THE FIRST SERVE
The No. 5 Southwest Minnesota State University volleyball team will continue the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference / US Bank Tournament Friday night after sweeping the No. 5 seed Winona State at home last Tuesday. SMSU received the No. 4 seed and will travel to the No. 1 seed, Minnesota Duluth (29-1) for the semifinal round of the NSIC / US Bank Tournament. 

OPPONENT AT A GLANCE
MINNESOTA DULUTH — UMD will conintue the NSIC / US Bank Tournament with an overall record of 29-1. The Bulldogs defeated the No. 8 seed Sioux Falls last Tuesday night in five games. Danielle Rampart leads WSU with 385 kills this season. Mariah Scharf paves the way with her 405 kills whileMonica Turner leds in hitting percenatage .387. Ashley Hinsch powers the offense with her 1311 assists.

THE SERIES
Southwest Minnesota State and Winona State will meet for the 78th time and the 3rd of the season on Friday night with UMD having a 15-62 record in a series that first started back in 1973. Minnesota Duluth defeated Southwest Minnesota State twice earlier this season once in Duluth and once in the PE Gym. Southwest Minnesota State is 4-24 while playing in Duluth and have lost the last four matches. The last time the Mustangs defeated the Bulldogs was Nov. 17, 2012 in the NSIC Tournament.

NSIC TOURNAMENT
SMSU has made the NSIC Tournament for the last 10 consecutive years posting a 10-5 overall recorded in those matches. The last time the Mustangs won the NSIC Tournament was in 2012 where they defeated No. 24 Minnesota State, No. 5 Minnesota Duluth and No. 1 Concordia-St. Paul. Last season SMSU was knocked out of the NSIC Tournament after losing to No. 18 Wayne State (Neb.) in the first round of play. 

NATIONAL NEWS 
SMSU is ranked No. 5 in the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Top 25 and has now been ranked in the poll for 117 consecutive weeks, dating back to Sept. 5, 2006.

REGION NEWS
The Southwest Minnesota State University volleyball team remained at No. 4 in the third NCAA Division II Central Region ranking released Wednesday afternoon by the NCAA national committee.