Thursday, November 30
St. Paul, Minn.
5:00 P.M. CT
St. Cloud State
vs
Central Missouri
Photo by: Dylan De Baldo
No. 6 St. Cloud State Volleyball Opens NCAA Tournament with No. 16 Central Missouri
11/29/2023 9:17:00 PM | Volleyball
Five-seed Huskies travel to St. Paul, Minn. for the Central Region Tournament
ST. CLOUD, Minn. – No. 6 St. Cloud State Volleyball (22-8, 13-5 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference) begins NCAA Tournament play tomorrow at the Central Region Tournament in St. Paul, Minn. against No. 16 Central Missouri (24-7, 18-2 Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Conference). First serve is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. CT at the Gangelhoff Center.
Thursday's matchup will be the first time St. Cloud State and the Jennies have met in the NCAA Tournament and the eighth meeting all-time between the programs. SCSU holds a record of 1-6 in the previous seven matchups. Central Missouri won the lone post season match between the teams, an AIAW-II Region VI Tournament tilt in 1982. SCSU's only win over the Jennies came in 1985.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
The match will be broadcast on ncaa.com (note - a new NCAA Championships Pass application will be available on Apple TV, Roku, Fire TV and Google TV devices as well as mobile apps and traditional computer streaming options. Fans will have two viewing options for volleyball: $9.95 per contest, or $29.95 for all Division II women's volleyball matches). Fans are encouraged to purchase access prior to the match as an account will need to be set up in order to access the matches. Live stats will be provided by Concordia-St. Paul. Tickets are for sale online at cspbears.com/tickets. CSP accepts credit cards only for ticket sales (note - All Gangelhoff Center seating is general admission. Gates open 1 hour prior to the start of the first match. Tickets purchased are for each round. Prices are as follows; adults: $12, seniors & students: $9, youth (5-12): $6 and children (under 5): free). Links to each coverage option can be found on the SCSU Volleyball schedule page.
LET'S GO POLLING
The Huskies moved up two spots to No. 6 in the AVCA Top-25 poll. St. Cloud State has spent 31 weeks in the Top-10 under head coach Chad Braegelmann.
LAST TIME OUT
Then-No. 8 St. Cloud State Volleyball recorded its eighth straight NSIC Tournament win after a five-set thriller vs. No. 1 Wayne State in the NSIC Tournament Semifinals on Saturday Nov. 18 at Rice Auditorium in Wayne. The Huskies took the match 20-25, 25-23, 25-14, 19-25 and 15-11 over the Wildcats recording their first win over a No. 1 team in program history after previously going 0-28. In those previous 28 matches, the Huskies had only won one set three times and had never won two or more sets. It was the fourth match vs. a No. 1 ranked team this season alone and the fifth time in the past two seasons. NSIC Player of the Year, senior outside hitter Kenzie Foley (Sergeant Bluffs, Iowa) led the way with a game-high 27 kills to go along with 14 digs – her 20th double-double of the season. The Huskies owned a .477 kill percentage on sets by sophomore All-NSIC Second Team honoree setter Emma Berran (Inver Grove Heights, Minn.) as she provided a match/career single-game high 63 assists. Junior libero Keely Kurschner (Maplewood, Minn.) recorded a match-high 18 digs and tallied five service aces to tie her career single-game high mark. Freshman middle blocker Hannah Bruskiewicz (Rogers, Minn.) sent down 17 kills on .429 hitting and recorded five block assists. Freshman Shelby Kimm (North Liberty, Iowa) did a little bit of everything for the Huskies, recording 14 digs, seven kills and three service aces.
On Sunday, Nov. 19 the Huskies fell in the NSIC Tournament Championship Match to second-seeded No. 4 Concordia-St. Paul in straight sets at Rice Auditorium, 26-24, 25-21 and 25-18. The Golden Bears won their seventh NSIC Tournament Championship and stopped SCSU from winning its third in a row. NSIC Player of the Year, senior outside hitter Kenzie Foley (Sergeant Bluffs, Iowa) recorded a game-high 17 kills on .364 hitting. The Huskies owned a .410 kill percentage on sets by sophomore All-NSIC Second Team honoree setter Emma Berran (Inver Grove Heights, Minn.) as she provided a team-high 32 assists. Freshman middle blocker Hannah Bruskiewicz (Rogers, Minn.) sent down eight kills on an incredible .778 hitting. Foley and Bruskiewicz were named to the All-Tournament Team. Foley hit .300 with 5.45 kills/set, which was the most in the tournament. She contributed 5.64 points/set (first in the tournament) and 3.00 digs per set (tied for 10th). Bruskiewicz hit .447 (third best) with 2.47 kills/set. She tallied 3.18 points/set and 0.73 blocks/set.
