Complete Release (PDF)

MARSHALL, Minn. - The No. 10-ranked Southwest Minnesota State volleyball team (10-3, 0-1 NSIC) will travel to No. 14 Minnesota State, Mankato (11-2, 1-0 NSIC) Saturday a 4 p.m. conference match.

Series record:  MSU leads the Maverick/Mustang series 12-27.  The two squads split last season as each team picked up a 3-1 win.

How they rank:  MSU enters Saturday's match ranked No. 14 in the latest AVCA national poll.  This will be the fourth top-25 program SMSU has faced in 2009.

Last week:  Wayne State's Tali Fredrickson went off for 23 kills to lead her Wildcats to a 3-2 win over SMSU Tuesday night at the Mustangs' conference and home opener.  Three WSC hitters were in double figures for an offense that hit .292 on the night.  Nine service errors--a few at pivotal points--haunted the Mustangs.  WSC committed 10 of its own on the evening.

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 245 digs (4.90/set).  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.

Legit lefty:  Senior right side Tory Brouwer (Maynard, Minn.) had a mammoth match on Tuesday, recording a career-high 20 kills.  The southpaw's powerful arm has smashed a total of 111 kills so far this season--a statistic good for third on the team.  Brouwer has also tallied 14 blocks in 2009

Stuck in the middle:  The middle blocker tandem of Devin Diedrich (Braham, Minn.) and Mary Groth (West Bend, Wis.) has been a scouting nightmare for opposing coaches in 2009.  The pair has accounted for just under half of SMSU's total kill output.  Diedrich, a sophomore, leads the Mustangs with 198 kills (3.96/set), while Groth, a freshman, has killed 164 balls (3.28/set).  But the duo's presence isn't just felt by opponents' defenders, Diedrich and Groth are the Mustangs' top blockers, too.  Diedrich has recorded 38 blocks (0.76/set), and Groth has tallied 26 (0.52/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 Brouwer 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 139-44 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.