Friday, September 15
Minot, N.D.
6:00 P.M. CT
St. Cloud State
at
Minot State
No. 6 St. Cloud State Volleyball Opens Conference Play in North Dakota
9/14/2023 2:45:00 PM | Volleyball
Huskies visit Minot State, Mary to begin NSIC regular season action
ST. CLOUD, Minn. – No. 6 St. Cloud State Volleyball (7-2, 0-0 NSIC) begins Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play this weekend with a two match trip to North Dakota, visiting Minot State (1-7, 0-0 NSIC) on Friday then traveling south to Mary (4-4, 0-0 NSIC) on Saturday. Friday's first serve is set for 6:00 p.m. CT with Saturday's tilt scheduled for 2:00 p.m.
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 dropped one spot to No. 6 in week two's AVCA Top-25 poll, their 18th consecutive week in the Top 10 dating back to the 2021 season. St. Cloud State has spent 22 weeks in the Top 10 under head coach Chad Braegelmann.
LAST TIME OUT
The No. 6 Huskies (7-2, 0-0 NSIC) fell in straight sets to No. 1 Concordia-St. Paul (9-0, 0-0 NSIC) on Tuesday evening at the Gangelhoff Center in St. Paul, dropping the match 19-25, 19-25 and 20-25. The Huskies struggled to contain the Golden Bear offense, allowing 50 kills on .440 hitting as CSP found themselves in system throughout the evening. Senior outside hitter Kenzie Foley led SCSU with 14 kills on .355 hitting, adding three digs and a block. The St. Cloud State offense hit a strong .284 on the night as sophomore setter Emma Berran handed out 31 assists with five digs and a pair of blocks, finding freshman outside Abby Wachal and freshman middle blocker Hannah Bruskiewicz for seven kills each on .375 and .333 hitting respectively. Defense proved to be the difference in the match as the Huskies were outkilled 50 to 35 and outhit .440 to .284 while Concordia-St. Paul posted a whopping .550 kill percentage. St. Cloud State found difficulty keeping the Golden Bears out of system, recording just one ace as CSP boasted a .980 reception percentage. The Huskies recorded only 27 digs in the match as CSP's offense terminated nearly every in-system ball.
CONFERENCE PLAY BEGINS
St. Cloud State enters the 2023 conference season in search of its fourth consecutive top five finish in the NSIC regular season. The Huskies are 49-11 in league play over the past three season 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 11 losses were to ranked teams - speaking to the strength of the ever-competitive NSIC. SCSU has finished .500 or better in conference play for four straight seasons.
SCOUTING MINOT STATE
Minot State enters the weekend at 1-7 on the young season, struggling to generate consistent offense with just 10.03 kills a set on .106 hitting. Junior outside hitter Maggie Machado is the leading attacker with 2.60 kills/set on .132 hitting while junior middle blocker Taylor Wyatt has been the most efficient weapon for the Beavers with a .248 hitting percentage. Setters Jaina Macaulay and Milena Cernjanski run Minot's 6-2 offense while talented junior libero Kendal Braun logs 4.33 digs/set with 15 aces as the defense's quarterback.
SCOUTING MARY
The Marauders enjoyed a 4-4 start to the fall in nonconference play, earning two wins over MSU-Billings and one each over Southeastern Oklahoma State and Black Hills State. Senior outside hitter Ally Gruber has posted 3.20 kills and 3.40 digs per set on .219 hitting, leading the Mary offense as the featured hitter much like her older sister Becca did as a two-year starting opposite at St. Cloud State from 2016-17. Graduate outside Nehkyah Ellis adds 2.40 kills and 2.37 digs a set while middle hitter Maddie Cooper hits .280 with 2.03 kills/set to add pressure from the middle in senior setter Kameron Selvig's offense. Standout junior libero Kaia Sueker has produced 4.91 digs a set while committing just two errors in serve receive for a strong .971 reception percentage.
