reaching Karen Henderson (1986-89) and her 1374.5 for ninth. The two-time AVCA All-American and 2021 AVCA National Freshman of the Year is just 95 digs away from reaching 1,000 in that category.
THE SPIRIT RED BERRAN
Sophomore setter Emma Berran has already reached the program's Top 10 career assist leaderboard midway through her second collegiate season, climbing to ninth all-time with 1899 assists. Her career is off to an incredible start as she is the first Husky to run a 5-1 in her first two seasons since Jennifer Waterman (2007-11) while being one year removed from setting the program's first-year record with 1286 assists last fall. Her freshman assist total ranked seventh all-time in a single season in program history and her 2023 season average of 11.79 assists/set likewise stands fifth in program history.
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 with live stats provided by the host institutions. Links to each streaming option can be found on the SCSU Volleyball schedule page.
LET'S GO POLLING
The Huskies remained at No. 6 in week five's AVCA Top-25 poll, their 21st consecutive week in the Top 10 dating back to the 2021 season. St. Cloud State has spent 25 weeks in the Top 10 under head coach Chad Braegelmann.
LAST TIME OUT
The No. 6 Huskies (13-3, 6-1 NSIC) opened a key conference road trip by emphatically cruising past Minnesota Crookston (3-11, 1-5 NSIC) in straight sets on Tuesday evening in Crookston, taking the match 25-15, 25-17 and 25-19. The Huskies hit .312 on the evening with 46 kills while holding UMC to 22 kills on .096 hitting, leaning on a terminal offense combined with a gritty defense to improve to 6-1 in conference play. Senior outside hitter Kenzie Foley led all players with 17 kills on .400 hitting, adding nine digs and a pair of blocks as part of a dominant effort. Redshirt sophomore middle blocker Sam Zimmerman dominated with a phenomenal evening, hitting .588 with 12 kills and a pair of blocks. The Huskies owned a .518 kill percentage on sophomore setter Emma Berran's sets as the standout piled up 43 assists to go with eight digs, three aces and a block. Multiple Huskies saw court time as SCSU worked in different lineups throughout the evening, highlighted by freshman defensive specialist Annika Forbes earning her first collegiate start and providing a career-high 11 digs.
NAVIGATING THE NORTHERN SUN
The Huskies are 55-12 in league play dating back to 2019 and earned the 2021 NSIC Regular Season Championship with a 19-1 campaign, adding two 15-win seasons in that span while establishing themselves as a true power in the Northern Sun. Over that span, nine of SCSU's 12 losses have been at the hands of ranked teams - speaking to the strength of the ever-competitive NSIC. SCSU has finished .500 or better in conference play for four straight seasons and have earned a top five finish in three consecutive campaigns.
DYNAMIC DEFENSE
The Huskies' defense has been nothing short of incredible through their first 16 matches of 2023, limiting opponents to just 9.88 kills/set on .148 hitting and a .301 kill percentage. SCSU has allowed the fewest kills/set in the Northern Sun while boasting the No. 3 hitting percentage defense in the league, adding the sixth-most digs across the conference at 15.58 a set. In conference play the Huskies boast the No. 1 hitting percentage defense (.129), the No. 1 opponent kills defense (9.24/set) and the No. 4 serve receive (1.10 opp. aces/set) while ranking third in digs per set at 16.86.
EXPLOSIVE OFFENSE
St. Cloud State enters week five with one of the most terminal offenses in all of NCAA DII Volleyball, sending down 14.83 kills per set on .256 hitting while boasting an incredible .418 kill percentage. The club's K/S mark ranks third in the nation while their hitting percentage is No. 16 across the NCAA. SCSU's current kills per set and kill percentage marks would both be the program's highest since the Huskies produced respective marks of 15.41 and .422 under Dianna Glowatzke.
ALL HAIL QUEEN KENZIE
Senior outside hitter Kenzie Foley is enjoying a tremendous third collegiate season, averaging 4.92 kills and 5.41 points per set on .293 hitting with a whopping .460 kill percentage. Defensively, Foley is the club's top passer in serve receive with a .980 reception percentage while producing 3.17 digs per set, second-best on the team. Her .982 mark in serve receive would set a new program record, besting Taylor Olstad's .975 recorded in 2019. She leads the NSIC in points, kills, points/set and kills/set while landing third and fourth nationally in kills per set and points per set respectively.
COUNT ON KEELY
Junior libero Keely Kurschner has been dominant as the anchor of the NSIC's top defense in conference play this fall, averaging 5.19 digs per set over the first seven league matches. St. Cloud State boasts the top defense in Northern Sun competition with the No. 1 hitting percentage and opponent kills defense with Kurschner as the unit's leader. She also serves a .990 with seven aces and just one service error in conference play, boosting the team defense with her work in keeping foes out of system.
DIRECTING THE ATTACK
Sophomore setter Emma Berran is continuing her rise as one of the nation's best at her position, entering the weekend third in the NCAA and second in the conference with 11.79 assists per set. The Huskies own a .418 kill percentage on her sets and have each of their five qualifying hitters recording 2.00 or more kills per set. SCSU has hit below .200 in a match just once this season and ranks among the nation's top teams in both kill/set and hitting percentage.
TERRIFIC TESCH
Stepping into the starting role at the right pin at the onset of conference play, junior opposite Natalie Tesch has provided stability to the Huskies offense with 2.25 kills per set on a .446 kill percentage. She has averaged at least 2.00 kills a set in six of the Huskies' seven matches in NSIC action while hitting .333 or better in four of seven.
LEGEND STATUS
Senior outside Kenzie Foley's 13th kill of Tuesday's match – and 1187th of her career – moved her past Leah Herrbolt (2001-04) for sixth all-time in program history as the senior's rapid climb up the Huskies career kill leaderboard continues. Foley also entered the program's top 10 in career points last weekend and is 23.5 away from reaching Karen Henderson (1986-89) and her 1374.5 for ninth. The two-time AVCA All-American and 2021 AVCA National Freshman of the Year is just 95 digs away from reaching 1,000 in that category.
THE SPIRIT RED BERRAN
Sophomore setter Emma Berran has already reached the program's Top 10 career assist leaderboard midway through her second collegiate season, climbing to ninth all-time with 1899 assists. Her career is off to an incredible start as she is the first Husky to run a 5-1 in her first two seasons since Jennifer Waterman (2007-11) while being one year removed from setting the program's first-year record with 1286 assists last fall. Her freshman assist total ranked seventh all-time in a single season in program history and her 2023 season average of 11.79 assists/set likewise stands fifth in program history.
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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DS/OH
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Li/DS
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OPP/S
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MB
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