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MARSHALL, Minn. - The No. 10-ranked Southwest Minnesota State volleyball team (10-2, 0-0 NSIC) opens the 2009 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference season tonight when Wayne State comes to Marshall for a 7 p.m. match.

Series record: The Mustangs will look to even the series record with WSC on Tuesday.  SMSU is 18-19-1 against the Wildcats all-time.  Last season, the Mustangs notched two wins against WSC, losing just one set.

About the opponent:  Scott Kneifl's Wildcats are off to a good start in 2009, already owning an 11-2 record.  Junior middle blocker Jennifer Hefner leads the WSC offensive campaign with 166 kills (3.86/set) and a .382 hitting percentage.  Junior setter Diedra Artz directs the Wildcat offense and sits atop the stat sheet with 474 assists (11.02/set). Leigh Connot holds down the defense as the sophomore defensive specialist/libero has dug up a team-best 145 balls (3.37/set).

How they rank: WSC enters Tuesday's match unranked in the latest AVCA national poll; the Wildcats, however, did receive votes and appeared on two or more ballots.

Last week:  It was a flawless weekend for SMSU at the Radisson-Roseville/Concordia  University, St. Paul Tournament in St. Paul, Minn.  The Mustangs went 4-0, picking up wins against Bemidji State, No. 10 Minnesota Duluth, Augustana and Dowling (N.Y).  The victory against UMD was SMSU's first against a nationally ranked opponent this year.

She's diggin' it:  Freshman libero Kenzie Niesche (Chaska, Minn.) has become the mainstay in SMSU's back row this season, leading the team with 222 digs (4.93/set).  That total is good enough for second in the NSIC.  An eye-catching performance last weekend earned the newcomer NSIC Defensive Player of the Week honors.  Niesche used a 88-dig performance last weekend to help SMSU to a 4-0 record at the Radisson-Roseville/Concordia University Tournament in St. Paul, Minn.  Niesche averaged 5.50 digs per set on the weekend and also aced a pair of serves.  A 33-dig outing against Bemidji State on Friday highlighted her solid performance.

Kill leader:  Sophomore middle blocker Devin Diedrich (Braham, Minn.) continues to lead the conference in kills heading into this week's matches.  In fact, Diedrich has a firm grip on the No. 1 spot in the NSIC with 185 (4.11/set).  The next closest hitter is WSC's Jennifer Hefner who has tallied 166 kills (3.86/set).

National news:  SMSU climbed two spots and is ranked No. 10 in this week's AVCA Division II Coaches' Top 25 Poll.  The Mustangs received 512 points in the poll. NSIC neighbor Concordia University, St. Paul retained the top spot in the poll.  Four 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 139-43 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.