THE FIRST SERVE
The Southwest Minnesota State University volleyball team will continue action this weekend when the Mustangs travel west to Denver, Colo., for the annual Premier Challenge hosted by Metro State and Adams State. The Mustangs will look to bounce back from two losses at the Grand Valley State Classic last weekend. The Colorado Premier challenge is a 12-team tournament that will start with pool play to determine the seeding for the final two round tournament. #14 SMSU is grouped with #17 West Florida and Adams State (Colo.) in pool III. The 12-team tournament features nine teams ranked in the latest AVCA National Poll.
RECAP: GRAND VALLEY STATE CLASSIC
SMSU looked to have no problems with its young squad in its first two matches of the Grand Valley State Classic this past weekend as the Mustangs opened the 2013 campaign with a convincing sweep of No. 16 Truman. But after a 3-1 victory over Eckerd on Friday, SMSU stumbled and dropped its next two matches to Wayne State (Mich.) and Grand Valley State -- both unranked teams. It marked the first time that SMSU had suffered a loss to a non-ranked AVCA opponent since Sept. 15, 2009 -- a span of 16 losses to ranked opponents. A bright spot over the weekend was the emergence of
Whitney Burmeister as an attacker. Burmeister, who spent the 2012 season as a back row player and defensive substitution, has taken a new role this season as a front row attacker. The sophomore tallied her first two career double-doubles during the tournament -- setting a career high 17 kills in the 3-1 loss to Grand Valley State.
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 238-65, including 133-31 in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference matches and 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.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
17
SMSU was dominant last season as the Mustangs only suffered seventeen set losses and only eleven in match wins.
22
SMSU swept the opponent 22 times last season including a streak that saw the Mustangs capture 18 straight set wins.
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 1992.
55
The amount of blocks the SMSU offense has allowed the opponent. The mark ranks SMSU worst in the NSIC by 11.5 blocks. The opponent is averaging 3.44 blocks per set.
109
The amount of hitting errors the SMSU offense has committed in the Mustangs' first four matches.
4,814
The combined career kill total that SMSU will be without this year with the graduation of
Devin Diedrich (1,652),
Mary Groth (1,612) and
Brooke Burmeister (1,550). The trio left SMSU ranked as third, fourth and fifth most in school history, respectively.
