No. 1 St. Cloud State Volleyball Travels to Florida for Buccaneer Invitational

Thursday, September 3

Health & Sports Center • Miami Shores, Fla.

5 p.m.

St. Cloud State

Lubbock Christian (Texas)

Laurin Hamann vs. Minnesota State 10-21-25

Photo by: Kayden Kircher

No. 1 St. Cloud State Volleyball Travels to Florida for Buccaneer Invitational

9/2/2026 6:25:00 PM | Volleyball

Buccaneer Invitational Central

Huskies wrap up pre-conference slate with four matches across three days in Miami Shores

ST. CLOUD, Minn. – No. 1 St. Cloud State Volleyball (4-0 overall, 0-0 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference) will conclude the pre-conference portion of its schedule with four matches over three days at the Buccaneer Invitational, hosted by Barry University in Miami Shores, Florida.

The Huskies will play Lubbock Christian (Texas) (3-1, 0-0 Lone Star Conference) on Thursday, Converse (S.C.) (1-2, 0-0 Conference Carolinas) and the host school, No. 13 Barry (Fla.) (1-2, 0-0 Sunshine State Conference) on Friday and No. 21 Lynn (Fla.) (2-1, 0-0 SSC) on Saturday.

Buccaneer Invitational Central

FOLLOW THE HUSKIES
All of the matches will be played at the Health & Sports Center on the campus of Barry University in Miami Shores, Florida and will be streamed live for free on SSC Digital Network. Live stats will be provided by BarryU.

Match 5 vs. Lubbock Christian (Texas) – Thursday, Sept. 3 / 5 p.m. CT (6 p.m. ET) / Watch (SSC Digital Network) / Live Stats
Match 6 vs. Converse (S.C.) – Friday, Sept. 4 / 1:30 p.m. CT (2:30 p.m. ET) / Watch (SSC Digital Network) / Live Stats
Match 7 at #13 Barry (Fla.) – Friday, Sept. 4 / 6 p.m. CT (7 p.m. ET) / Watch (SSC Digital Network) / Live Stats
Match 8 vs. #21 Lynn (Fla.) – Saturday, Sept. 5 / 11:15 a.m. CT (12:15 p.m. ET) / Watch (SSC Digital Network) / Live Stats

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

SERIES HISTORY
The Huskies have played Barry twice (0-2 overall, 0-1 in Miami Shores) with the last matchup coming in 2025 at SCSU during the UP North Tournament 2025 and Lynn once (1-0 overall, 1-0 on a neutral court) in 2022 at the Hyatt Place Bash at the Beach in West Palm Beach, Florida. SCSU has never played Lubbock Christian or Converse before.

LET'S GO POLLING // 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 as the organization released its Week One (Aug. 31) poll on Monday. The Huskies received 21 of the possible 47 first place votes and moved up four spots from No. 5 in the preseason poll to No. 1 after starting the season 4-0 at the UP North Tournament.

Two of the Huskies upcoming opponents, Barry and Lynn, were both ranked in the AVCA Week One Poll, coming in at No. 13 and tied for No. 21 respectively.

The NSIC and NCAA Central Region were well represented in the poll with six and 14 schools respectively ranked/receiving votes including Wayne State (No. 2), Concordia-St. Paul (No. 3), Washburn (No. 6), Nebraska Kearney (No. 8) and Southwest Minnesota State (No. 10) who were all among the top 10.

AVCA Poll

Under the direction of head coach Chad Braegelmann, SCSU Volleyball has been ranked for 83 consecutive weeks (including 51 weeks in the top 10), dating back to the 2019 season. The Huskies have spent a total of 157 weeks in the AVCA top 20/25 Poll in program history, including 76 weeks in the top 10. The previous best ranking in program history was No. 2, which SCSU held for four consecutive weeks in 2024.

SCSU in the 2026 AVCA Coaches Poll
#5 – Preseason
#1 – Week One

SCSU in the Top Three of the AVCA Poll All-Time
#1 – 2026 Week One
#2 –2024 Week 12
#2 –2024 Week 11
#2 –2024 Week 10
#2 –2024 Week Nine
#3 – 2025 Preseason
#3 – 1996 Week One
#3 – 2024 Week Seven
#3 – 2024 Week Eight

NCAA Central Region Teams in the Week One AVCA Poll
#1 – St. Cloud State*
#2 – Wayne State*
#3 – Concordia-St. Paul*
#6 – Washburn^
#8 – Nebraska Kearney^
#10 – Southwest Minnesota State*
#11 (tie) – Missouri Western^
#15 – Central Oklahoma^
#25 (tie) – Central Missouri^
RV – Oklahoma Baptist+
RV – Minnesota Duluth*
RV – Emporia State^
RV – Minnesota State*
RV – Harding+

