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MARSHALL, MINN. - The No. 6-ranked Southwest Minnesota State volleyball team travels to Minnesota State, Mankato on Saturday to meet up with the Mavericks for a 4 p.m. conference match.

Conference time:  The Mustangs are 13-3 in NSIC matches after going 1-1 last week in conference play.  That puts SMSU in sole possession of second place in the NSIC heading into this weekend's match against Minnesota State.

Rebound match:  SMSU is looking to rebound from a 3-0 loss to No. 17 Minnesota Duluth last Friday.  The Mustangs found themselves in an unfamiliar spot following Friday night's match:  They had lost a conference contest to someone other than Concordia-St. Paul.  The weekend, however, was not a total momentum killer for SMSU, as the Mustangs quickly got their act together to defeat Bemidji State 3-1 on Saturday.

Shak town star:  Maggie Geske (Shakopee, Minn.) had a career night in the kills category on Saturday against Bemidji.  The freshman terminated a match-high and career- high 16 balls on the afternoon.  Geske has a found a comfortable spot in the Mustang rotation, playing all the way around the court.  The outside hitter is just ten kills shy of 200 on the season and has compiled 205 digs.

Second time around:  It will be the second meeting between SMSU and MSU this season, and the Mustangs are hoping to have a repeat performance of their 3-1 defeat of the Mavericks back on Sept. 20.  Minnesota State has put together three straight conference victories heading into Saturday's match.

Hey buddy:  The weekend  looks a little different through the Mustangs' eyes, as SMSU will play just one match over the weekend.  SMSU and MSU are traveling partners, which means in a typical two-match weekend road set, the Mustangs would play the team the Mavericks played the night before and vice versa.  But when traveling partners meet up for a match, the schedule is adjusted to accommodate for the contest.  As a result, SMSU will play a somewhat rare midweek match against Minnesota, Crookston on Tuesday.

Aces wild:  In conference matches only, SMSU leads the NSIC in service aces.  The Mustangs have sent over 95 aces so far this season, averaging 1.56 per set.  Sara Graf (Mount Pleasant, Iowa) is the team's most lethal server, recording 25 aces in conference matches--good for second in the conference.

Building blocks:  SMSU's play at the net continues to be solid; in conference-matches only, the Mustangs are third in in the NSIC in blocks, checking in with 125.0 stuffs (2.05/set) to date.  Kasey Loeslie is the team's top blocker, as the senior  has 58.0 blocks (1.00/set) in conference matches, putting her at fourth on the NSIC's stat sheet in the category.

National news:  The Mustangs are ranked No. 6 in the latest Bison/AVCA Division II Coaches Top 25 Poll released Nov. 3.  The Mustangs moved down three spots from their No. 3 ranking a week ago.  For the first time in six weeks, SMSU did not move up a spot in the poll.

How they rank: MSU enters Saturday's match unranked.

Best year ever:  The Mustangs are off to their best start in school history.  SMSU's 24-4 record heading into its matches against MSU has trumped any start by a Mustang volleyball squad since the sport was introduced at the school in 1971.

He's back: Terry Culhane returns for his fifth year as the head coach of SMSU.  Culhane boasts a 125-39 record as the leader the Mustangs.  He has led his teams to four straight NCAA tournament appearances, including a trip to the regional semifinals last  year.  Culhane is assisted by Jessica Schumacher (second season), Paul Soupir (fifth season) and Mike Dalager (sixth season).



The Mavericks are coached by Dennis Amundson (fourth season, 64-49) ... finished 19-9 last season ... playing first season in the NSIC ... played in the NCC last season ... currently have record of 16-11 (11-5, NSIC) and tied for fourth place in NSIC ... hitting .228 as a team ... senior outside hitter Ashley Nachreiner leads the Mavericks in kills with 394 kills (3.86/set) and digs with 307 (3.01/set) ... freshman setter Brittany Stamer directs the MSU offense and has recorded 632 assists (11.09/set) so far this season ... the Mavericks  lead the series between the two schools 26-12... inaugural meeting was in 1971 ... second contest between SMSU and MSU this season ... last meeting was Sept. 20, 2008; SMSU won that match 3-0.