
Photo by: Kayden Kircher
No. 15 St. Cloud State Volleyball Hosts Two Matches During Homecoming Weekend
10/1/2026 4:02:00 PM | Volleyball
Huskies play MSU Moorhead Friday, Minnesota Crookston Saturday as part of Homecoming festivities
ST. CLOUD, Minn. – No. 15 St. Cloud State Volleyball (10-5 overall, 4-3 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference) returns home to host a pair of matches during SCSU's Homecoming weekend. The Huskies host MSU Moorhead (10-6, 3-4 NSIC) on Friday and Minnesota Crookston (3-12, 1-6 NSIC) on Saturday with first serves at 6 p.m. and 2 p.m. respectively from Halenbeck Hall.
FOLLOW THE HUSKIES
Both matches will be streamed live on the new NSIC Network which is housed on Midco Sports Plus and requires a paid subscription*. KVSC talent Joey Hudson (play-by-play Friday, color Saturday) and Reece Powell (color Friday, play-by-play Saturday) will have the call. Live stats will be provided by St. Cloud State and tickets for Friday's match can be purchased at SCSUTickets.com (note – Saturday's match is free admission for all fans).
Match 16 vs. MSU Moorhead (Halenbeck Hall // St. Cloud) / Friday, Oct. 2 / 6 p.m. / Watch ($ - NSIC Network) / Live stats
Match 17 vs. Minnesota Crookston (Halenbeck Hall // St. Cloud) / Saturday, Oct. 3 / 2 p.m. / Watch ($ - NSIC Network) / Live stats
Links to each coverage option can also be found on the St. Cloud State Volleyball match day central or schedule page.
*NSIC Network (Midco Sports Plus) Quick Links
Homepage: https://midcosportsplus.com/?sport=5-nsic
Packages: https://midcosportsplus.com/packages
Support: https://sports.midco.com/support
MATCH DAY PROMOTIONS
Friday, Oct. 2 vs. MSU Moorhead
Promotions: Homecoming // Alumnae Weekend
Saturday, Oct. 3 vs. Minnesota Crookston
Promotions: Homecoming // Alumnae Weekend // FREE Admission for All Fans
Full 2026 Promotional Schedule
SERIES HISTORY
MSU Moorhead
SCSU is 46-23 all-time against MSU Moorhead including a 9-1 mark in its last 10 matchups and an eight-match win streak over the Dragons. The Huskies swept the teams' lone matchup in 2025 in Moorhead. SCSU is 8-7 all-time against MSUM in St. Cloud.
Minnesota Crookston
The Huskies are 25-8 all-time against Minnesota Crookston and have won the last 11 matches in a row against the Golden Eagles including a sweep in the teams' lone matchup in 2025 in Crookston. SCSU is 9-3 all-time against UMC in St. Cloud.
LET'S GO POLLING
The Huskies moved down two spots in the Sept. 28 (week five) American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA)/TARAFLEX Division II Poll, to No. 15 following a 1-1 weekend that included a sweep of Minnesota State and a five set loss to No. 5 Concordia-St. Paul.
Neither MSU Moorhead or Minnesota Crookston are ranked or receiving votes in the poll.
Under the direction of head coach Chad Braegelmann, SCSU Volleyball has been ranked for 87 consecutive weeks (including 53 weeks in the top 10), dating back to the 2019 season. The Huskies have spent a total of 161 weeks in the AVCA top 20/25 Poll in program history, including 78 weeks in the top 10.
SCSU owns a 49-32 (.605) record in its last 81 matches against teams ranked in the top 25 of the AVCA Poll, dating back to 2019. During that same stretch, the Huskies are 65-34 (.657) against teams ranked in the top 25 or receiving votes in the poll.
SCSU in the 2026 AVCA Coaches Poll
#5 – Preseason
#1 – Week One
#8 – Week Two
#10 – Week Three
#13 – Week Four
#15 – Week Five
LAST TIME OUT // MIDWEEK FIVE-SET WIN IN WINONA
The Huskies beat Winona State in five sets on the road on Tuesday.
