St. Cloud State
Bemidji State
No. 16 St. Cloud State Volleyball Heads North for Pair of NSIC Matches
10/8/2026 1:34:00 PM | Volleyball
Huskies travel to Bemidji Friday, Duluth Saturday
ST. CLOUD, Minn. – No. 16 St. Cloud State Volleyball (12-5 overall, 6-3 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference) travels north this weekend to play Bemidji State (13-4, 5-4 NSIC) and No. 14 Minnesota Duluth (16-1, 9-0 NSIC). First serve from the BSU Gymnasium in Bemidji on Friday is scheduled for 6 p.m., while first serve on Saturday from Romano Gymnasium in Duluth is set for 4 p.m.
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*. Live stats will be provided by each home team.
Match 18 @ Bemidji State (BSU Gymnasium // Bemidji) / Friday, Oct. 9 / 6 p.m. / Watch ($ - NSIC Network) / Live stats
Match 19 @ #14 Minnesota Duluth (Romano Gymnasium // Duluth) / Saturday, Oct. 10 / 4 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
SERIES HISTORY
Bemidji State
SCSU is 53-23 all-time against Bemidji State including a 9-1 mark in its last 10 matchups against the Beavers. The Huskies took down BSU in four sets at home in the team's lone matchup of 2025 in November. SCSU is 13-9 all-time against the Beavers in Bemidji.
Minnesota Duluth
The Huskies are 46-82 all-time against Minnesota Duluth but are 6-4 against UMD in the last 10 meetings, including a three-match win streak. SCSU swept the lone 2025 matchup in St. Cloud in November. The Huskies are 5-22 all-time against UMD in Duluth.
NSIC SETTER OF THE WEEK
Junior setter Braya LaPlant (Grand Rapids, Minn.) was named the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) Setter of the Week, as announced by the league office on Oct. 5. It was LaPlant's first weekly honor of the season and the third of her career. She also became the first Husky to earn a weekly award this season.
The Grand Rapids, Minnesota native led the NSIC in assists/set (11.91) and contributed 2.27 digs, 0.95 points, 0.45 aces and 0.36 blocks per set. She helped guide the SCSU offense to a league-leading 14.73 kills/set on .299 hitting, which ranked second best in the NSIC for the week. Among all Division II players during the week, she ranked No. 8 in assists per set while the Huskies were No. 15 and No. 17 in kills/set and hitting percentage respectively.
The junior setter's highlight performance came in the Huskies five set win on Winona State when she tallied a 50-assist, 11-dig double-double with a match high three aces. It was her fourth double-double of the season (second consecutive) and her 50 assists led the match, were a new season high and were the most by a Husky in a match this season. LaPlant closed out the week with pair of strong performances – 47 assists and nine digs in SCSU's sweep of MSU Moorhead and 34 assists, five digs and two aces in the Huskies sweep pf Minnesota Crookston. Her 47 assists against the Dragons were the most among any NSIC setter in a three set match this week.
NSIC Release
2026 NSIC Weekly Honors
Setter of the Week
- Braya LaPlant (Oct. 5)
LET'S GO POLLING
The Huskies moved down one spot in the Oct. 5 (week six) American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA)/TARAFLEX Division II Poll, to No. 16 following a 3-0 week that included a five-set road win against Winona State and a pair of home sweeps against MSU Moorhead and Minnesota Crookston.
Bemidji State is not in the rankings, but Minnesota Duluth jumped from No. 19 to No. 14 in the latest poll.
Under the direction of head coach Chad Braegelmann, SCSU Volleyball has been ranked for 88 consecutive weeks (including 53 weeks in the top 10), dating back to the 2019 season. The Huskies have spent a total of 162 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
#16 – Week Six
LAST TIME OUT // 2-0 HOMECOMING WEEKEND
SCSU went 3-0 during its Homecoming week, taking down Winona State on the road during a midweek matchup in five sets before returning home with a pair of sweeps against MSU Moorhead and Minnesota Crookston.
Notes from the matches
MATCH 16 (10-2-26): #15 ST. CLOUD STATE 3, MSU MOORHEAD 0 (25-13, 25-22, 25-16)
- SCSU improved to 47-23 all-time against MSU Moorhead including a 9-1 mark in its last 10 matchups and a nine-match win streak over the Dragons. The Huskies also improved to 9-7 all-time against MSUM in St. Cloud.
- The Huskies improved to 3-1 in home matches and 9-2 in three set matches.
- St. Cloud State led the match in points (62-42), kills (55-33), aces (3-1), assists (53-32) and digs (53-33). MSUM led the match in blocks (8-4).
- The Huskies set new season highs for team hitting percentage (.393), kills in a three set match (55), assists in a three set match (53).