*NSIC Team
^Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) Team
+Great American Conference (GAC) Team

LAST TIME OUT // 4-0 START TO 2026
The then-No. 5 Huskies opened the season with a perfect 4-0 weekend at the UP North Tournament in Marquette, Michigan, with three sweeps and one five-set victory. It was the first time since 2023 that SCSU began a season 4-0. Additionally, senior outside hitter Shelby Kimm (North Liberty, Iowa) and junior libero Laurin Hamann (Manitowoc, Wis.) were named to the All-Tournament Team for their efforts.

Notes from the matches
MATCH ONE (9-27-26): ST. CLOUD STATE 3, CAL STATE EAST BAY 0 (25-23, 25-23, 25-21)

SCSU won its inaugural match against Cal State East Bay, moving to 1-0 all-time against the Pioneers.
The Huskies won their season opener for the first time since 2023, moving to 1-0 this season and 1-0 in three set matches. 2023 was also the last time St. Cloud State swept its season opener.
SCSU led the match in points (61-48), kills (51-38), aces (3-2), assists (37-36) and digs (52-50), while the Pioneers led in blocks (8-7).
Kimm tallied a 16-dig, 11-kill double-double. She posted the 20^th double-double of her career and extended her double-double streak to two matches which started last season. Her 16 digs were a match high.
Senior outside hitter/defensive specialist Abby Wachal (Lincoln, Neb.) recorded a team-high 14 kills and seven digs.
Junior setter Braya LaPlant (Grand Rapids, Minn.) posted 39 assists, seven digs and three kills (.600 hitting percentage). She guided the SCSU offense to a .285 hitting percentage and her 39 assists were a match high.
Hamann contributed 13 digs.
Freshman middle blocker Brynn Panek (Avon, Minn.) was named a starter for her collegiate debut and sent down nine kills (.444 hitting percentage).
Senior middle blocker Hannah Bruskiewicz (Rogers, Minn.) recorded eight kills.
In addition to Panek, freshman twins – libero/defensive specialist Clara Keaveny (Waconia, Minn.) and setter Izzy Keaveny (Waconia, Minn.) each made their collegiate debut.

MATCH TWO (9-27-26): ST. CLOUD STATE 3, NORTHERN MICHIGAN 0 (25-19, 25-17, 25-8)

With the win, SCSU moved to 13-19 all-time against Northern Michigan and 4-8 against the Wildcats in Marquette.
The Huskies started 2-0 and swept their first two matches of the season for the first time since 2023.
SCSU improved to 1-0 on the road and 2-0 in three set matches this season.
The Huskies led the match in points (54-29), kills (48-25), aces (4-0), assists (47-25) and digs (53-35), while NMU led in blocks (4-2).
Bruskiewicz sent down 11 kills on 13 swings (.769 hitting percentage). She posted double digit kills for the first time this season and her 11 kills led the match.
Hamann recorded a match-high 17 digs and four assists.
Kimm tallied nine kills (.304 hitting percentage) and seven digs.
Wachal recorded seven digs and six kills.
Junior outside hitter/opposite Carlie Willis (Grundy Center, Iowa) posted six digs and five kills. Her six digs are a new career high.
LaPlant contributed 34 assists and four digs.
I. Keaveny tallied six assists, six digs and two aces, which are all new career highs.
Freshmen – middle blocker Alexis Heinle (Bismarck, N.D.) and opposite/outside hitter Audrey Rydell (Fargo, N.D.) each made their collegiate debut. Heinle recorded three kills on five swings and Rydell sent down the first kill of her career.
Junior middle blocker Abby Leaf (Ramsey, Minn.) made her SCSU debut.
In addition to Leaf, Heinle and Rydell, sophomore setter/opposite Asta Hildebrand (North Liberty, Iowa) made her season debut for the Huskies, dishing out two assists.