Notes from the match
MATCH 15 (9-29-26): #15 ST. CLOUD STATE 3, WINONA STATE 0 (20-25, 25-9, 19-25, 25-12, 15-13)
(as of 9/30)
(as of 9/30)
For the first time in program history, SCSU Volleyball took the top spot in the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA)-Taraflex Division II Coaches Top 25 Poll on Aug. 31 when the organization released its Week One poll. The Huskies received 21 of the possible 47 first place votes and moved up four spots from its No. 5 spot in the preseason poll to No. 1 after starting the season 4-0 at the UP North Tournament in Marquette, Michigan.
ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM HUSKIES
UP North Tournament (Aug. 27-28 // Northern Michigan // Marquette, Mich. // Vandament Arena)
The Huskies welcomed seven newcomers to the roster during the offseason, including one transfer – junior middle blocker Abby Leaf (Ramsey, Minn. / Anoka HS / Washburn) and six freshman who will begin their collegiate careers at St. Cloud State in 2026 – middle blocker Alexis Heinle (Bismarck, N.D. / Century HS), libero/defensive specialist Clara Keaveny (Waconia, Minn. / Mayer Lutheran HS), setter Izzy Keaveny (Waconia, Minn. / Mayer Lutheran HS), opposite/outside hitter Keira Nagle (Minneapolis / Academy of Holy Angels), middle blocker Brynn Panek (Avon, Minn. / Albany HS) and opposite/outside hitter Audrey Rydell (Fargo, N.D. / North HS).
SEASON PREVIEW
SCSU was picked to finish third in the 2026 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) Volleyball Preseason Coaches' Poll, as announced by the league office on Aug. 5. Additionally, reigning American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Second Team All-American, senior outside hitter Shelby Kimm (North Liberty, Iowa) was named the Huskies 'Player to Watch'.
NSIC RELEASE
The Huskies (3rd, 199 points, two first place votes), who earned a top-four preseason ranking for the sixth consecutive season, were preceded in the poll by Concordia-St. Paul (1st, 220 points, 11 first place votes) and Wayne State (2nd, 207 points, three first place votes) and followed by Southwest Minnesota State (4th, 177 points) and Sioux Falls (5th, 158 points) who round out the top five. It was also the fifth time in the last six years that SCSU received first place votes.
Last season, SCSU finished third in the Northern Sun regular season standings before going on to win its second consecutive conference tournament championship and fourth in the last five seasons after taking down the No. 13, No. 2 and No. 5 teams in the country.
"With the graduation of six players from last year's roster, it has been extremely fun to watch new leaders grow and develop," said head coach Chad Braegelmann. "There will be opportunities for younger players to get out on the floor, to showcase the improvement that they made over the spring and summer, and it will be fun to see this team form their own identity again, as we hope to make another fun postseason run."
Braegelmann, who is entering year 12 as the Huskies head coach and year 26 as a collegiate head coach in 2026, is approaching 500 career wins. He owns an overall record of 492-273 (.643) and an impressive 207-102 (.670) record at SCSU which includes a 125-71 (.638) mark in conference play.
Last season, Braegelmann led SCSU to a 28-7 (18-2 NSIC) record which included the program's sixth consecutive (11th overall) NCAA Tournament berth and second straight (fourth overall) trip to an NCAA region championship match after beating No. 17 Missouri Western and No. 2 and tournament host, Nebraska Kearney, on their home court. Last season the Huskies also tied the program record for NCAA Tournament wins in a season (two), were ranked inside the top 16 of every AVCA Poll (including tying the program record final ranking of No. 5) and earned wins over 13 ranked opponents including four against top five teams.
On the court, the Huskies return four starters from last year's team, headlined by a pair of AVCA Second Team All-Americans – Kimm and junior setter Braya LaPlant (Grand Rapids, Minn.).
In her breakout junior season in 2025, Kimm not only earned the first all-America recognition of her career but also the first all-region and all-conference honors after averaging 3.88 points, 3.47 digs, 3.40 kills and 0.46 blocks per set throughout the season.
