MANKATO, Minn. — The Minnesota State Maverick volleyball team will begin the 2025 season at the Miner Volleyball Tournament, hosted by Missouri S&T at Gibson Arena.

Minnesota State opens play on Thursday, Sept. 4 with a 6 p.m. match against Missouri S&T. The Mavericks continue tournament action on Friday, Sept. 5 with a pair of matches, taking on Missouri Southern at 2:30 p.m. and Christian Brothers at 4:30 p.m. The weekend concludes on Sunday, Sept. 6 as MSU faces Northwestern Oklahoma State at 12 p.m.

About the Mavericks
The Mavericks look to build on a strong 2024 campaign, where they qualified for their first NSIC Tournament appearance since 2018. Clinching the seventh seed, Minnesota State finished the season with an 18-9 record.

Heading into the 2025 season, MSU is ranked ninth in the NSIC Preseason Poll. The team returns nine players from last year's roster and welcomes eight newcomers.

Senior middle blocker Emily Kern (Cleveland, Minn.) returns for her final season in a Maverick uniform following a standout 2024 season. She set a personal best with 94 blocks across 97 sets played. Also returning is senior libero and defensive specialist Ellie Kline (Holmen, Wis.), who led the team with 391 digs last season. She surpassed 1,000 career digs against Minnesota Crookston on Nov. 16, 2024. Fellow defensive specialist Madisen Miller (Appleton, Wis.) also made significant contributions with 227 digs over 89 sets played.

To strengthen the squad, the Mavericks added three transfer athletes for the 2025 season. Junior middle blocker Olivia Sturgis (Manson, Iowa) joined from Iowa Central Community College, where she tallied 602 kills, 325 blocks and 87 digs over two seasons with the Tritons. Another addition is Emily Clausen, a junior from Delafield, Wis., who transferred from St. Thomas. In 25 sets played, she recorded 13 kills, 10 blocks and six digs. Rounding out the transfer class is Mary Satori (Manitowoc, Wis.), a junior who previously played for Minnesota Duluth. During her time with the Bulldogs, Satori totaled 30 kills, 143 digs, and 45 service aces.

The Mavericks also welcome a talented group of five freshmen. Outside hitters Addison Foor (West Salem, Wis.) and Jaelyn LaPlante (Chatfield, Minn.) bring depth to the offense. Aellia Burgert, a 6'0" setter from Leawood, Kan., joins the team, along with middle blocker Ellie Voth from St. Cloud Cathedral (Sauk Rapids, Minn.) and defensive specialist Savannah Meyer from Madison Lake, Minn.

Minnesota State head coach Corey Phelps enters his sixth season at the helm where he holds a 52-57 record. 

"The team's culture is better than it's ever been," said Phelps. "This semester is different. From seniors all the way down to the freshman and the transfers, they are coming together in a way that excites me and hopefully transfers to the court in a positive way." 

About the Miners
Missouri S&T enters the 2025 season looking to bounce back from a 9-18 campaign in the competitive Great Lakes Valley Conference. The Miners return key playmakers in setters Annie Arand and Elise Mehaffy, who combined for 879 assists last year and averaged 4.54 assists per set. They will once again lead the offense. Head coach Jacquie Cason returns for her second season, looking to build momentum and consistency in 2025.

Missouri S&T last faced Minnesota State in September 2016, a tightly contested match where the Mavericks came away with a 3-2 victory.

About the Lions
The Missouri Southern Lions are coming off a 6-22 season in the tough Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA). Interim Head Coach Joshua Moore enters his first full year leading the program after serving as an assistant coach for three seasons and taking over midway through 2024.

The Lions return standout outside hitter Alana Moesch, a native of Lajeado, Brazil. Moesch led the team with 281 kills last season, averaging 2.75 kills per set. Missouri Southern will look to improve on both offense and defense after losing some key players, and they've added eight newcomers to help fill those gaps.

This contest marks the first-ever meeting between these two programs.

About the Bucs
The Christian Brothers volleyball team looks to bounce back this season under new head coach Lashaunda Spurgeon, following a challenging 8-22 record last year. Spurgeon joins the Bucs after spending two seasons at Talladega College, where she coached both the men's and women's volleyball programs.

Sophomore outside hitter Ella Schumacher returns after an impressive freshman campaign, during which she led the team with 356 kills across 105 sets. The Bucs also bring back key senior middle hitters Abby Wheaton and Calah Jackson, who combined for 244 digs and recorded 22 blocks each last season.

Minnesota State enters the matchup with a strong track record against Christian Brothers, having swept the Bucs in all previous meetings. The Mavericks hold a commanding 9-2 advantage in the all-time series and will look to continue their dominance.

About the Rangers
Northwestern Oklahoma State is coming off a 13-16 season in the competitive Great American Conference. Entering his fifth year as head coach, Jon Bingesser leads a retooled Ranger squad that features 14 newcomers, including a mix of freshmen and transfers looking to make an immediate impact.

The upcoming game marks the first-ever meeting between the Rangers and the Mavericks, adding excitement to an early-season matchup as both teams look to set the tone for the year ahead.