MATCH THREE (8-28-26): ST. CLOUD STATE 3, TIFFIN 0 (25-19, 25-14, 25-18)

SCSU won its inaugural match against Tiffin, moving to 1-0 all-time against the Dragons.
The Huskies started 3-0 and swept their first three matches of the season for the first time since 2023.
SCSU improved to 2-0 on the road and 3-0 in three set matches this season.
The Huskies led the match in points (62-31), kills (45-25), aces (10-3), blocks (7-3), assists (42-25) and digs (48-42).
Hamann contributed 15 digs, four assists and three aces. She led the match in digs and tied the lead for aces.
Bruskiewicz posted nine kills (.500 hitting percentage) and four block assists (five total blocks) in two sets. She led the match in kills, block assists and total blocks.
I. Keaveny recorded season bests in assists (14) and digs (eight) in first career start.
Heinle tallied eight kills and three aces in first career start. She set new career best marks in kills, hitting percentage, aces and total blocks (two).
C. Keaveny posted a career-high nine digs in first career start.
Sophomore outside hitter Emery Thury (Watertown, S.D.) tallied eight kills on a new career best .571 hitting percentage.
Willis seven kills in two sets.
Sophomore middle blocker Kendall Huhnerkoch (Redwood Falls, Minn.) recorded five kills and three block assists, both new career high marks.
LaPlant dished out a match high 22 assists in two sets.
Panek contributed five kills in one set on a new career high .444 hitting percentage.
Hildebrand posted a career-high three aces which tied for the match lead.
Junior opposite Mollie Hobson (McHenry, Ill.) made her season debut.

MATCH FOUR (8-28-26): ST. CLOUD STATE 3, MICHIGAN TECH 2 (19-25, 25-17, 25-23, 19-25, 15-11)

With the win, SCSU improved to 18-6 all-time against Michigan Tech and 14-4 against MTU in neutral site matches.
For the first time since 2023, the Huskies opened the season 4-0.
SCSU improved to 3-0 in neutral site matches and 1-0 in five-set matches this season.
St. Cloud State led the match in points (75-72), kills (69-60), assists (68-59) and digs (93-89). Michigan Tech led in aces (4-3), blocks (8-3).
Kimm recorded a 25-dig, 20-kill (.296 hitting percentage) double-double. Her double-double was the 21^st of her career and her second this season. It was Kimm's third career match with 20+ digs and her 20 kills were a new career high. Her 25 digs and 20 kills were both tied for the team high.
LaPlant tallied a 43-assist, 14-dig double-double in four sets. It was her 11^th career double-double and first this season.
Willis posted 20 kills on 33 swings (.576 hitting percentage) and five digs. She set a new career high in kills, doubling her previous best of 10 from Sept. 14, 2024. Her 20 kills were tied for the team high.
Hamann contributed 25 digs and five assists. She recorded 20+ digs for the ninth time in her career and her 25 digs were tied for the team high.
Bruskiewicz sent down 10 kills. It was her second match this season with double-digit kills.
I. Keaveny tallied 12 assists and tied her career high of eight digs.

ALL-TOURNAMENT HUSKIES
Senior outside hitter Shelby Kimm (North Liberty, Iowa) and junior libero Laurin Hamann (Manitowoc, Wis.) were named to the All-Tournament Team for their performances. Kimm recorded double-doubles in two of the three matches she played and ranked No. 3 in points/set (3.91), No. 3 in digs/set (4.36), No. 4 in kills/set (3.64) among all players at the tournament meanwhile Hamann ranked No. 2 among all players at the tournament in digs/set (5.00) and her 25 digs against Michigan Tech where tied for the third most by any player in a match.

NCAA (TOP 30) / NSIC (TOP 3) TEAM STATISTICAL RANKINGS
(as of 9/1)

NCAA
- No. 1 – win % (1.000)
- No. 2 – assists/set (14.57)
- No. 4 – kills/set (15.21)
- No. 23 – digs/set (17.57)
- No. 24 – assists (204)
- No. 26 – hitting percentage (.291)
- No. 28 – kills (213)
NSIC
- No. 1 – win % (1.000)
- No. 1 – assists/set (14.57)
- No. 2 – kills/set (15.21)
- No. 3 – digs/set (17.57)
- No. 3 – attacks/set (37.57)

NCAA (TOP 50) / NSIC (TOP 10) INDIVIDUAL STATISTICAL RANKINGS
(as of 9/1)

Junior libero Laurin Hamann
- NCAA
  - No. 34 – digs/set (5.00)
  - No. 48 – digs (70)
- NSIC
  - No. 2 – digs/set (5.00)
  - No. 3 – digs (70)
Senior outside hitter Shelby Kimm
- NSIC
  - No. 2 – kills/set (3.64)
  - No. 3 – attacks/set (9.27)
  - No. 5 – digs/set (4.36)
  - No. 6 – points/set (3.91)
Junior setter Braya LaPlant
- NCAA
  - No. 6 – assists/set (11.50)
  - No. 36 – assists (138)
- NSIC
  - No. 2 – assists/set (11.50)
  - No. 6 – assists (138)
Junior outside hitter/opposite Carlie Willis
- NCAA
  - No. 8 – hitting percentage (.500)
- NSIC
  - No. 5 – hitting percentage (.500)

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 (3^rd, 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 (1^st, 220 points, 11 first place votes) and Wayne State (2^nd, 207 points, three first place votes) and followed by Southwest Minnesota State (4^th, 177 points) and Sioux Falls (5^th, 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 (11^th 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).