The North Liberty, Iowa native was named to the AVCA All-Central Region First Team, the Division-II Conference Commissioners Association (D2CCA) All-Central Region Second Team and the All-NSIC First Team. Kimm was also named to the NCAA Central Region All-Tournament Team for the first time and became a back-to-back NSIC All-Tournament Team selection.
"Shelby has been one of the most improved players to come through our program in recent history," said Braegelmann. "Her growth and maturation as a volleyball player have been very impressive to watch and work with. She enjoys the game of volleyball, she loves the process of getting better and she is a volleyball weapon in the front row back row and service line."
LaPlant flourished in 2025 after becoming the team's full-time setter early in the season, and like Kimm earned the first national, regional and conference awards of her career. For the season, she averaged 11.69 assists, 2.21 digs, 1.23 points, 0.62 kills and 0.49 blocks per set.
The Grand Rapids, Minnesota native was named to the AVCA All-Central Region First Team, the D2CCA All-Central Region Second Team and the All-NSIC First Team. She was also named to the NCAA Central Region All-Tournament Team and the NSIC All-Tournament Team and became just the fifth player in program history to be named AVCA DII Player of the Week. LaPlant's 1,309 assists in 2025 rank No. 8 on the program's single season top 10 list and she produced three of the top five single match assist performances. Her .329 career hitting percentage also ranks No. 6 all-time on the program leaderboard.
SCSU also returns junior libero/defensive specialist Laurin Hamann (Manitowoc, Wis.) and senior outside hitter/defensive specialist Abby Wachal (Lincoln, Neb.) who were regular starters for the Huskies in 2025.
In her first season as the libero, Hamann posted the fourth most single season digs (589) in program history and set the single match record for digs, with 38, in a 3-1 NSIC Tournament Semifinals win over No. 2 Wayne State on Nov. 21, breaking Andreanna Pieper's record of 37 from Oct. 20, 2007. She also led the team in aces, with 48. Wachal, who was coming off a redshirt season, recorded nine kill-dig double-doubles throughout the season and was named to the NCAA Central Region All-Tournament Team.
Junior outside hitter/opposite Carlie Willis (Grundy Center, Iowa) is the final returner who played in 100+ sets in 2025, meanwhile senior middle blocker Hannah Bruskiewicz (Rogers, Minn.) looks to return to the lineup after being hampered by injury in 2025. In 2024, she was a Second Team All-NSIC Selection and an NCAA Central Region All-Tournament Team member. The Rogers, Minnesota native owns top 10 marks in career hitting percentage (No. 8, .305) and single season hitting percentage (No. 10, .354, 2024).
RECORD BOOK CHECK
After another historic season in 2025, many updates have been made to the record book. Click the link below to access the updated version.
Updated Record Book
For all the latest on St. Cloud State Volleyball, stay tuned to SCSUHuskies.com and follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
FOLLOW THE HUSKIES
Both matches will be streamed live on the new NSIC Network which is housed on Midco Sports Plus and requires a paid subscription*. KVSC talent Joey Hudson (play-by-play Friday, color Saturday) and Reece Powell (color Friday, play-by-play Saturday) will have the call. Live stats will be provided by St. Cloud State and tickets for Friday's match can be purchased at SCSUTickets.com (note – Saturday's match is free admission for all fans).
Match 16 vs. MSU Moorhead (Halenbeck Hall // St. Cloud) / Friday, Oct. 2 / 6 p.m. / Watch ($ - NSIC Network) / Live stats
Match 17 vs. Minnesota Crookston (Halenbeck Hall // St. Cloud) / Saturday, Oct. 3 / 2 p.m. / Watch ($ - NSIC Network) / Live stats
Links to each coverage option can also be found on the St. Cloud State Volleyball match day central or schedule page.
