Mankato, Minn. – After four straight home contests at Taylor Center, the Minnesota State volleyball team will hit the road this coming weekend as it travels to MSU Moorhead and #6 Northern State. MSU will take on the Dragons on Friday at 7:00 p.m., before it squares off with the #6 Wolves on Saturday at 4:00 p.m., in Aberdeen, S.D.

Looking Back: The Mavericks completed a sweep this past weekend at Taylor Center after taking down both Minot State and U-Mary in three sets. 

With the two wins, the Mavericks improved their record to 12-5 overall and 6-3 in NSIC play.
 
Concerning MSU Moorhead: The Dragons enter the week with an 11-6 overall record and a 4-5 record in NSIC play after losing three straight conference matches to Minnesota Crookston, Winona State and Upper Iowa. MSUM is coached by Tammy Blake who is in her 21st season at the helm. Before this season, Blake has accumulated a 343-269 overall record while at MSUM. 

Friday's matchup will mark as the 31st all-time meeting between the two schools, as the Mavericks own a 20-10 all-time record over the Dragons. Last season MSU and MSUM split the two meetings the teams had. The Mavericks defeated the Dragons in five sets at Taylor Center earlier in the season, but got swept by MSUM later on in the season in Moorhead, Minn. Before last years encounters, the Mavericks defeated the Dragons three straight times dating back to 2011.

This season the Dragons rank first in the NSIC in blocks per set with 2.64 and also sit in first in total team blocks with 174. The Dragons rank fifth in all of Division II in total blocks and seventh in blocks per set. MSUM averages a .202 attack percentage which places it 10th in the NSIC, while the Dragons rank third in the NSIC in opponents attack percentage with a .163. 

MSUM also ranks eighth in the NSIC in digs per set (15.55), ninth in assists per set (11.88), 10th in kills per set (12.58) and 12th in service aces per set (1.15) .

Senior Kaitlin VanWinkle leads the Dragons with 201 total kills (3.35 per set) and .332 attack percentage which places her 13th in the NSIC. VanWinkle also has posted 64 total blocks which is good for second on the team and ranks seventh in the NSIC in blocks per set with 1.06. Three other Dragon players have notched over 100 kills this season in  sophomore Carly Masloski (177), senior Abby Wolpern (132) and sophomore Claire Grimm (130).

Senior Casie Baer leads the Dragons in total assists with 684 (10.52 per set), which places her eighth in the NSIC in assists per set and also leads MSUM with 18 service aces on the year. Baer is second on the team with 154 digs while senior Amber Krenske leads the Dragons with 292 digs (4.49 per set), which ranks her seventh in the NSIC.

Leading the Dragon blocking attack is junior Kelsey Hartkopf who has racked up 87 total blocks this season and averages 1.34 blocks per set which is second best in the NSIC. 

Concerning #6 Northern State: The Wolves enter the week ranked #6 in the latest AVCA Coaches poll, as NSU has compiled a perfect 17-0 overall record and a 9-0 record in the NSIC. NSU remains as the only undefeated volleyball team in all of Division II. The Wolves are coached by fifth-year head coach Brett Aldridge who has racked up a 73-43 overall record in his first four seasons while at Northern State.

Saturday's matchup will mark as the 23rd all-time meeting between the two schools, as the Mavericks own a 16-6 all-time record over the Wolves. In the last four meetings between the two teams, NSU has won three of them, as MSU split with the Wolves last season. In last season's matches, the Mavericks defeated the Wolves in four sets at Taylor Center before losing to NSU in four sets later on in the year in Aberdeen, S.D.

Through the Wolves 17 wins, 14 of the matches were sweeps, including wins over #8 Grand Valley State and #1 Minnesota Duluth at the time. 

NSU ranks first in all of Division II in assists per set (14.34), attack percentage (.367) and kills per set (15.05). The Wolves also rank first in the NISC in opponent hitting percentage (.129) and third in aces per set (1.45).

The Wolves have three players that sit in the top-15 in Division II in individual hitting percentage. Leading the way is sophomore Kellie Schmit who leads all of Division II with a sizzling .533 attack percentage on 184 total attempts. Ranking fourth in Division II is Cari McGarvie who holds a .444 attack percentage on 322 total attempts. Rounding out the trio is senior Kelsey Chambers who ranks 15th in Division II with a .403 attack percentage.