- Senior outside hitter Shelby Kimm (North Liberty, Iowa) posted a 16-dig, 12-kill double-double. She led the match in digs. Kimm recorded her eighth double-double of the season (third in the last four matches) and 27th of her career. Kimm tallied double-digit digs for the ninth time this season and 10+ kills for the 11th time (six straight matches).
- Junior setter Braya LaPlant (Grand Rapids, Minn.) tallied match-high 47 assists and nine digs. She recorded the most assists in a three set match and the second most assists in any match this season
- Junior libero Laurin Hamann (Manitowoc, Wis.) contributed 14 digs, six assists and a match-high three aces. She contributed 3+ aces for the fifth time this season and fourth time in the last five matches.
- Junior middle blocker Kinsey Mohwinkle (Aplington, Iowa) sent down a match-high 13 kills on 20 swings (.550 hitting percentage). Her 13 kills and .550 hitting percentage were new single match career highs. Her hitting percentage was the second by a Husky in a match this season and her kills were tied for the second most in a three set match.
- Junior outside hitter/opposite Carlie Willis (Grundy Center, Iowa) sent down nine kills (.400 hitting percentage).
- Junior outside hitter Emery Thury (Watertown, S.D.) recorded nine kills on 16 swings (.563).
- Freshman middle blocker Alexis Heinle (Bismarck, N.D.) posted seven kills on 16 swings (.313 hitting percentage) and a match-high four block assists/total blocks. Her four block assists/total blocks were new single match career highs.
- Senior outside hitter/defensive specialist Abby Wachal (Lincoln, Neb.) tallied seven digs.
MATCH 17 (10-3-26): #15 ST. CLOUD STATE 3, MINNESOTA CROOKSTON 0 (25-14, 25-20, 25-14)
- SCSU improved to 26-8 all-time against Minnesota Crookston and have won the last 12 matches in a row against the Golden Eagles. SCSU also improved to 10-3 all-time against UMC in St. Cloud.
- The Huskies improved to 4-1 in home matches and 10-2 in three set matches.
- St. Cloud State led the match in points (59-37), kills (46-27), aces (7-4), assists (45-26) and digs (45-38). Each team had six blocks.
- The Huskies .378 team hitting percentage was the second best mark in a match this season.
- LaPlant recorded a match-high 34 assists, five digs and match-high two aces. She recorded 34+ assists for the 12th time this season and 2+ aces for the sixth time.
- Thury tallied a match-high 11 kills on 16 swings (.563 hitting percentage), six digs and three block assists. She sent down double-digit kills for the second time this season and her six digs were a new season best. Her three block assists were a team-high and a new career high. Thury's three total blocks were a team high and tied her single match career best.
- Hamann posted a match-high 13 digs. She has posted 13+ digs in 14 of the 17 matches this season.
- Willis sent down nine kills on 16 swings (.500 hitting percentage). She contributed 9+ kills for the fourth straight match.
- Kimm recorded seven digs and five kills in two sets.
- Heinle sent down five kills on nine swings (.556 hitting percentage) in two sets.
- Freshman Izzy Keaveny (Waconia, Minn.) posted seven assists and three digs.
- Wachal tallied six digs in two sets.
- Senior middle blocker Hannah Bruskiewicz (Rogers, Minn.) contributed four kills in one set.
- Junior opposite Mollie Hobson (McHenry, Ill.) tied for the match-high in aces with two.
- Freshman opposite/outside hitter Audrey Rydell (Fargo, N.D.) tallied a career-high two kills in one set.
- Freshman opposite/outside hitter Keira Nagle (Minneapolis, Minn.) made her collegiate debut.
NCAA (TOP 30) / NSIC (TOP 3) TEAM STATISTICAL RANKINGS
(as of 10/7)
- NCAA
- No. 5 – assists/set (13.47)
- No. 14 – kills/set (13.97)
- NSIC
- No. 3 – assists/set (13.47)
NCAA (TOP 50) / NSIC (TOP 10) INDIVIDUAL STATISTICAL RANKINGS
(as of 10/7)
- Junior libero Laurin Hamann
- NSIC
- No. 3 – digs/set (4.52)
- No. 4 – digs (271)
- No. 9 – aces (24)
- No. 10 – aces/set (0.40)
- NSIC
- Senior outside hitter Shelby Kimm
- NSIC
- No. 9 – attacks/set (8.95)
- No. 9 – points/set (3.71)
- No. 10 – kills/set (3.34)
- NSIC
- Junior setter Braya LaPlant
- NCAA
- No. 6 – assists/set (10.95)
- No. 29 – assists (613)
- NSIC
- No. 3 – assists/set (10.95)
- No. 5 – assists (613)
- NCAA
NO. 1 IN THE NATION FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER
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.)
Buccaneer Invitational (Sept. 3-5 // Barry // Miami Shores, Fla. // Health & Sports Center)
- Senior outside hitter/defensive specialist Abby Wachal (Lincoln, Neb.)
WELCOME TO THE PACK
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.