AVCA & D2CCA CENTRAL REGION PLAYER OF THE YEAR
For the first time in program history, a St. Cloud State Volleyball player has been named American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) and Division-II Conference Commissioners Association (D2CCA) Volleyball Region Player of the Year. Senior outside hitter Kenzie Foley (Sergeant Bluffs, Iowa) has been named the 2023 AVCA and D2CCA Central Region Player of the Year. Foley was also named to the AVCA and D2CCA First Team All-Central Region Team.
Foley is the first player in program history to earn both AVCA and D2CCA Region Player of the Year honors. She was also named to the AVCA First Team All-Central Region Team the past two seasons and the D2CCA First Team All-Central Region Team in 2021. Earlier this year, Foley was named the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) Player of the Year becoming the first player in program history to win that honor as well. She was named NSIC Offensive Player of the Week four times this season (9/11, 9/25, 10/23, 11/6).
This season Foley leads the NCAA and NSIC in kills per set (5.03). She also leads the NSIC in points per set (5.55), total kills (533), attacks per set (11.07) and total attacks (1,173). In the NSIC she also ranks 14th in total digs (341), 16th in digs per set (3.22) and 17th in hitting % (.292). In the NCAA she ranks second in points per set, fifth in total kills and 25th in attacks per set.
This season she surpassed 1,000 career kills becoming the fastest to reach the mark in program history and 13th player in program history to reach it. She also surpassed 1,000 career digs this season becoming the 11th player in program history to do so. Foley has recorded 19 double-doubles this season and moved up to No. 2 in program history for career double-doubles. She has recorded 10+ kills in every match this season and moved up to No. 2 in program history for career individual double-digit kill matches. Foley has also sent down 20+ kills in 10 matches this year and moved to No. 1 in program history for career individual 20+ kill games.
She was named to the NSIC Tournament All-Tournament Team and Up North All-Tournament Team along with being named the Seawolf Invitational Most Outstanding Player.
AVCA ALL-CENTRAL REGION HONORABLE MENTION
Sophomore setter Emma Berran (Inver Grove Heights, Minn.) received AVCA All-Central Region Honorable Mention honors. It is the first time in her career being named to an All-Region team. Berran ranks second in assists per set and ninth in service aces per set this season in the NSIC. Nationally, Berran ranks sixth in assists per set. Earlier this season, she was named the NSIC Setter of the Week for the second time in 2023 (9/25 and 10/23) and third time in her career.
NSIC HONORS
Three St. Cloud State Volleyball players earned All-Conference honors from the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC). Senior outside hitter Kenzie Foley (Sergeant Bluff, Iowa) was named the NSIC Player of the Year. Joining Foley on the First Team was redshirt sophomore middle blocker Sam Zimmerman (Moorhead, Minn.). Sophomore setter Emma Berran (Inver Grove Heights, Minn.) was named to the Second Team.
Foley became the first player in program history to earn NSIC Player of the Year honors. Sam Zimmerman joined Foley on the All-NSIC First Team, earning All-NSIC honors for the first time in her career. She was one of three underclassmen to earn All-NSIC First Team honors. She was one of five underclassmen to earn Second Team honors. It is the first time in Berran's career that she earned All-NSIC honors.
2023 NCAA Central Region Tournament quarterfinal pairings
Quarterfinals, Thursday, November 30 – St. Paul, Minn. (Gangelhoff Center)
12:00 p.m. - No. 3 Southwest Minnesota State (23-6) vs. No. 6 Nebraska Kearney (28-5)
2:30 p.m. - No. 2 Wayne State (28-2) vs. No. 7 Minnesota Duluth (18-10)
5:00 p.m. - No. 4 Central Missouri (25-7) vs. No. 5 St. Cloud State (22-8)
7:30 p.m. - No. 1 Concordia-St. Paul (28-2) vs. No. 8 Oklahoma Baptist (22-8)
Semifinals, Friday, December 1 – St. Paul, Minn. (Gangelhoff Center)
5:00 p.m. - SMSU/UNK winner vs WSC/UMD winner
7:30 p.m. - UCM/SCSU winner vs CSP/OBU winner
Championship, Saturday, December 2 – St. Paul, Minn. (Gangelhoff Center)
7:00 p.m. - Semifinal winners
The eight regional winners will advance to Moon Township, Pennsylvania, at the UPMC Events Center on December 7-9.
