MANKATO, Minn. --- The Minnesota State volleyball team (14-5) will host a pair of NSIC matches this weekend starting with the #3 Northern State Wolves Friday, with first serve scheduled for 6:00 p.m.  Saturday, the Mavericks will face off with the MSU Moorhead Dragons with first serve scheduled for 2:00 p.m.

Mavericks at a Glance: The Mavericks enter the week with a 14-5 (7-4 NSIC) overall record after picking up three road wins over #19 Upper Iowa, U-Mary and Minot State.  With those wins, Minnesota State is currently in the midst of a five-match winning streak.  

Impact Mavericks: Minnesota State is being led on offense by senior outside hitter Morgan Olson who has recorded 267 kills (4.53/s) while adding 38 blocks.  Sophomore setter Dana Schindler leads the way in assists with 598 (9.80/s).  Seniors Ashton Lee and Anissa Janzig have recorded 45 and 58 blocks, respectively, on the defensive end.  

Scouting #3 Northern State: Northern State is located in Aberdeen, S.D., and is a member of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC). The Wolves are currently 17-2 on the season and ranked third in the nation. Northern State  is coached by Brent Aldridge who is in his ninth year with the team.

As a team this season, Northern State is averaging 14.8 kills per set compared to its opponents 11.8. Additionally, the Wolves average 13.7 assists per set and 16.0 digs per frame. 

Northern State is led on offense by Laura Snyder who has recorded 281 kills on the season.  Ashley Rozell is the primary setter for the team and has 818 assists this season. 

Last season, the Mavericks and Wolves faced off twice with Northern State claiming a 3-1 victory during the regular season before eliminating Minnesota State from the NSIC Tournament with a 3-2 win.

Scouting MSU Moorhead: Minnesota State University Moorhead is located in Moorhead, Minn., and is a member of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC). The Dragons are 8-11 this season with a 3-8 conference record.  MSU Moorhead is led by head coach Tammy Blake who is currently in her 25th year with the team.

As a team this season, the Dragons average 10.5 kills per set while their opponents notch 13.3. MSU Moorhead also averages 9.7 assists per set and 13.7 digs per set. 

Sarah Petrbok leads the Dragon offense with 146 kills and has recorded 197 digs on the season.  Amber Bretwisch is the primary setter for MSU Moorhead, having recorded 344 assists. 

Last season, the Mavericks faced off with the Dragons once, defeating them 3-0 in Moorhead, Minn.

Looking Ahead: Minnesota State will host Concordia-St. Paul Thursday night, on Halloween,  with first serve scheduled for 6:00 p.m.  The Mavericks will then travel to Winona, Minn., Saturday afternoon to face off with Winona State at 2:00 p.m. Monday night, Minnesota State will return home to host Upper Iowa with first serve scheduled for 6:00 p.m.