*NSIC Network (Midco Sports Plus) Quick Links
Homepage: https://midcosportsplus.com/?sport=5-nsic
Packages: https://midcosportsplus.com/packages
Support: https://sports.midco.com/support
MATCH DAY PROMOTIONS
Friday, Oct. 2 vs. MSU Moorhead
Promotions: Homecoming // Alumnae Weekend
Saturday, Oct. 3 vs. Minnesota Crookston
Promotions: Homecoming // Alumnae Weekend // FREE Admission for All Fans
Full 2026 Promotional Schedule
SERIES HISTORY
MSU Moorhead
SCSU is 46-23 all-time against MSU Moorhead including a 9-1 mark in its last 10 matchups and an eight-match win streak over the Dragons. The Huskies swept the teams' lone matchup in 2025 in Moorhead. SCSU is 8-7 all-time against MSUM in St. Cloud.
Minnesota Crookston
The Huskies are 25-8 all-time against Minnesota Crookston and have won the last 11 matches in a row against the Golden Eagles including a sweep in the teams' lone matchup in 2025 in Crookston. SCSU is 9-3 all-time against UMC in St. Cloud.
LET'S GO POLLING
The Huskies moved down two spots in the Sept. 28 (week five) American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA)/TARAFLEX Division II Poll, to No. 15 following a 1-1 weekend that included a sweep of Minnesota State and a five set loss to No. 5 Concordia-St. Paul.
Neither MSU Moorhead or Minnesota Crookston are ranked or receiving votes in the poll.
Under the direction of head coach Chad Braegelmann, SCSU Volleyball has been ranked for 87 consecutive weeks (including 53 weeks in the top 10), dating back to the 2019 season. The Huskies have spent a total of 161 weeks in the AVCA top 20/25 Poll in program history, including 78 weeks in the top 10.
SCSU owns a 49-32 (.605) record in its last 81 matches against teams ranked in the top 25 of the AVCA Poll, dating back to 2019. During that same stretch, the Huskies are 65-34 (.657) against teams ranked in the top 25 or receiving votes in the poll.
SCSU in the 2026 AVCA Coaches Poll
#5 – Preseason
#1 – Week One
#8 – Week Two
#10 – Week Three
#13 – Week Four
#15 – Week Five
LAST TIME OUT // MIDWEEK FIVE-SET WIN IN WINONA
The Huskies beat Winona State in five sets on the road on Tuesday.
Notes from the match
MATCH 15 (9-29-26): #15 ST. CLOUD STATE 3, WINONA STATE 0 (20-25, 25-9, 19-25, 25-12, 15-13)
- SCSU improved to 48-19 all-time against Winona State and extended its win streak against the Warriors to 10 matches. The Huskies also improved to 11-10 all-time against WSU in Winona.
- The Huskies moved to 3-3 in road matches and 2-2 in five set matches.
- St. Cloud State led the match in points (80-60), kills (61-50), aces (11-2), assists (56-48) and digs (91-82). Both teams had eight blocks.
- The Huskies set a new single match high for aces (11) while their 91 digs and 181 attempts were each the second most in a match and their 56 assists and eight blocks were each the third most.
- Senior outside hitter Shelby Kimm (North Liberty, Iowa) tallied a 19-kill, 16-dig double-double. It was her seventh double-double of the season and the 26th of her career. Kimm's 19 kills led the match, her 22 points were the second most in a match by a Husky this season and her 19 kills were tied for the third most.
- Junior setter Braya LaPlant (Grand Rapids, Minn.) recorded a 50-assist, 11-dig double-double and match high three aces. She recorded her fourth double-double of the season (second consecutive) and the 14th of her career. Her 50 assists led the match and were a season high and the most by a Husky in a match this season.
- Junior libero Laurin Hamann (Manitowoc, Wis.) posted a match-high 28 digs. Her 28 digs were a season high and the most by a Husky in a match this season.
- Junior outside hitter Emery Thury (Watertown, S.D.) sent down 13 kills (.310 hitting percentage) in four sets. Her 13 kills were the third most in four sets by a Husky this season.
- Senior outside hitter/defensive specialist Abby Wachal (Lincoln, Neb.) tallied 14 digs.
- Junior outside hitter/opposite Carlie Willis (Grundy Center, Iowa) contributed 11 kills. She also recorded two solo blocks and four total blocks which both led the Huskies and were new single match career highs.
