Complete Release (PDF)

MARSHALL, Minn. - The No. 15-ranked Southwest Minnesota State volleyball team (17-5, 7-3 NSIC) is back home this weekend, hosting St. Cloud State (6-16, 2-8 NSIC) on Friday at 7 p.m. and No. 1 Concordia University, St. Paul (21-0, 10-0 NSIC) on Saturday at 3 p.m.

Series records: Friday's meeting between SMSU and SCSU marks the 31st meeting between the two schools.  The Huskies lead the series and are 18-12 against the Mustangs all time.  Saturday's CU-SMSU contest is the 38th meeting between the two programs.  The Mustangs hold a one-match advantage in the series and are 19-18 against the Golden Bears all time.  Saturday will be the second tilt this season between SMSU and CU; the Golden Bears topped the Mustangs 3-0 back on Sept. 22.

How they rank:  SCSU enters Friday's match unranked in the latest AVCA national poll.  CU has held down the No. 1 spot the entire season in the national poll and comes into this weekend no differently.  The Golden Bears are currently riding an NCAA record 58-match winning streak.  For more about this weekend's opponents, turn to page 4.

Oh snap!:  The last time CU dropped a conference match was to SMSU on Sept. 22, 2007.  The Mustangs snapped a streak of 69 straight conference wins by the Golden Bears.  CU enters this weekend on another epic conference winning streak--this one totaling 42 matches.

Last weekend:  The Mustangs picked up a pair of conference victories on the road, handing Winona State a 3-0 loss on Friday and posting a 3-1 win over Upper Iowa on Saturday.  The two victories extended SMSU's winning streak to seven matches.

Northern Sun honors:  The NSIC announced Monday that sophomore middle blocker Devin Diedrich (Braham, Minn.) has been named offensive player of the week.  Diedrich compiled an impressive offensive performance for SMSU last weekend, recording 38 kills (5.43/set) in two matches to lead her Mustangs to victories over WSU and UIU.  The sophomore had 15 kills against the Warriors on Friday and 23 kills against the Peacocks on Saturday.  Diedrich was efficient, too, checking in with a .403 hitting percentage for the weekend.  Other totals included two assists, eight digs and six blocks.  It was the sophomore's first player of the week honor this season and second of her career.

Double trouble:  The Mustangs have a unique claim in the latest NSIC statistical rankings:  They a have two setters in the top 10 in assists.  Sophomore Cara Carson (Omaha, Neb.) and senior Sara Graf (Mount Pleasant, Iowa) are in the No.  4 and 7, respectively, in conference only matches.  Carson is averaging 10.95 assists per match, while Graf checks in with 10.19 assists per match.

National news:  SMSU dropped one spot and is ranked No. 15 in the latest AVCA Division II Coaches' Top 25 Poll released on Oct. 12.  The Mustangs received 363 points in the poll. NSIC neighbor Concordia University, St. Paul retained the top spot in the poll.  Five NSIC teams found their way into this week's rankings. 

Senior momentum:  Three seniors will lead the Mustangs through the 2009 season, all with a wealth of experience.  Sara Graf (Mount Pleasant, Iowa), Leah Ashburn (Hector, Minn.) and Tory Brouwer (Maynard, Minn.) hold down the posts as this year's elders.

Newbies:  While SMSU welcomes back eight returners for 2009, the Mustangs have also been introduced to just as many new faces.  Six freshmen and two junior transfers fill out this season's roster.

The coach:  Terry Culhane returns for his sixth season as the head man of Mustang volleyball, and his name might as well be synonymous with success.  The SMSU alum has yet to encounter a losing season or one that he hasn't made the NCAA Tournament.  Culhane boasts a 146-46 record at SMSU.  He is assisted by Jessica Petersen, Paul Soupir, Mike Dalager, Katie Gangelhoff and Raftyn Rignell.

According to the coaches:  The NSIC's 14 head coaches have tabbed SMSU fifth in their annual preseason poll.  The Mustangs received 125 points in the poll.  Concordia University, St. Paul, national champions for the past two seasons, was selected first for the sixth consecutive season with 169 points and 13 first-place votes.  Minnesota Duluth, Minnesota State and Wayne State fell in ahead of SMSU.  MSU received one first-place vote.
        Team (first place votes)    Points
    1.    Concordia-St. Paul (13)    169
    2.     Minnesota Duluth    145
    3.     Minnesota State (1)    143
    4.     Wayne State    128
    5.     Southwest Minnesota State    125
    6.     Augustana    122
    7.     Minnesota State Moorhead    99   
    8.     Winona State    82
    9.     St. Cloud State    65
    10.     Northern State    64
    11.     Bemidji State    44
    12.     Minnesota, Crookston    43
    13.     Upper Iowa    26
    14.     Mary    23

Stay connected:  Stay connected with SMSU volleyball all season long at www.smsumustangs.com.  The Mustangs are also on Facebook and Twitter; just log onto www.facebook.com/smsumustangs and www.twitter.com/smsumustangs.  For the latest video highlights and new episodes of the Mustang Minute check out SMSU's official YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/user/smsuathletics.

We'll do it live!:  Live statistics for all of SMSU's home games can be viewed by logging onto www.smsumustangs.com and following the live stats link on the right side of the volleyball home page.

Let's see it:  All NSIC volleyball matches are video broadcast live and free of charge on the Penn Atlantic Network.  Check out www.northernsun.tv to learn more.