MANKATO, Minn. --- The Minnesota State volleyball team is set to open Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) play when it hosts Winona State on Thursday at 6:00 p.m. The Mavericks will then travel to Upper Iowa to wrap up the weekend on Saturday. First serve is set for 2:00 p.m. 

Mavericks at a Glance: Minnesota State enters the week with a 6-2 overall record. The Mavericks went 3-1 at last weekends Max & Erma's Classic in Aberdeen, S.D. Minnesota State posted two sweeps over Minot State and Minnesota Crookston. The Mavericks also fell to #23 Northern State, 3-0, before downing South Dakota School of Mines, 3-1, after winning the final three straight sets. 

All-Tournament: Junior Sydney Powell and freshman Alivia Garbe were named to the Max & Erma's All-Tournement team. Powell and Garbe were also named to the Warrior Invitational All-Tournament team last weekend. 

In Home Openers: The Mavericks have won their last six home openers. Last season, Minnesota State blanked Upper Iowa, 3-0, at Taylor Center. 

Impact Mavericks: Junior Sydney Powell leads the Mavericks with at team-best 3.41 kills per set this season. Junior Autumn Risch sets the pace with a team-high 5.56 assists per set. Freshman Mara Quam has contributed a team-leading 4.00 digs per set .  

By the Numbers: As a team this season, Minnesota State has posted 13.2 kills per set in comparison to its opponents' 10.8. Additionally, the Mavericks add 12.3 assists per set and 13.9 digs per set. 

Hot Hand: The Mavericks rank third in the NSIC with a .269 hitting percentage .Redshirt freshman Ashton Lee has a team-best .419 hitting percentage and is slotted second on the team in kills with 67. 

Passing Out Assists: Junior Autumn Risch sets the standard with 5.56 assists per set while freshman Micayla Porter contributes 5.04 assists per set. 

Servin' Aces: Minnesota State is slotted second in the NSIC with 49 service aces as a team. Northern State sits in first place with 50 service aces. 

Block Party: Minnesota State has posted 40 blocks this season. Sophomore Anissa Janzig sets the standard with a team-best 21 blocks. 

Bring Out the Brooms: The Mavericks posted two sweeps last weekend with wins over Minot State and Minnesota Crookston. MSU has recorded four sweeps so far this season in comparison to seven sweeps during the 2016 season.  

Facing the Top-25: The Mavericks are 0-1 this season when facing a top-25 opponent. Earlier this season, Minnesota State fell to #23 Northern State, 3-0. 

Scouting #11 Winona State: Winona State is located in Winona, Minn., and enters the week on a four match win streak with a 6-2 overall record. The Warriors are ranked No. 11 in this weeks American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) poll . Most recently, Winona State topped Grand Valley State, 3-2, at the UINDY Invitational. Winona State is led by third year head coach Joe Getzin. 

In its most recent match up, the Mavericks dropped a 3-0 decision to the Warriors last season. Since 2015, Minnesota State is 1-1 against Winona State and leads the all-time series, 45-17. 

Freshman Becca Pagel leads the Warriors with a team-best 5.45 digs per set and was named NSIC Defensive Player of the Week. Senior Danielle Rampart is totaling a team-high 3.59 kills per set to go along with a .265 hitting percentage. 

Scouting Upper Iowa: Upper Iowa is located in Fayette, Iowa. The Peacocks enter the week with a 9-0 overall record and are receiving votes in this weeks AVCA poll. Most recently, Upper Iowa downed Missouri S&T , 3-1, at the Missouri S&T Middle of Everywhere Classic. The Peacocks are led by head coach Aaron Nelson who is in his seventh season. 

In its most recent match up, Minnesota State swept Upper Iowa, 3-0, last season at Taylor Center. The Mavericks lead the all-time series, 18-0. 

Sophomore Anna Winter leads the Peacocks with a team-high 3.55 kills per set with a .275 hitting percentage. Junior Malissa LeClaire is handing out a team-leading 9.39 assists per frame while senior Ashley Larson is posting a team-best 5.48 digs per set to round out the top performers.  

Looking Ahead: Minnesota State will travel to No. 2 Concordia-St. Paul on Sept. 19 at 6:00 p.m.