FOLEY EN FUEGO
Senior outside hitter Kenzie Foley was named the NSIC Offensive Player of the Week by the league office on Monday afternoon following her tremendous weekend at the Up North Tournament in Duluth. The honor is the fourth of Foley's collegiate career. Foley continued her incredible start to the 2023 season by earning All-Tournament Team honors at the Up North Tournament in Duluth last weekend, hammering down nearly five kills per set across four matches. Foley terminated 74 kills at a 4.93 per-set clip while hitting a red-hot .340 and adding a mind-boggling .525 kill percentage, adding 53 digs at 3.53 per set. The two time All-American posted three double-doubles including her first 20-20 effort of the season over the weekend and cleared the 1,000 career kill milestone two points into the Huskies' first match in Duluth - becoming the fastest player in program history to reach the mark. She added a .985 in serve receive, committing just one error in 65 chances, and provided 5.50 points a set by adding four aces and eight blocks. The Sergeant Bluff, Iowa product led the NSIC in kills with 20 more than the next best hitter despite playing just one more set, leading the league in kills/set by over a full kill. She also led the conference with 82.5 points and was second among all outsides in hitting percentage.
LEADING THE LAND
St. Cloud State enters week three with the most terminal offense in all of NCAA DII Volleyball, sending down a nation-leading 15.00 kills per set on .264 hitting while boasting an incredible .429 kill percentage. Plenty of credit can be given to sophomore setter Emma Berran's work directing the offense as the standout is fourth in the NCAA with 11.64 assists per set. Berran has her five qualifying hitters averaging 2.05 kills/set or better while all four post kill percentages of .380 or higher. Incredibly, three of those five are true freshmen - speaking to the Huskies' ability to quickly involve their talented weapons in the attack.
ALL HAIL QUEEN KENZIE
Fresh off back-to-back All-Tournament Team nods and her first NSIC Player of the Week selection, senior outside hitter Kenzie Foley looks to continue her incredible start to her third season of competition as conference play begins. Foley is producing career marks in nearly every offensive category, averaging 5.24 points and 4.87 kills per set on .327 hitting with a .489 kill percentage alongside 3.06 digs per set. Her passing has taken a big step forward, leading the serve receive with a .975 reception percentage while going 162-for-166 on her chances. The Huskies' feature hitter leads the conference in both kills and points per set while ranking fifth and seventh nationally in the two categories.
KIMM POSSIBLE
Freshman outside hitter Shelby Kimm earned All-Tournament Team honors at the Up North Tournament last weekend after a stellar weekend as a starting outside. Kimm recorded 2.73 kills and 3.20 digs a set on .266 hitting with six aces and seven blocks, posting her first collegiate double-double and racking up 13 or more digs three times. The freshman enjoyed a .951 reception percentage over the weekend and has quickly established herself as one of the Huskies' top scorers at the service line with three aces in three different matches this fall.
HANNAH'S GOIN' BANANAS
Freshman middle blocker Hannah Bruskiewicz was a force for the Huskies during the Up North Tournament, terminating 2.60 kills a set on .308 hitting with a .500 kill percentage and 0.80 blocks per set. Her weekend culminated in a career match against No. 23 Central Washington, sending down 17 kills on .355 hitting with four blocks. The freshman posted multiple blocks in each of her four matches and hit .333 or better in three of the four contests.
ABBY'S ACES
Freshman opposite Abby Wachal has found a home at the right pin for SCSU, sending down 2.08 kills a set with a .388 kill percentage while quickly becoming one of the club's most effective servers. She has missed just two serve in 82 chances for a stellar .976 serve percentage while acing 9.8% of her serves.
OUT-OF-SYSTEM SPECIALIST
Freshman defensive specialist Annika Forbes gives the Huskies a fourth high-performing freshman, quickly becoming St. Cloud State's top serving specialist. Armed with one of the toughest serves on the club, Forbes serves at a .957 clip and is second on the team with 10 aces while leading the Huskies with a 10.9% ace percentage. Her efforts at the line have helped keep opponents out of system in support of one of the league's best defenses.
