MANKATO, Minn. — The No. 22 Minnesota State volleyball team (14-1, 6-1 NSIC) is set for a challenging road weekend with a pair of conference match ups against nationally ranked and regional foes. The Mavericks open play Friday, Oct. 10, against No. 11 Wayne State (13-3, 6-1 NSIC) at Rice Auditorium in Wayne, Neb., with first serve slated for 6 p.m. MSU then heads to Sioux Falls, S.D., on Saturday to take on Augustana (8-7, 2-5 NSIC) inside the Elmen Center, with match time set for 5 p.m.

About the Mavericks
The No. 22 Mavericks (14-1, 6-1 NSIC) continue to build on one of their strongest starts in program history under head coach Corey Phelps. This marks the first time Minnesota State has been nationally ranked since Dec. 10, 2012, when the Mavericks closed the season at No. 24. During that 2012 campaign, led by head coach Dennis Amundson, the Mavericks held a ranking every week and climbed as high as No. 10 in the AVCA poll, finishing the year with an 18-11 overall record.

This season, MSU has defeated two ranked opponents, sweeping then-No. 18 Northern State and outlasting then-No. 12 Southwest Minnesota State in a five set match. Their only loss of the year came against then-No. 15 St. Cloud State, leaving Minnesota State tied for third place in the NSIC standings.

Last weekend at the Taylor Center, the Mavericks continued their success at home by sweeping Sioux Falls on Friday, Oct. 3, and following that with a five set win over then-No. 12 Southwest Minnesota State on Saturday, Oct. 4. MSU currently ranks among the top teams in the NSIC, posting a .260 hitting percentage which stands sixth in the conference. 

The Mavericks are averaging 12.56 assists, 13.88 kills, 2.02 blocks, 2.66 service aces, and 16.92 digs per set.

Defensively, Ellie Kline has been a standout performer, earning her first NSIC Defensive Player of the Week honor for her outstanding play against USF and SMSU. She is averaging 5.04 digs per set, ranking third in the NSIC, and recorded a season high 30 digs and five service aces against the Mustangs. Across both matches, Kline totaled 43 digs without a single receiving error.

Setter Jaydn Lester continues to guide the Maverick offense, ranking fourth in the NSIC with 11.06 assists per set while leading the league in service aces with 41 on the season. She also ranks second in the NSIC and seventh nationally with 0.79 aces per set, adding 80 assists and eight aces last weekend without committing a single setting error. Lester set career highs with 48 assists, 10 points, and six blocks in the victory over Southwest Minnesota State.

On the attack, Mary Satori leads the Mavericks with 152 kills and 198.5 points, averaging 3.04 kills and 3.97 points per set. She also ranks second in the NSIC in service aces with 0.80 per set. 

Middle blocker Emily Kern has been dominant at the net with 43 blocks (1.13 per set), ranking third in the NSIC. She posted a career high 14 kills and 16.5 points against the Mustangs while adding multiple blocks across the weekend. 

Avery Klein continues to be a key offensive contributor, ranking second on the team with 147 kills (3.0 per set) and sitting sixth in the NSIC in service aces with 0.45 per set, totaling 22 on the season.

Together, this balanced and competitive roster has powered Minnesota State's rise back into the national rankings and reestablished the Mavericks as a contender within both the NSIC and Division II volleyball.

About the Wildcats
Wayne State College has three losses this season, falling to Trevecca Nazarene in four sets, then-No. 15 Point Loma in four sets, and then-No. 11 Concordia St. Paul in three sets. The Wildcats have recorded two wins over ranked opponents, defeating then-No. 16 Minnesota Duluth in five sets and then-No. 3 MSU Denver in five sets. They have been strong in NSIC play with a 6-1 conference record, their only loss coming last week against Concordia St. Paul.

As a team, Wayne State ranks among the leaders in the NSIC, averaging 12.07 assists, 13.60 kills, 1.69 blocks, 1.50 service aces, and 16.02 digs per set. The Wildcats hold a team hitting percentage of .258.

Setter Molly Romano has totaled 606 assists this season, averaging 10.45 assists per set, which ranks seventh in the NSIC. Outside hitter Channatee Robles leads the team in kills with 177 and averages 3.05 kills per set while also contributing 23 service aces. Middle blocker Chloe Hanel ranks second on the team in kills with 174 and averages 3.05 per set. She leads the team in blocks with 52, including 34 block assists and 18 solo blocks. Hanel ranks ninth in the NSIC with 0.91 blocks per set and is third in the conference in hitting percentage at .411.

Head Coach Scott Kneifl is in his 21st season leading Wayne State. He was named the AVCA National Coach of the Year in 2023 and has guided the program to 13 NCAA Tournament appearances.

MSU has lost six straight match ups against Wayne State. The Mavericks' last win came on Nov. 2, 2018, when they swept the Wildcats. Overall, Minnesota State holds a 13-22 record in the series and is 0-11 when facing Wayne State on the road.

About the Vikings
Augustana faced then-No. 11 Concordia St. Paul and Winona State last week, losing in straight sets to both teams. Their two conference wins this season have come against Minnesota Crookston, a straight-set victory on Sept. 20, and Bemidji State, where they also won in three sets. The Vikings have fallen to all ranked opponents they have faced this year, including then-No. 14 Wayne State in three sets and then-No. 11 Concordia St. Paul in three sets. Augustana holds a 1-1 record at home this season.

As a team, Augustana is hitting .249 and averages 12.23 assists, 12.98 kills, 1.93 blocks, 1.80 service aces, and 14.10 digs per set.

Senior middle blocker Maya Wente leads the team in kills with 196 and averages 3.27 kills per set. She ranks ninth in the NSIC in hitting percentage at .341 and tenth in points per set with 3.88, totaling 232.5 points this season. Her standout performance came against New Mexico Highlands, where she recorded 20 kills, 7 blocks, and 24 total points.

Setter Kiylah Franke leads the Viking offense with 648 assists this season, averaging 10.80 assists per set, which ranks sixth in the NSIC. The junior from Burnsville, Minnesota, recorded a career-best 60 assists in the match up against MSU Moorhead and added 12 digs in that game. She has also totaled 22 service aces this season, ranking second on the team.

Junior defensive specialist Gabby Jones, leads the team in digs with 134 and has added 11 service aces. She is averaging 2.23 digs per set this season.

Head Coach Dr. Jennifer Jacobs is in her ninth season leading the Vikings. In her eight full seasons as head coach, she has maintained a winning percentage above .560.

Minnesota State defeated Augustana last season on Oct. 26, winning the match in four sets. The Mavericks hold a 9-16 record when playing the Vikings on the road and are 18-34 overall in the all-time series.