THE FIRST SERVE
The No. 8 Southwest Minnesota State University volleyball team will conclude the 2013 regular season on the road this Friday and Saturday when the Mustangs travel to take on MSU Moorhead and No. 22 Northern State. The Mustangs have secured at least a No. 3 seed in the NSIC standings and will host a first round conference tournament game come tournament time. SMSU is seeking its fifth win over an AVCA ranked opponent this season in eight tries.

SCOUTING REPORT
MSU MOORHEAD - MSUM enters the week 15-11 overall and 8-10 in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference. The Dragons are tied for eighth in the league with Minnesota State Mankato and Minnesota Crookston. The top eight teams in the league qualify for the conference tournament. Those three teams trail seventh-place Sioux Falls by just one game and lead Minot State, Winona State and St. Cloud State by just one game, meaning this weekend will decide the final spots in the NSIC tournament. MSUM and SMSU will meet for a 101st time, with the Mustangs leading the series 54-46. SMSU swept the Dragons in September in Marshall.

NORTHERN STATE - The Wolves enter the weekend ranked No. 22 in this week's AVCA top 25 poll with an overall record of 22-5 and 13-5 in the NSIC. The Wolves are currently fourth in the NSIC with two matches to go and own a match lead over Augustana. The Wolves will be focused this weekend with the chance at hosting a first round NSIC tournament match at stake. NSU is led by 2013 NSIC coach of the Year Brent Aldridge and All-NSIC first team selection Kelsey Chambers. Chambers is third in the league this season with 4.16 kills per set and 4.6 points per set.

LAST WEEK'S RECAP
The Southwest Minnesota State volleyball team went 3-0 this week by sweeping Minot State and the University ofMary this weekend before defeating Augustana in four sets last night. Last night's match was a non-conference match and closed out the 2013 regulars season home schedule. The Mustangs will host a Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference / US Bank first round match. After the first round matches are complete, the highest seed remaining in the bracket will host the semifinals and final matches. SMSU remained No. 8 in the latest AVCA poll, while the second installment of the NCAA Central Region rankings will be released later today.

Behind Whitney Burmeister's match-high 18 kills, SMSU extended its match-winning streak over Augustana to 15 straight with a 3-1 non-conference victory over the Vikings last night. SMSU earned the match victory with set scores of 15-25, 25-23, 28-26, and 25-20. SMSU's winning streak over Augie dates back to the 2005 season and is now 15-1 against Augustana under head coach Terry Culhane. SMSU improves to 21-6 overall, while Augie drops to 20-7. SMSU honored lone senior Rachel Westby and she delivered a fantastic defensive performance -- setting a career-high with 32 digs in the match.

On Saturday, Abbey Thissen hit .667 and finished with 16 kills on 21 attacks to lead SMSU over the University of Mary in straight sets on Saturday, 25-14, 25-21, 25-9. The win was SMSU's 20th win of the season and marked the11th consecutive season that the Mustangs have recorded 20 or more wins. SMSU set a new season-high with a combined .427 hitting percentage - Thissen had a match-high 16 kills.

On Friday, Claire Sames denied Minot State's last three attack attempts to lead SMSU to a four-point rally in set three to seal the set and match. The Mustangs won by set scores of 25-14, 25-20, and 25-20 to take their second match over MISU this season. Sames, SMSU's leading blocker, finished the match with six block assists and one solo denial. She now has 62 block assists and 17 solos on the season.