No. 15 St. Cloud State Volleyball Set for Trip to the Dakotas for Pair of NSIC Matches

ST. CLOUD, Minn. – No. 15 St. Cloud State Volleyball (8-3 overall, 3-0 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference) continues its stretch of road matches this weekend in the Dakotas against a pair of NSIC foes. The Huskies play Jamestown (5-5, 0-3 NSIC) on Friday at 6 p.m. at Harold Newman Arena in Jamestown, North Dakota and No. 18 Northern State (9-2, 1-2 NSIC) on Saturday at 2 p.m. at Wachs Arena in Aberdeen, South Dakota.

SCSU's match at Jamestown will be the first-ever home NSIC match for the Jimmies, who are looking for their first win as a member of the conference after officially joining on July 10, 2025.

FOLLOW THE HUSKIES
Each match will be streamed live for free on the NSIC Network with live Stats provided by each home team.

Match 12 – @ Jamestown (Harold Newman Arena // Jamestown, N.D.) – Friday, Sept. 26 / 6 p.m. / Watch (NSIC Network) / Live stats
Match 13 – @ #18 Northern State (Wachs Arena // Aberdeen, S.D.) – Saturday, Sept. 27 / 2 p.m. / Watch (NSIC Network) / Live stats

Links to each coverage option can also be found on the St. Cloud State Volleyball schedule page.

SERIES HISTORY
The Huskies are 4-0 all-time against Jamestown (all sweeps) but have never played the Jimmies in NSIC play. All previous matchups were neutral site matches from 1985-1988.

SCSU is 15-23 all-time against Northern State but is on a seven-match winning streak over the Wolves, including a pair of sweeps in 2024. Prior to the Huskies run of seven straight, NSU had won the last 12 matchups. SCSU is 5-8 all-time against the Wolves in Wachs Arena.

LAST TIME OUT
SCSU remained perfect in NSIC play and handed (RV) Minnesota State its first loss of the season on Tuesday night at the Taylor Center in Mankato. The Huskies took the match in four sets (25-20, 25-20, 19-25 and 25-23) and saw three players record double-doubles in the victory. Coming into the match, Minnesota State (10-1, 2-1 NSIC) had only lost one set in its first 10 matches.

Notes from the match

SCSU improved to 63-53 all-time against Minnesota State and 16-17 against the Mavericks in Mankato. The Huskies have beaten Minnesota State in six straight matches.
The Huskies moved to 1-2 on the road season and 1-2 in four set matches.
SCSU led the match in kills (58-57), hitting percentage (.264-.217), aces (7-4) and assists (50-47). The Mavericks led in aces (3-2) and digs (80-79). Each team had 67 points and seven blocks.
Sophomore setter Braya LaPlant (Grand Rapids, Minn.) recorded a 46-assist, 17-dig double-double. It her third career double-double (second straight) and she set a new career-high in digs, with 17. LaPlant has contributed double-digit digs in three matches this season.
Junior outside hitter/opposite Shelby Kimm (North Liberty, Iowa) posted a 15-kill, 11-dig double-double. It was her fourth career double-double and second of the season. Kimm has tallied 10+ kills in five matches this season and 10+ digs in three. She also posted a career-high 47 attacks.
Redshirt sophomore outside hitter Abby Wachal (Lincoln, Neb.) tallied a 12-kill, 11 dig double-double. It was her second career double-double (both have come this season). Wachal has contributed 10+ digs four times this season and double-digit kills three times.
Redshirt senior middle blocker Ella Thompson (Lakeville, Minn.) sent down 15 kills (.538 hitting percentage). It was the fifth time this season she sent down 15+ kills and the second time she hit over .500.
Senior middle blocker Emilie Planert (De Pere, Wis.) tallied seven kills and six block assists. Her seven kills tied her career best mark and her 19 attacked were a career high.
Sophomore libero Laurin Hamann (Manitowoc, Wis.) posted 20 digs. It was her second match with at least 20 digs this season.
Senior defensive specialist Emily Kern (Belgrade, Minn.) recorded 12 digs. It was her second match this season with double-digit digs.

LET'S GO POLLING
The Huskies were ranked No. 15 in the Sept. 22 (week three) American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA)/TARAFLEX Division II Poll.