For all the latest on St. Cloud State Volleyball, stay tuned to SCSUHuskies.com and follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
Thursday's matchup will be the first time St. Cloud State and the Jennies have met in the NCAA Tournament and the eighth meeting all-time between the programs. SCSU holds a record of 1-6 in the previous seven matchups. Central Missouri won the lone post season match between the teams, an AIAW-II Region VI Tournament tilt in 1982. SCSU's only win over the Jennies came in 1985.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
The match will be broadcast on ncaa.com (note - a new NCAA Championships Pass application will be available on Apple TV, Roku, Fire TV and Google TV devices as well as mobile apps and traditional computer streaming options. Fans will have two viewing options for volleyball: $9.95 per contest, or $29.95 for all Division II women's volleyball matches). Fans are encouraged to purchase access prior to the match as an account will need to be set up in order to access the matches. Live stats will be provided by Concordia-St. Paul. Tickets are for sale online at cspbears.com/tickets. CSP accepts credit cards only for ticket sales (note - All Gangelhoff Center seating is general admission. Gates open 1 hour prior to the start of the first match. Tickets purchased are for each round. Prices are as follows; adults: $12, seniors & students: $9, youth (5-12): $6 and children (under 5): free). Links to each coverage option can be found on the SCSU Volleyball schedule page.
LET'S GO POLLING
The Huskies moved up two spots to No. 6 in the AVCA Top-25 poll. St. Cloud State has spent 31 weeks in the Top-10 under head coach Chad Braegelmann.
LAST TIME OUT
Then-No. 8 St. Cloud State Volleyball recorded its eighth straight NSIC Tournament win after a five-set thriller vs. No. 1 Wayne State in the NSIC Tournament Semifinals on Saturday Nov. 18 at Rice Auditorium in Wayne. The Huskies took the match 20-25, 25-23, 25-14, 19-25 and 15-11 over the Wildcats recording their first win over a No. 1 team in program history after previously going 0-28. In those previous 28 matches, the Huskies had only won one set three times and had never won two or more sets. It was the fourth match vs. a No. 1 ranked team this season alone and the fifth time in the past two seasons. NSIC Player of the Year, senior outside hitter Kenzie Foley (Sergeant Bluffs, Iowa) led the way with a game-high 27 kills to go along with 14 digs – her 20th double-double of the season. The Huskies owned a .477 kill percentage on sets by sophomore All-NSIC Second Team honoree setter Emma Berran (Inver Grove Heights, Minn.) as she provided a match/career single-game high 63 assists. Junior libero Keely Kurschner (Maplewood, Minn.) recorded a match-high 18 digs and tallied five service aces to tie her career single-game high mark. Freshman middle blocker Hannah Bruskiewicz (Rogers, Minn.) sent down 17 kills on .429 hitting and recorded five block assists. Freshman Shelby Kimm (North Liberty, Iowa) did a little bit of everything for the Huskies, recording 14 digs, seven kills and three service aces.
On Sunday, Nov. 19 the Huskies fell in the NSIC Tournament Championship Match to second-seeded No. 4 Concordia-St. Paul in straight sets at Rice Auditorium, 26-24, 25-21 and 25-18. The Golden Bears won their seventh NSIC Tournament Championship and stopped SCSU from winning its third in a row. NSIC Player of the Year, senior outside hitter Kenzie Foley (Sergeant Bluffs, Iowa) recorded a game-high 17 kills on .364 hitting. The Huskies owned a .410 kill percentage on sets by sophomore All-NSIC Second Team honoree setter Emma Berran (Inver Grove Heights, Minn.) as she provided a team-high 32 assists. Freshman middle blocker Hannah Bruskiewicz (Rogers, Minn.) sent down eight kills on an incredible .778 hitting. Foley and Bruskiewicz were named to the All-Tournament Team. Foley hit .300 with 5.45 kills/set, which was the most in the tournament. She contributed 5.64 points/set (first in the tournament) and 3.00 digs per set (tied for 10th). Bruskiewicz hit .447 (third best) with 2.47 kills/set. She tallied 3.18 points/set and 0.73 blocks/set.