- Junior middle blocker Kinsey Mohwinkle (Aplington, Iowa) sent down nine kills.
- Freshman defensive specialist Clara Keaveny (Waconia, Minn.) posted seven digs and a match high three aces.
(as of 9/30)
- NCAA
- No. 12 – assists/set (13.15)
- No. 28 – kills/set (13.65)
- NSIC
- No. 3 – aces (98)
(as of 9/30)
- Junior libero Laurin Hamann
- NSIC
- No. 3 – digs/set (4.52)
- No. 3 – digs (244)
- No. 10 – aces/set (0.39)
- No. 10 – aces (21)
- NSIC
- Senior outside hitter Shelby Kimm
- NSIC
- No. 8 – attacks/set (9.12)
- No. 9 – points/set (3.72)
- No. 10 – kills/set (3.33)
- NSIC
- Junior setter Braya LaPlant
- NCAA
- No. 9 – assists/set (10.64)
- No. 30 – assists (532)
- NSIC
- No. 4 – assists/set (10.64)
- No. 5 – assists (532)
- NCAA
For the first time in program history, SCSU Volleyball took the top spot in the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA)-Taraflex Division II Coaches Top 25 Poll on Aug. 31 when the organization released its Week One poll. The Huskies received 21 of the possible 47 first place votes and moved up four spots from its No. 5 spot in the preseason poll to No. 1 after starting the season 4-0 at the UP North Tournament in Marquette, Michigan.
ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM HUSKIES
UP North Tournament (Aug. 27-28 // Northern Michigan // Marquette, Mich. // Vandament Arena)
- Senior outside hitter Shelby Kimm (North Liberty, Iowa)
- Junior libero Laurin Hamann (Manitowoc, Wis.)
- Senior outside hitter/defensive specialist Abby Wachal (Lincoln, Neb.)
The Huskies welcomed seven newcomers to the roster during the offseason, including one transfer – junior middle blocker Abby Leaf (Ramsey, Minn. / Anoka HS / Washburn) and six freshman who will begin their collegiate careers at St. Cloud State in 2026 – middle blocker Alexis Heinle (Bismarck, N.D. / Century HS), libero/defensive specialist Clara Keaveny (Waconia, Minn. / Mayer Lutheran HS), setter Izzy Keaveny (Waconia, Minn. / Mayer Lutheran HS), opposite/outside hitter Keira Nagle (Minneapolis / Academy of Holy Angels), middle blocker Brynn Panek (Avon, Minn. / Albany HS) and opposite/outside hitter Audrey Rydell (Fargo, N.D. / North HS).
SEASON PREVIEW
SCSU was picked to finish third in the 2026 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) Volleyball Preseason Coaches' Poll, as announced by the league office on Aug. 5. Additionally, reigning American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Second Team All-American, senior outside hitter Shelby Kimm (North Liberty, Iowa) was named the Huskies 'Player to Watch'.
NSIC RELEASE
The Huskies (3rd, 199 points, two first place votes), who earned a top-four preseason ranking for the sixth consecutive season, were preceded in the poll by Concordia-St. Paul (1st, 220 points, 11 first place votes) and Wayne State (2nd, 207 points, three first place votes) and followed by Southwest Minnesota State (4th, 177 points) and Sioux Falls (5th, 158 points) who round out the top five. It was also the fifth time in the last six years that SCSU received first place votes.
Last season, SCSU finished third in the Northern Sun regular season standings before going on to win its second consecutive conference tournament championship and fourth in the last five seasons after taking down the No. 13, No. 2 and No. 5 teams in the country.
"With the graduation of six players from last year's roster, it has been extremely fun to watch new leaders grow and develop," said head coach Chad Braegelmann. "There will be opportunities for younger players to get out on the floor, to showcase the improvement that they made over the spring and summer, and it will be fun to see this team form their own identity again, as we hope to make another fun postseason run."