Under the direction of Head Coach Chad Braegelmann, the program has been ranked for 72 consecutive weeks (including 46 weeks in the top 10), dating back to the 2019 season. The Huskies have spent a total of 146 weeks in the AVCA top 20/25 Poll in program history, including 71 weeks in the top 10.

SCSU in the 2025 AVCA DII National Poll
#3 – Preseason
#10 – Week One
#16 – Week Two
#15 – Week Three

NCAA (Top-50) / NSIC (Top-15) INDIVIDUAL STATISTICAL RANKINGS
(as of 9/24)

Sophomore libero Laurin Hamann
- NSIC
  - No. 6 – digs/set (4.34)
  - No. 6 – digs (165)
Junior outside hitter/opposite Shelby Kimm
- NSIC
  - No. 12 – kills/set (3.24)
  - No. 13 – points/set (3.69)
Sophomore setter Braya LaPlant
- NCAA
  - No. 19 – assists/set (10.52)
  - No. 33 – assists (347)
- NSIC
  - No. 6 – assists/set (10.52)
  - No. 7 – assists (347)
Redshirt junior middle blocker Ella Thompson
- NSIC
  - No. 6 – kills/set (3.59)
  - No. 10 – points/set (3.96)
  - No. 14 – hitting percentage (.329)
  - No. 14 – kills (122)

NCAA (Top-20) / NSIC (Top-3) TEAM STATISTICAL RANKINGS
(as of 9/24)

NCAA
- No. 6 – kills/set (14.71)
- No. 6 – assists/set (13.55)
- No. 18 – hitting percentage (.267)
NSIC
- No. 1 – kills/set (14.71)
- No. 2 – assists/set (13.55)
- No. 3 – aces/set (1.97)
- No. 3 – kills (559)

ALL-TOURNEY TEAMS
Sophomore setter Braya LaPlant (Grand Rapids, Minn) and redshirt senior middle blocker Ella Thompson (Lakeville, Minn.) were named to the 2025 UP North Tournament All-Tournament Team.

Senior setter Emma Berran (Inver Grove Heights, Minn) and Thompson were named to the 2025 Western Washington Invitational All-Tournament Team to open the season.

WELCOME TO THE PACK
The Huskies welcomed three newcomers to the team this fall (all freshmen): setter/opposite Asta Hildebrand (North Liberty, Iowa / Liberty HS), middle blocker Kendall Huhnerkoch (Redwood Falls, Minn. / Redwood Valley HS) and outside hitter/defensive specialist Emery Thury (Watertown, S.D. / Watertown HS).

NSIC PRESEASON FAVORITES / NSIC PRESEASON PLAYER OF THE YEAR
St. Cloud State Volleyball was selected to finish first in the 2025 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) Volleyball Preseason Coaches' Poll. Additionally, reigning American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) second team All-American, redshirt senior middle blocker Ella Thompson (Lakeville, Minn.) was named the Preseason Player of the Year for the conference.

The defending NSIC Regular Season and Tournament Champion Huskies amassed 212 points in the poll, including eight of the 16 first place votes, earning the top spot in the preseason poll for the first time in program history.

Rounding out the top five behind the Huskies is Concordia-St. Paul (2^nd, 208 points, four first place votes), Southwest Minnesota State (3^rd, 202 points, four first place votes), Wayne State (4^th, 188 points) and Northern State (5^th, 170 points).

"Once again, I'm impressed with the work that these women have put in, throughout the spring, competitive season, and the off-season," said head coach Chad Braegelmann. "They continue to improve as volleyball players, students of the game and as role models to the young girls that watch our sport. I am excited to see some new players step up into bigger roles, this fall and am excited for the combination of experience and youth that we look to roster this fall."

In her first season playing for SCSU in 2024, Thompson was a first team All-Central Region selection by the AVCA and a second team all-region pick by the D2CCA. The Lakeville native was a first team All-NSIC selection and was named to the NCAA Central Region All-Tournament Team, the NSIC Tournament All-Tournament Team and the UP North Tournament All-Tournament Team. The middle blocker finished the regular season No. 30 among DII players in hitting percentage and was top six among NSIC players in hitting percentage, points/set, kills/set and total kills.

"Ella is fantastic offensively and does not get cheated on her swings," said Braegelmann. "She is very intense on the volleyball court and has grown in her knowledge of the game. Her energy on the court is contagious."

For all the latest on St. Cloud State Volleyball, stay tuned to SCSUHuskies.com and follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.