KILL COUNTING
Senior outside hitter Kenzie Foley became the program's fastest player to reach 1,000 career kills last weekend and now turns her sights towards entering St. Cloud State's Top 10 list for the category. Foley is 31 kills away from reaching standout outside hitter Ashley Shields' (2007-10) mark of 1117 and 37 from Hall of Famer GiGi DesLauriers (1988-91). The two-time AVCA All-American and 2021 AVCA National Freshman of the Year is also just 165 digs away from reaching 1,000 in that category.
Single match and season ticket information can be found on 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 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 dropped one spot to No. 6 in week two's AVCA Top-25 poll, their 18th consecutive week in the Top 10 dating back to the 2021 season. St. Cloud State has spent 22 weeks in the Top 10 under head coach Chad Braegelmann.
LAST TIME OUT
The No. 6 Huskies (7-2, 0-0 NSIC) fell in straight sets to No. 1 Concordia-St. Paul (9-0, 0-0 NSIC) on Tuesday evening at the Gangelhoff Center in St. Paul, dropping the match 19-25, 19-25 and 20-25. The Huskies struggled to contain the Golden Bear offense, allowing 50 kills on .440 hitting as CSP found themselves in system throughout the evening. Senior outside hitter Kenzie Foley led SCSU with 14 kills on .355 hitting, adding three digs and a block. The St. Cloud State offense hit a strong .284 on the night as sophomore setter Emma Berran handed out 31 assists with five digs and a pair of blocks, finding freshman outside Abby Wachal and freshman middle blocker Hannah Bruskiewicz for seven kills each on .375 and .333 hitting respectively. Defense proved to be the difference in the match as the Huskies were outkilled 50 to 35 and outhit .440 to .284 while Concordia-St. Paul posted a whopping .550 kill percentage. St. Cloud State found difficulty keeping the Golden Bears out of system, recording just one ace as CSP boasted a .980 reception percentage. The Huskies recorded only 27 digs in the match as CSP's offense terminated nearly every in-system ball.
CONFERENCE PLAY BEGINS
St. Cloud State enters the 2023 conference season in search of its fourth consecutive top five finish in the NSIC regular season. The Huskies are 49-11 in league play over the past three season 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 11 losses were to ranked teams - speaking to the strength of the ever-competitive NSIC. SCSU has finished .500 or better in conference play for four straight seasons.
SCOUTING MINOT STATE
Minot State enters the weekend at 1-7 on the young season, struggling to generate consistent offense with just 10.03 kills a set on .106 hitting. Junior outside hitter Maggie Machado is the leading attacker with 2.60 kills/set on .132 hitting while junior middle blocker Taylor Wyatt has been the most efficient weapon for the Beavers with a .248 hitting percentage. Setters Jaina Macaulay and Milena Cernjanski run Minot's 6-2 offense while talented junior libero Kendal Braun logs 4.33 digs/set with 15 aces as the defense's quarterback.
SCOUTING MARY
The Marauders enjoyed a 4-4 start to the fall in nonconference play, earning two wins over MSU-Billings and one each over Southeastern Oklahoma State and Black Hills State. Senior outside hitter Ally Gruber has posted 3.20 kills and 3.40 digs per set on .219 hitting, leading the Mary offense as the featured hitter much like her older sister Becca did as a two-year starting opposite at St. Cloud State from 2016-17. Graduate outside Nehkyah Ellis adds 2.40 kills and 2.37 digs a set while middle hitter Maddie Cooper hits .280 with 2.03 kills/set to add pressure from the middle in senior setter Kameron Selvig's offense. Standout junior libero Kaia Sueker has produced 4.91 digs a set while committing just two errors in serve receive for a strong .971 reception percentage.