Chambers, who has already been honored this season two times as NSIC Offensive Player of the Week, leads the Wolves with 236 kills and ranks third in the NSIC in kills per set with 4.29. McGarvie is second on the team with 181 kills and ranks eighth in the NSIC in kills per set with 3.29. McGarvie also leads the team with 41 total blocks. 

Senior setter Drew Smith leads all of Division II with 13.38 assists per set and has racked up a total of 736 assists. Smith has already garnered NSIC Setter of the Week four times this season. Smith also sits third on the team with 124 digs, while senior Renee Hoffman leads the Wolves with 224 digs (4.07 per set).

Sweep Victories: With the two sweep victories by the Mavericks this past weekend, MSU has now tallied six total sweep wins this season. Last season MSU racked up six sweeps all of last season.

Consistent Form: From both matches this past weekend, the Mavericks showed a consistent offensive attack as MSU tallied 41 total kills in last Friday's win over Minot State and posted 42 total kills in last Saturday's win over U-Mary. 

Also from both matches, the Mavericks had five players post at least five or more kills. In last Friday's win, junior Sydney Geisness [St. Croix Falls, Wis.] led the way with 11 kills, junior Krista Hassing [Blue Earth, Minn.] had nine kills, sophomore Vikolia Meade [Solon, Iowa] recorded seven kills, while senior Rachel Ott [Stoughton, Wis.] and junior Lexi Platz [Lafayette, Minn.] each posted five kills of their own. The next day Hassing posted a match-high 13 kills, Meade and Platz added another seven kills, junior Courtney Anderson [Tripoli, Iowa] collected six kills, while Geisness posted five kills to her stat line.

First Time Playing: Freshman setter Autumn Risch experienced what it is like to play in a college volleyball match, as her name was called for the very first time in last Saturday's win over U-Mary. Risch played in one set and posted eight assists.

Statistically Speaking: Through 17 matches, the Mavericks rank seventh in the NSIC in attack percentage with a .243 clip and sixth in opponent hitting percentage with a mark of .175. MSU also sits in third in the conference in blocks per set with 2.30, eighth in assists per set with 12.62 and kills per set with 13.30. 

Continued Dominance: Junior middle blocker Krista Hassing still sits a top the NSIC in kills per set (4.48) and points per set (5.40) after collecting 23 kills and four total blocks this past weekend. The Blue Earth, Minn. native also sits second in the NISC in total kills with 282 kills.

Nationally, Hassing ranks third in Division II in points per set, seventh in kills per set and 14th in total kills.

Receiving Votes: In the latest American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) top-25 poll, the Mavericks are receiving 25 votes this week.

Moving on Up: Back on Oct. 4, 2014 against Bemidji State,  senior Ellie Van De Steeg became the sixth MSU player to join the 3,000 career assist club. Van De Steeg continues to rise up the career list as she currently sits with 4,265 career assists which places her third in the all-time career assists lists at MSU. Van De Steeg also ranks sixth in the NSIC this season in assists per set with 10.87.

 

Rank	Name (Years Played)	Career Assists
1	Brittany Stamer (2008-11)	4,718
2	Jen Blendermann (1999-2002)	4,367
3	Ellie Van De Steeg (2012-Present)	4,265
4	Heidi Schnagl (1991-94)	3,963
5	Nicole Roethig (1995-98)	3,804
6	Stef Sandstrom (2004-07)	3,471

1,000 Career Digs Club: Junior libero Haley Fogarty became the 11th member to join the 1,000 career digs club at MSU after reaching the milestone on Sept.17, 2015 in a win over Winona State. Fogarty joins her sister Chelsea Fogarty and cousin Cassie Wolpern on the list. Currently the Belle Plaine, Minn. native sits with 1,158 career assists and ranks ninth on the all-time list right behind her sister Chelsea. Haley leads the Mavericks this season with 317 digs and currently sits third in the  NSIC in digs per set with 5.03.
 

Rank	Name (Years Played)	Career Digs
1	Jen Jacobs (2000-03)	1,623
2	Ali RIce (2008-11)	1,342
3	Lindsay Childers (1999-2002)	1,253
4	Stef Sandstrom (2004-07)	1,199
5	Brittany Stamer (2008-11)	1,180
6	Nichole Rose (2000-03)	1,169
7	Cassie Wolpern (2004-06)	1,168
8	Chelsea Fogarty (2009-12)	1,161
9	Haley Fogarty (2013-Present)	1,158
10	Ashley Nachreiner (2005-08)	1,036
11	Jessica Oolman (200-03)	1,017