Braegelmann, who is entering year 12 as the Huskies head coach and year 26 as a collegiate head coach in 2026, is approaching 500 career wins. He owns an overall record of 492-273 (.643) and an impressive 207-102 (.670) record at SCSU which includes a 125-71 (.638) mark in conference play.
Last season, Braegelmann led SCSU to a 28-7 (18-2 NSIC) record which included the program's sixth consecutive (11th overall) NCAA Tournament berth and second straight (fourth overall) trip to an NCAA region championship match after beating No. 17 Missouri Western and No. 2 and tournament host, Nebraska Kearney, on their home court. Last season the Huskies also tied the program record for NCAA Tournament wins in a season (two), were ranked inside the top 16 of every AVCA Poll (including tying the program record final ranking of No. 5) and earned wins over 13 ranked opponents including four against top five teams.
On the court, the Huskies return four starters from last year's team, headlined by a pair of AVCA Second Team All-Americans – Kimm and junior setter Braya LaPlant (Grand Rapids, Minn.).
In her breakout junior season in 2025, Kimm not only earned the first all-America recognition of her career but also the first all-region and all-conference honors after averaging 3.88 points, 3.47 digs, 3.40 kills and 0.46 blocks per set throughout the season.
The North Liberty, Iowa native was named to the AVCA All-Central Region First Team, the Division-II Conference Commissioners Association (D2CCA) All-Central Region Second Team and the All-NSIC First Team. Kimm was also named to the NCAA Central Region All-Tournament Team for the first time and became a back-to-back NSIC All-Tournament Team selection.
"Shelby has been one of the most improved players to come through our program in recent history," said Braegelmann. "Her growth and maturation as a volleyball player have been very impressive to watch and work with. She enjoys the game of volleyball, she loves the process of getting better and she is a volleyball weapon in the front row back row and service line."
LaPlant flourished in 2025 after becoming the team's full-time setter early in the season, and like Kimm earned the first national, regional and conference awards of her career. For the season, she averaged 11.69 assists, 2.21 digs, 1.23 points, 0.62 kills and 0.49 blocks per set.
The Grand Rapids, Minnesota native was named to the AVCA All-Central Region First Team, the D2CCA All-Central Region Second Team and the All-NSIC First Team. She was also named to the NCAA Central Region All-Tournament Team and the NSIC All-Tournament Team and became just the fifth player in program history to be named AVCA DII Player of the Week. LaPlant's 1,309 assists in 2025 rank No. 8 on the program's single season top 10 list and she produced three of the top five single match assist performances. Her .329 career hitting percentage also ranks No. 6 all-time on the program leaderboard.
SCSU also returns junior libero/defensive specialist Laurin Hamann (Manitowoc, Wis.) and senior outside hitter/defensive specialist Abby Wachal (Lincoln, Neb.) who were regular starters for the Huskies in 2025.
In her first season as the libero, Hamann posted the fourth most single season digs (589) in program history and set the single match record for digs, with 38, in a 3-1 NSIC Tournament Semifinals win over No. 2 Wayne State on Nov. 21, breaking Andreanna Pieper's record of 37 from Oct. 20, 2007. She also led the team in aces, with 48. Wachal, who was coming off a redshirt season, recorded nine kill-dig double-doubles throughout the season and was named to the NCAA Central Region All-Tournament Team.
Junior outside hitter/opposite Carlie Willis (Grundy Center, Iowa) is the final returner who played in 100+ sets in 2025, meanwhile senior middle blocker Hannah Bruskiewicz (Rogers, Minn.) looks to return to the lineup after being hampered by injury in 2025. In 2024, she was a Second Team All-NSIC Selection and an NCAA Central Region All-Tournament Team member. The Rogers, Minnesota native owns top 10 marks in career hitting percentage (No. 8, .305) and single season hitting percentage (No. 10, .354, 2024).
RECORD BOOK CHECK
After another historic season in 2025, many updates have been made to the record book. Click the link below to access the updated version.
Updated Record Book
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
Friday, May 08
Friday, November 21
Tuesday, September 16
Thursday, August 31






