FOLEY EN FUEGO
Senior outside hitter Kenzie Foley was named the NSIC Offensive Player of the Week by the league office on Monday afternoon following her tremendous weekend at the Up North Tournament in Duluth. The honor is the fourth of Foley's collegiate career. Foley continued her incredible start to the 2023 season by earning All-Tournament Team honors at the Up North Tournament in Duluth last weekend, hammering down nearly five kills per set across four matches. Foley terminated 74 kills at a 4.93 per-set clip while hitting a red-hot .340 and adding a mind-boggling .525 kill percentage, adding 53 digs at 3.53 per set. The two time All-American posted three double-doubles including her first 20-20 effort of the season over the weekend and cleared the 1,000 career kill milestone two points into the Huskies' first match in Duluth - becoming the fastest player in program history to reach the mark. She added a .985 in serve receive, committing just one error in 65 chances, and provided 5.50 points a set by adding four aces and eight blocks. The Sergeant Bluff, Iowa product led the NSIC in kills with 20 more than the next best hitter despite playing just one more set, leading the league in kills/set by over a full kill. She also led the conference with 82.5 points and was second among all outsides in hitting percentage.
LEADING THE LAND
St. Cloud State enters week three with the most terminal offense in all of NCAA DII Volleyball, sending down a nation-leading 15.00 kills per set on .264 hitting while boasting an incredible .429 kill percentage. Plenty of credit can be given to sophomore setter Emma Berran's work directing the offense as the standout is fourth in the NCAA with 11.64 assists per set. Berran has her five qualifying hitters averaging 2.05 kills/set or better while all four post kill percentages of .380 or higher. Incredibly, three of those five are true freshmen - speaking to the Huskies' ability to quickly involve their talented weapons in the attack.
ALL HAIL QUEEN KENZIE
Fresh off back-to-back All-Tournament Team nods and her first NSIC Player of the Week selection, senior outside hitter Kenzie Foley looks to continue her incredible start to her third season of competition as conference play begins. Foley is producing career marks in nearly every offensive category, averaging 5.24 points and 4.87 kills per set on .327 hitting with a .489 kill percentage alongside 3.06 digs per set. Her passing has taken a big step forward, leading the serve receive with a .975 reception percentage while going 162-for-166 on her chances. The Huskies' feature hitter leads the conference in both kills and points per set while ranking fifth and seventh nationally in the two categories.
KIMM POSSIBLE
Freshman outside hitter Shelby Kimm earned All-Tournament Team honors at the Up North Tournament last weekend after a stellar weekend as a starting outside. Kimm recorded 2.73 kills and 3.20 digs a set on .266 hitting with six aces and seven blocks, posting her first collegiate double-double and racking up 13 or more digs three times. The freshman enjoyed a .951 reception percentage over the weekend and has quickly established herself as one of the Huskies' top scorers at the service line with three aces in three different matches this fall.
HANNAH'S GOIN' BANANAS
Freshman middle blocker Hannah Bruskiewicz was a force for the Huskies during the Up North Tournament, terminating 2.60 kills a set on .308 hitting with a .500 kill percentage and 0.80 blocks per set. Her weekend culminated in a career match against No. 23 Central Washington, sending down 17 kills on .355 hitting with four blocks. The freshman posted multiple blocks in each of her four matches and hit .333 or better in three of the four contests.
ABBY'S ACES
Freshman opposite Abby Wachal has found a home at the right pin for SCSU, sending down 2.08 kills a set with a .388 kill percentage while quickly becoming one of the club's most effective servers. She has missed just two serve in 82 chances for a stellar .976 serve percentage while acing 9.8% of her serves.
OUT-OF-SYSTEM SPECIALIST
Freshman defensive specialist Annika Forbes gives the Huskies a fourth high-performing freshman, quickly becoming St. Cloud State's top serving specialist. Armed with one of the toughest serves on the club, Forbes serves at a .957 clip and is second on the team with 10 aces while leading the Huskies with a 10.9% ace percentage. Her efforts at the line have helped keep opponents out of system in support of one of the league's best defenses.
KILL COUNTING
Senior outside hitter Kenzie Foley became the program's fastest player to reach 1,000 career kills last weekend and now turns her sights towards entering St. Cloud State's Top 10 list for the category. Foley is 31 kills away from reaching standout outside hitter Ashley Shields' (2007-10) mark of 1117 and 37 from Hall of Famer GiGi DesLauriers (1988-91). The two-time AVCA All-American and 2021 AVCA National Freshman of the Year is also just 165 digs away from reaching 1,000 in that category.
Single match and season ticket information can be found on 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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