MANKATO, Minn. – The Mavericks volleyball team (14-6, 6-6 NSIC) has two matches this upcoming week. First, on Wednesday, Oct. 30 at 6 p.m., Minnesota State hosts No. 10 Southwest Minnesota State (18-3, 9-3 NSIC) at the Taylor Center. Then on Saturday, Nov. 2, the Mavericks travel to Winona State (14-9, 7-5 NSIC) for a rematch against the Warriors at 4 p.m.
 
About the Mavericks
Minnesota State went 1-1 last week. On Thursday, the team fell in a four-setter against No. 11 Concordia-St. Paul but defeated the Vikings of Augustana in a home match, 3-1, on Saturday. With the win over Augustana, the Mavericks took over eighth place in the NSIC with a 6-6 conference record. Only the top eight seeds in the conference are eligible to participate in NSIC Tournament play following the regular season.
 
MSU thrives on defense; The Mavericks rank fourth in the NSIC in both blocks per set (2.23/set) and digs per set (17.25/set). Opposing teams don't block particularly well against Minnesota State either, only averaging 1.69 blocks per set against the Mavericks. The team is also fourth in opponent hitting percentage (.172).
 
Senior middle blocker Kiya Durant continues her excellent play in 2024. She put up 26 kills with a .470 hitting percentage in the team's two matches last week. The Plymouth, Minn. native also totaled five total blocks and two service aces in those matches. Durant hit .684 in the match against the Golden Bears. She is currently leading the Mavericks with 72 total blocks this season, which is tied for ninth amongst NSIC players and has a hitting percentage of .329, which ranks 10^th in the conference. Durant has 136 kills so far.
 
Another senior, setter Brooke Bolwerk, also played well last week. Bolwerk had 85 total assists between the two matches, but also had five total blocks in those games, including a huge solo block that swung momentum back in the Mavericks' favor against the Vikings. Bolwerk leads the team with 499 assists and has tallied 163 digs. She surpassed 2,000 career assists in the team's match against UMary.
 
Toryn Richards has been the jack-of-all-trades for Minnesota State this season; the senior outside hitter leads the team with 203 kills and ranks second with 201 digs thus far. She also has 16 service aces. Emma Loveall has 185 kills for MSU this season, good for second on the team. The graduate senior also has 22 total blocks in 2024.
 
Minnesota State's two middles, Durant and junior Emily Kern, complement each other well. Kern has 60 total blocks and 105 kills this fall. She had three blocks in each of the two matches last week, including two solos on Saturday against Augustana.
 
Senior libero Ellie Kline leads the team with 263 digs in 2024, which ranks 13^th in the NSIC. Kline ranks third on the team in service aces with 17. She was one of four players with two or more aces in the team's win over the Vikings. Madisen Miller, another defensive specialist, has 24 aces on the year and is third with 164 digs.
 
The Mavericks utilize two freshmen into their rotation as well; Avery Klein ranks third on the team in kills with 173, and consistently is one of the team's leading hitters at the end of matches. Klein has also recorded 34 total blocks this season. Setter Jadyn Lester has assisted on 246 points this season and leads the team with 26 service aces.
 
Mavericks head coach Corey Phelps has led this team to a great start. This is his fourth season as full-time head coach; He served as the interim head coach for a year and a half before earning the head coaching job. Phelps has a 48-54 record with the Minnesota State volleyball team.
 
 
About the Mustangs
Southwest Minnesota State has had an outstanding season thus far. The Mustangs won their first 14 matches before eventually falling to St. Cloud State. SMSU has stumbled a few times since, but the team has been consistently one of the best teams in the NSIC. The team currently ranks fourth in the conference with a 9-3 record after defeating Wayne State 3-2 in comeback fashion.
 
The Mustangs lead the NSIC in assists (1,087), kills (1,140) and digs (1,488).
 
SMSU has three players with 200 or more kills. Saari Kuehl leads the team with 260 kills in 2024, good for fourth in the conference. Leah Jones has 234 kills this season, which ranks sixth amongst NSIC players. Jones also ranks second on the team with 248 digs. Emma VanHeel is one of the team's best players, also. She has 207 kills and 86 total blocks this season. VanHeel ranks fifth in the NSIC in total blocks.
 
Setter Sydney Thein is second in the conference with 910 assists. She also has 243 digs and 19 service aces. The Mustang's digs leader is McKenzie Tolk, who also ranks second in the conference with 411 digs. Tolk has 21 aces this season. 
 
SMSU is led by head coach Tyler Boddy, who is in his third season at the helm of the Mustangs volleyball program. Boddy has accumulated a 64-16 record thus far in his career in Marshall. Last season, Boddy's team went to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in five years.
 
Minnesota State is 13-28 against Southwest Minnesota State all-time. The Mustangs have won each of the last four matchups.
 
 
About the Warriors
Minnesota State faces off against Winona State for the second time this season on Saturday. Since the Mavericks swept the Warriors, WSU is 6-2, with its only losses coming against Wayne State and Concordia-St. Paul. The Warriors are currently sixth in the NSIC rankings with a 7-5 conference record.
 
Winona State ranks second in the conference in kills with 1,127. The team also ranks third in opponent service aces, allowing just 1.17 points from the service line per set.
 
Sidney Paulson is a great player for the Warriors. She leads the team with 270 kills, good for third in the NSIC, and ranks second on the team with 252 digs.
 
Kylie Welch is the NSIC leader in digs with 437 this season. Welch also has 24 service aces in 2024.
 
Winona State has two players in the top six of servers in the conference. Ashlyn Steding has 34 aces this season, which ranks second in the NSIC. Steding ranks second on the Warriors with 396 assists, as well. Anna Hennessy is sixth in the conference with 32 service aces, and she also has 189 digs this season.
 
Joe Getzin is the head coach of the Winona State volleyball team. Prior to his hire at WSU, Getzin was a two-time SEC Coach of the Year winner with the Ole Miss volleyball program. He has a 179-85 record with the Warriors and a 355-334 record overall throughout his 26-year career.
 
The Mavericks ended a five-game losing streak against the Warriors on September 28 and improved their all-time record against Winona State to 22-10.