THE FIRST SERVE — The Southwest Minnesota State University Mustang volleyball team will continue to the semifinal round Friday night in the Romano Gymnasium on the campus of Minnesota Duluth. No. 3 seed Southwest Minnesota State will take on No. 2 seed and defending DII NCAA champion, Concordia-St. Paul, at 5 p.m.
 
OPPONENT AT A GLANCE
CONCORDIA-ST. PAUL — CU volleyball team received the No. 2 seed for its 12^th consecutive appearance in the NCAA Division II Volleyball Tournament with the program producing a 52-3 all-time tournament record. CU won its quarterfinal match in the NCAA Central Region Volleyball Tournament yesterday afternoon with a sweep of No. 7 seed Washburn University.
 
The Golden Bears enter this season's tournament riding a 42-match winning streak in NCAA postseason play dating back to the 2006 season. CU has also reached the NCAA Region Championship in each of head coach Brady Starkey's 11 seasons at the helm and is the first NCAA volleyball program to capture 7-straight NCAA Championships ('07-13).
 
THE SERIES
Southwest Minnesota State and Concordia-St. Paul will meet for the 51st time and the 3rd in NCAA tournaments on Friday evening with Concordia-St. Paul having a 28-22 record in a series that started back in 1976. CU defeated Southwest Minnesota State twice before in the 2005 and 2007 tournaments.