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).

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

A LOOK BACK AT 2025
The Huskies are coming off another historic season in 2025 in which they:

Advanced to their sixth straight NCAA Tournament/11^th in program history
Advanced to their second consecutive/fourth overall NCAA region championship in program history (also third in last four seasons).
- En route to the region championship, the Huskies beat the No. 17 team in the nation before taking down the No. 2 team and tournament host, Nebraska Kearney, on their home court.
Tied the program record for NCAA Tournament wins in a season (two – 4x; 1995, 2022, 2024, 2025)
Won their second consecutive/fourth overall NSIC Tournament championship (all in last five years) after taking down the No. 13, No. 2 and No. 5 teams in the country
Were ranked inside the top 16 of the AVCA Poll every week and finished the season ranked No. 5 for the second straight season (third time ever)
Earned wins over 13 ranked opponents including four against top five teams
Had three AVCA Second Team All-Americans
Had three All-Central Region performers (AVCA – 3x first team; D2CCA – 1x first team, 2x second team)
Earned one AVCA DII National weekly honor
Had four NCAA Central Regional All-Tournament Team selections
Had four NSIC All-Tournament Team selections
Had a player earn the NSIC Elite 18 Award for the first time in program history (10^th Husky overall)
Had four All-NSIC performers (3x first team, 1x second team)
Earned two NSIC weekly awards
Had one College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-America® selection (fourth in program history)
Had four CSC Academic All-District® selections
Had 10 NSIC All-Academic Team selections (nine also named to All-Academic Team of Excellence)

2026 SCHEDULE
St. Cloud State Volleyball will play a 29-match regular season slate that features nonconference trips to the Upper Peninsula for the UP North Tournament and Southern Florida for the Barry Invitational before they kick off their 20-match Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) season. In total, SCSU will play 11 home matches throughout the season.

Northern Sun play starts Sept. 11-12 when Augustana and Wayne State come to St. Cloud for the Huskies 2026 home-opening weekend. The next weekend, SCSU makes its first conference road trip of the season when it travels to play Southwest Minnesota State and Sioux Falls Sept. 18-19. In the latter stages of the NSIC slate, the Huskies will play rival Concordia-St. Paul in a nonconference matchup at Halenbeck Hall on Oct. 20. SCSU's final conference road trip is Oct. 30-31 when they travel to Wayne State and Augustana and the Huskies will close out their conference schedule at home against USF and SMSU on Nov. 6-7.

In total, the Huskies will play 11 home regular season matches (10 in conference play). The NSIC Tournament will open with the quarterfinals at home sites on Nov. 10 and will finish at the highest remaining seed for the semifinals and championship match Nov. 13-14 or Nov. 14-15. The NCAA Central Region Tournament is slated for Nov. 19-22 at the home site of the No. 1 seed, and the NCAA Championships will take place at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri Dec. 3-5.

SCSU will play seven matches against five teams who made the 2025 NCAA DII Tournament (Barry [1], Concordia-St. Paul [2], Lubbock Christian [1], Lynn [1] and Wayne State [2]) and 11 matches against seven teams who were ranked/receiving votes in the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA)/TARAFLEX DII Final Poll – No. 2 CSP (2), No. 6 Barry (1), No. 10 Wayne State (2), No. 16 SMSU (2), No. 19 Lynn (1), (RV) Minnesota State (1) and (RV) Sioux Falls (2). The Huskies made its second consecutive NCAA Sweet 16/Central Region Championship and finished the season ranked No. 5, tying the best-ever final ranking in program history.

2026 SCHEDULE | SCHEDULE RELEASE

2026 TICKETS
The 2026 Huskies Volleyball Season Ticket Package can be purchased for $60/seat at SCSUTickets.com or by calling 320-308-2137. The package includes a general admission ticket to each of the 11 regular season home matches. Additionally, single match tickets are available for purchase.

BUY SEASON TICKETS | BUY SINGLE MATCH TICKETS | SEASON TICKET RELEASE

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