MANKATO, Minn. -- The Minnesota State volleyball team (3-9, 1-3 NSIC) will be on the road on Thursday at 6 p.m. against No. 13 St. Cloud State (8-4, 2-2 NSIC) in St. Cloud, Minn. at Halenbeck Hall. The Mavericks return to the Taylor Center on Saturday to face Winona State (2-8, 1-3 NSIC) at 2 p.m.
 
"St. Cloud has had our number for six years," said Head Coach Corey Phelps. "They're consistently at the top of the conference and the country. This year is a little different. They graduated a lot of experience last year and aren't quite as elite as previous years. I'm expecting a good battle. Hopefully we can control the serve and pass game enough to squeeze out a victory. Winona is always in the mix for making the NSIC playoffs. They've had a couple injuries and are off to a slower than usual start, but similar to us, they are always talented. We expect to put a great effort together against both teams.
 
About the Mavericks
 
The Mavericks split their pair of matches last week when they defeated Sioux Falls in four sets and lost to No. 14 Southwest Minnesota State in three.
 
Looking back at this week, the Mavericks had a slow start against Sioux Falls dropping the first set. However, MSU didn't let the Cougar momentum last for long as they proceeded to win the next three sets to take the match. Addison Foor set a career high with 18 kills against the Cougars, and Jadyn Lester put up her first 40 or more assist game so far this season. Lester also leads the conference in total service aces with 25. Avery Klein was on fire as well. She totaled 11 kills with a .360 hitting percentage. Savannah Meyer also had a career high where she tallied 25 digs against the Cougars.
 
The Mavericks once again took on another top-15 opponent when they lost to No. 14 SMSU 21-25, 17-25, 21-25. Klein led the way for the Mavericks in kills with nine, and Lester accumulated 25 assists with nine digs. The Chargers held MSU to a .155 hitting percentage, their third lowest of the season.
 
About the Huskies
 
The Huskies are led by head coach Chad Braegelmann who is in his 12th season at St. Cloud. The Huskies primary hitter is senior outside Shelby Kimm. So far this season, she has totaled 128 kills, .263 hitting percentage, 139 total points, six service aces.
 
Defensively, the Huskies are led by senior middle blocker Hannah Bruskiewicz. She has tallied 23 blocks, six block solos and 17 block assists. Alongside her defending the back row is junior libero Laurin Hamann who has a total of 172 digs so far this season.
 
The Mavericks hold the all-time record against the Huskies 33-28. The Huskies have won the past seven matches. The last time MSU and St Cloud went against each other was in October 2025 where the Huskies beat the Mavericks in straight sets.
 
About the Warriors
 
The Warriors are led by head coach Tricia Melfy. She is currently in her first year at Winona State. She has been coaching for nine years and has a career record of 144-97 (.598). The Warriors primary attack comes from junior outside hitter Abby Ongna who has a total of 121 kills so far this season. Alongside her is freshman middle blocker Maddie Brown who has a total of 21 blocks. In the back row, sophomore defensive specialist Lily Shields who has a total of 95 digs, leads the Warriors on defense.
 
The Mavericks hold the series lead against the Warriors 24-10. The Mavericks have won three consecutive times in a row. The last time the Mavericks and Warriors faced each other was October 2025 where MSU won in straight sets.
 
Stay up to date on all Maverick Athletics news by downloading the Maverick mobile app for exclusive content, gameday notifications, schedules, rosters and more. Fans can also follow @MinnStAthletics on Instagram and X and like the Minnesota State Mavericks Facebook page