Historic Season for No. 2 St. Cloud State Volleyball Ends in NCAA Central Region Championship Match

Saturday, December 7

St. Cloud, Minn.

4 p.m. CT

St. Cloud State

29-3,18-0NSIC

Central Oklahoma

33-2,14-2Mid-America Intercollegiate

Central Okla.

St. Cloud St.

Photo by: Jason Soria

Historic Season for No. 2 St. Cloud State Volleyball Ends in NCAA Central Region Championship Match

12/7/2024 11:11:00 PM | Volleyball

Box Score

Top-seeded Huskies fall to No. 6 Central Oklahoma in five-setter

ST. CLOUD, Minn. – Top-seeded St. Cloud State Volleyball (29-3, 18-0 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference) dropped the NCAA Central Region Championship to No. 2 seed and sixth ranked Central Oklahoma in five sets (25-22, 22-25, 25-13, 19-25 and 9-15) on Saturday evening at Halenbeck Hall in St. Cloud, ending one of its most record-breaking seasons in program history.

The Huskies led UCO (32-2, 14-2 Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association) in points (80-73), kills (64-60), hitting percentage (.206 – .177), blocks (11-7) and assists (62-56) UCO led in aces (6-5) and digs (87-84).

SCSU's program record 25 match win streak came to an end, but it set a new program record for fewest losses in a season, with three. In addition, the Huskies lost their perfect season at home and 20 match home win streak that dated back to last season. The Huskies tied the program record for most wins in a single NCAA Tournament, with two, after reaching the Central Region Championship for the second time in three years.

TOP HUSKIES

Fifth year outside hitter Kenzie Foley (Sergeant Bluff, Iowa) – 23-kill, 26-dig double-double with three block assists.
Redshirt junior middle blocker Ella Thompson (Lakeville, Minn.) – 16 kills, match-high eight block assists and the Huskies lone solo block.
Junior setter Emma Berran (Inver Grove Heights, Minn.) – 54-assists, 11-dig double-double.
Sophomore outside hitter/opposite Shelby Kimm (North Liberty, Iowa) – 14 digs, eight kills and four block assists.
Senior libero Keely Kurschner (Maplewood, Minn.) – 21 digs and four assists.
Sophomore middle blocker Hannah Bruskiewicz (Rogers, Minn.) – 12 kills
Redshirt junior Sam Zimmerman (Moorhead, Minn.) – team-high two aces

PRESS CONFERENCE
To watch the post-match press conference on YouTube, click here.

NOTABLES

SCSU moves to 6-10 all-time in NCAA Tournament play.
The Huskies move to 0-2 all-time against Central Oklahoma, with both losses coming at home.
SCSU set a new program record for fewest losses in a season with three. The previous low was five set by the teams in 1969, 1974 and 2021.
The Huskies advanced to the Central Region Championship for the second time in three years, losing in five sets both times.
This was just the third five-setter the Huskies had to play this season.
Two of SCSU's three losses this season came in five-setters. SCSU's lone five-set match win this season came on the road against No. 6 Wayne State.
SCSU dropped its first match since Sept. 14, snapping its program record 25 match win streak.
St. Cloud State dropped its home match of the season (15-1) and first in the last 20 matches in Halenbeck Hall, dating back to Oct. 20, 2023.
Four Huskies – Foley, Berran, Thompson and Bruskiewicz – were named to the 12-player NCAA Central Region All-Tournament Team.
Foley's 23 kills and 26 digs were both match-highs. She tallied a career high 64 attacks and tied her career high for digs. It was her 20^th double-double of the season (fifth straight) and her second match with at least 20+ kills and 20+ digs. She finished No. 2 in kills in a season (553), No. 4 in attacks in a season (1,231),
Thompson was first in the match in block assists and total blocks along with second in kills. Her nine blocks were the most of a Husky in any match this season. She surpassed 1,000 points for her career and finished No. 7 in single season hitting percentage (minimum 50% of matches played and 100+ kills) with .360.
Berran led the match in assists and tallied her sixth double-double of the season and second of the NCAA Tournament. She posted 50+ assists for the fifth time of the season and second of the NCAA Tournament. She moved into No. 4 on the program's all-time assists leaderboard and finished No. 8 for the single season assists (1,295).
Kimm was second on the Huskies in blocks, third in digs and fourth in kills. She recorded career highs in blocks (four), block assists (four) and attacks (37)
Kurschner posted 20+ digs for the sixth time this season.
Bruskiewicz was third on the Huskies in kills. She finished No. 9 in single season hitting percentage (minimum 50% of matches played and 100+ kills) with .354.
Zimmerman's two aces were a new career high.