AVCA & D2CCA CENTRAL REGION PLAYER OF THE YEAR
For the first time in program history, a St. Cloud State Volleyball player has been named American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) and Division-II Conference Commissioners Association (D2CCA) Volleyball Region Player of the Year. Senior outside hitter Kenzie Foley (Sergeant Bluffs, Iowa) has been named the 2023 AVCA and D2CCA Central Region Player of the Year. Foley was also named to the AVCA and D2CCA First Team All-Central Region Team.
Foley is the first player in program history to earn both AVCA and D2CCA Region Player of the Year honors. She was also named to the AVCA First Team All-Central Region Team the past two seasons and the D2CCA First Team All-Central Region Team in 2021. Earlier this year, Foley was named the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) Player of the Year becoming the first player in program history to win that honor as well. She was named NSIC Offensive Player of the Week four times this season (9/11, 9/25, 10/23, 11/6).
This season Foley leads the NCAA and NSIC in kills per set (5.03). She also leads the NSIC in points per set (5.55), total kills (533), attacks per set (11.07) and total attacks (1,173). In the NSIC she also ranks 14th in total digs (341), 16th in digs per set (3.22) and 17th in hitting % (.292). In the NCAA she ranks second in points per set, fifth in total kills and 25th in attacks per set.
This season she surpassed 1,000 career kills becoming the fastest to reach the mark in program history and 13th player in program history to reach it. She also surpassed 1,000 career digs this season becoming the 11th player in program history to do so. Foley has recorded 19 double-doubles this season and moved up to No. 2 in program history for career double-doubles. She has recorded 10+ kills in every match this season and moved up to No. 2 in program history for career individual double-digit kill matches. Foley has also sent down 20+ kills in 10 matches this year and moved to No. 1 in program history for career individual 20+ kill games.
She was named to the NSIC Tournament All-Tournament Team and Up North All-Tournament Team along with being named the Seawolf Invitational Most Outstanding Player.
AVCA ALL-CENTRAL REGION HONORABLE MENTION
Sophomore setter Emma Berran (Inver Grove Heights, Minn.) received AVCA All-Central Region Honorable Mention honors. It is the first time in her career being named to an All-Region team. Berran ranks second in assists per set and ninth in service aces per set this season in the NSIC. Nationally, Berran ranks sixth in assists per set. Earlier this season, she was named the NSIC Setter of the Week for the second time in 2023 (9/25 and 10/23) and third time in her career.
NSIC HONORS
Three St. Cloud State Volleyball players earned All-Conference honors from the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC). Senior outside hitter Kenzie Foley (Sergeant Bluff, Iowa) was named the NSIC Player of the Year. Joining Foley on the First Team was redshirt sophomore middle blocker Sam Zimmerman (Moorhead, Minn.). Sophomore setter Emma Berran (Inver Grove Heights, Minn.) was named to the Second Team.
Foley became the first player in program history to earn NSIC Player of the Year honors. Sam Zimmerman joined Foley on the All-NSIC First Team, earning All-NSIC honors for the first time in her career. She was one of three underclassmen to earn All-NSIC First Team honors. She was one of five underclassmen to earn Second Team honors. It is the first time in Berran's career that she earned All-NSIC honors.
2023 NCAA Central Region Tournament quarterfinal pairings
Quarterfinals, Thursday, November 30 – St. Paul, Minn. (Gangelhoff Center)
12:00 p.m. - No. 3 Southwest Minnesota State (23-6) vs. No. 6 Nebraska Kearney (28-5)
2:30 p.m. - No. 2 Wayne State (28-2) vs. No. 7 Minnesota Duluth (18-10)
5:00 p.m. - No. 4 Central Missouri (25-7) vs. No. 5 St. Cloud State (22-8)
7:30 p.m. - No. 1 Concordia-St. Paul (28-2) vs. No. 8 Oklahoma Baptist (22-8)
Semifinals, Friday, December 1 – St. Paul, Minn. (Gangelhoff Center)
5:00 p.m. - SMSU/UNK winner vs WSC/UMD winner
7:30 p.m. - UCM/SCSU winner vs CSP/OBU winner
Championship, Saturday, December 2 – St. Paul, Minn. (Gangelhoff Center)
7:00 p.m. - Semifinal winners
The eight regional winners will advance to Moon Township, Pennsylvania, at the UPMC Events Center on December 7-9.
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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/ Volleyball
MB
/ Volleyball
OH
/ Volleyball
OH/OPP
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Li/DS
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MB
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