THE FIRST SERVE
The No. 8 Southwest Minnesota State University volleyball team will hit the road this weekend as the Mustanngs will travel north to take on St. Cloud State and No. 4 Minnesota Duluth. The Mustangs will look to improve upon their 5-2 road record this season. Head coach
Terry Culhane is one win away from tying 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 is 253-68 and has averaged just over 24 wins per season during his 10 years at the helm.
SCOUTING REPORT
ST. CLOUD STATE -- The Huskies currently sit in 10th place within the NSIC with their 12-10 overall record and 6-8 in the conference. SCSU has dropped its last five matches dating back to Oct. 12. SMSU has swept six straight matches over SCSU and last lost to the Huskies on Nov. 9, 2004. SMSU last lost on the road to SCSU during the 1997 season. The Huskies are led by Ellie Dietzen and her 225 kills and 3.44 points per set. Michelle Blaeser is in her fourth season at the helm of the Huskies program.
MINNESOTA DULUTH --The Bulldogs are ranked No. 3 in the latest AVCA top 25 poll and currently sit in second place in the NSIC standings with their 22-2 overall record and 12-2 record within the conference. UMD took No. 1 Concordia-St. Paul to the fifth set but lost 3-2. The Bulldogs' only other loss on the season came on Oct. 19 at home versus Northern State. Since then UMD has rattled off three straight wins, including a 3-2 win over No. 17 Wayne State. UMD's Rainey and Ashley Hinsch are coming off NSIC Player of the Week honors. Kate Lange leads the NCAA with her 5.38 kill per set average and 6.07 points per set. UMD is ranked second in the NSIC in assists, hitting percentage, kills and match winning percentage. Jim Boos is in his 12th season at the helm of UMD.
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 253-68, including 145-33 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.
