THE FIRST SERVE
The Southwest Minnesota State University volleyball team readies for two big Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference matches this weekend with Minnesota State and No. 1 Concorida-St. Paul. SMSU has won eight straight versus the Mavericks and defeated Concordia-St. Paul in the Gangelhoff Center last season at the NSIC/US Bank Tournament to claim the postseason title.
SCOUTING REPORT
MINNESOTA STATE -- The Mavericks, which has a rich pedigree in recent years, have struggled this season to an 8-8 overall mark to date, including a 4-5 record in the conference. The Mavericks are on a 3-match skid, falling to Minnesota, Crookston, Augustana and Wayne State during the losing streak. The Mavericks are averaging a .203 hitting percentage, while allowing opponents to hit. 254. The Mavericks are led by three attackers: Chandra Honebrink (149 kills), Tiana Runck (143 kills), and Jenna McNallan (143 kills). Dennis Amundson is in his ninth year at the helm of the volleyball program.
CONCORDIA-ST. PAUL -- The Golden Bears are the No. 1 ranked team according to the AVCA and sit atop the NSIC standings. The 6-time defending national champions will seek to avenge a 2012 loss to SMSU in the title game of the 2012 NSIC / US Bank Tournament. CU is 17-1 overall and a perfect 9-0 in the conference. The one blemish on CU's record came on Sept. 7 to No. 20 Wayne State. CU leads the NCAA in assists per set (15.00), hitting percentage (.343) and kills per set (15.87). CU leads the NSIC in assists per set, blocks per set (2.26), digs per set (18.15), hitting percentage and kills per set. CU is led by Kayla Koenecke who ranks first in the NSIC and third in the NCAA in hitting percentage (.423). Brady Starkey is in his 11th season and owns a career record of 339-30 overall, 174-6 in the NSIC.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
19
Southwest Minnesota State has swept six straight opponents to extend its consecutive set winning streak to 19. The record is 20 straight set victories and six straight sweeps set by both the 2009 and 2012 teams.
10
Southwest Minnesota State currently rides a 10-match winning streak -- its longest of the 2013 season. SMSU set a school-record by winning 19 straight matches last season. The winning streak stretched from Sept. 15 to Nov. 9 and shattered the previous program record which was 12 set by the 2008 squad.
6
Southwest Minnesota State is currently ranked No. 6 in the latest American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Division II Top 25 Poll.Â
30
The amount of wins that SMSU gathered last season -- the most by a Mustang volleyball team since joining the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference and NCAA Division II in 1995.
31
Senior libero
Rachel Westby set a new career-high with 31 digs on Sept. 28 versus MSU Moorhead. It marks the fourth time this season that Westby has either tied or broken her previous career-high of 28.
250
Terry Culhane captured his 250th career victory on Oct. 12 versus Upper Iowa. In ten season Culhane owns a career record of 250-66. Culhane is approaching Jeri Madden's mark of 254 wins. Jeri Madden (1971-85), SMSU's first head coach in program history, finished her coaching career with an overall record of 254-204. Culhane has averaged just over 24 wins per season during his 10 years at the helm.
THE HEAD COACH
Terry Culhane enters his 10th season at the helm of the Mustang volleyball team. During his tenure Culhane has directed the Mustangs to an overall record of 250-66, including 142-31 in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference matches. During that timespan, Culhane has directed SMSU to nine NCAA tournament appearances, including six appearances in the region semifinals and one championship appearance. He began the 2013 season among the winningest active coaches in NCAA Division II. In 2012, Culhane was named NSIC Coach of the Year for the third time in his career, he also captured his first career NSIC regular season title and NSIC Tournament title.
