Another Historic Season for No. 5 St. Cloud State Volleyball Ends with Five-Setter in NCAA Central Region Championship

Saturday, December 6

Health & Sports Center • Kearney, Neb.

5 p.m.

St. Cloud State

28-7,18-2NSIC

(2) #6 Concordia-St. Paul

29-5,19-1NSIC

St. Cloud St.

Concordia-St. Paul

Photo by: Jacob Sanders

Another Historic Season for No. 5 St. Cloud State Volleyball Ends with Five-Setter in NCAA Central Region Championship

12/7/2025 1:06:00 AM | Volleyball

Box Score NCAA Central Region Homepage

No. 4 seeded Huskies fall in five to No. 6/two seed Concordia-St. Paul

KEARNEY, Neb. – No. 5 St. Cloud State Volleyball (28-7, 18-2 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference) had its season end with a five-setter in the NCAA Sweet 16/Central Region Championship for the second consecutive season and third time in the past four seasons. The No. 4 seeded Huskies fell to No. 6/two seed Concordia-St. Paul in five on Saturday evening at the Health & Sports Center in Kearney, Nebraska. CSP took the match 23-25, 25-21, 25-18, 20-25, 15-10.

Four Huskies – junior outside hitter Shelby Kimm (North Liberty, Iowa), sophomore setter Braya LaPlant (Grand Rapids, Minn.), redshirt senior middle blocker Ella Thompson (Lakeville, Minn.) and redshirt sophomore outside hitter Abby Wachal (Lincoln, Neb.) were named to the Central Region All-Tournament Team.

SCSU tied the program record for NCAA Tournament wins in a season with two which they have done four times (1995, 2022, 2024, 2025). Each of SCSU's final three losses of the season came to the Golden Bears (Oct. 16, Nov. 4 and Dec. 6) and CSP ended SCSU's season in five sets in the NCAA Round of 16/Central Region Championship for the second time in the past four seasons. Over the last five seasons, the teams have played each other 16 times (the Huskies are 7-9 in those matches).

TOP HUSKIES

Kimm – 18-dig, 13-kill double-double with three block assists
Wachal – 14-dig, 10-kill double-double with one solo block and three block assists
Thompson – 15 kills and four block assists

PRESS CONFERENCE – St. Cloud State head coach Chad Braegelmann, redshirt senior middle blocker Ella Thompson (Lakeville, Minn.) and graduate opposite Sam Zimmerman (Moorhead, Minn.)

NOTABLES

SCSU moved to 10-37 all-time against Concordia-St. Paul State and 1-8 against the Golden Bears in neutral site matches. CSP took the season series, 3-1 but the Huskies are 6-4 in their last 10 against the Bears. SCSU is 1-3 all-time against CSP in NCAA Tournament matches.
Each of SCSU's final three losses of the season came to the Golden Bears (Oct. 16, Nov. 4 and Dec. 6) and CSP ended SCSU's season in five sets in the NCAA Round of 16/Central Region Championship for the second time in the past four seasons. Over the last five seasons, the teams have played each other 16 times (the Huskies are 7-9 in those matches).
The Huskies moved to 8-11 (.421) all-time in NCAA Tournament matches, 0-4 in third round matches and 2-2 in NCAA Tournament matches in Kearney. Under Braegelmann, SCSU has made six straight NCAA Tournaments and owns an 6-6 (.500) record during that span.
SCSU tied the program record for NCAA Tournament wins in a season with two which they have done four times (1995, 2022, 2024, 2025).
The Huskies had four players named to the all-tournament team for the fourth time in program history (2021, 2022, 2024, 2025).
SCSU moved to 13-6 against teams ranked/receiving votes in the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) DII National Poll this season, 4-1 in neutral site matches and 3-2 in five set matches.
CSP the match in points (79-64), kills (64-54), hitting percentage (.168 - .106), aces (3-0), blocks (12-10), assists (61-49) and digs (86-78).
SCSU's 78 digs were the second most in a five set match this season (fourth most in any match) and 10 total blocks were tied for the fifth most. The Huskies posted 10+ blocks in nine matches this season.
It was the only match of the season that the Huskies were held without a service ace.
Kimm posted her 17^th double-double of the season. She posted 18+ digs in five matches this season and 13+ kills in 13 matches. It was her first time being named to the all-tournament team.
Wachal recorded her ninth double-double of the season. She contributed 14+ digs in six times and 10+ kills 14 times this season. It was her first time being named to the all-tournament team.
Thompson sent down 15+ kills for the 11^th time this season and recorded 4+ block assists for the 12^th time.. It was her second time being named to the all-tournament team after last season.
LaPlant recorded 44 assists and five digs. It was her first time being named to the all-tournament team.
Sophomore libero Laurin Hamann (Manitowoc, Wis.) contributed 17 digs. She dug 17+ balls 15 times this season.
Senior defensive specialist Emily Kern (Belgrade, Minn.) tied her career high of 16 digs in her final match as a Husky.
Graduate opposite Sam Zimmerman (Moorhead, Minn.) sent down 10 kills. She posted double-digit in the final five matches of the season and 11 total times this season.
Senior middle blocker Emilie Planert (De Pere, Wis.) tallied five kills and five block assists. It was her sixth game with 5+ block assists this season.

NCAA Central Region Homepage.

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