MARSHALL, Minn. - The No. 11 Southwest Minnesota State volleyball team (13-6, 7-4 NSIC) prepares for a tough road trip, not only facing top-teams in the conference, both also top-teams in the nation. 
•No. 11 SMSU will face No. 13 St. Cloud State (15-4, 7-4 NSIC) on Friday at 6 p.m. at Halenbeck Hall before traveling to No. 5 Minnesota Duluth (17-2, 10-1 NSIC) on Saturday at 2 p.m. in the Romano Gymnasium. 
•SMSU notches the No. 11 spot in the latest AVCA Top 25 Poll released on Monday. SMSU is one of eight NSIC schools featured in this weeks poll. 
•SMSU went 2-1 last week with a five-set loss to Wayne State before sweeping the weekend with a sweep over Bemidji State and a four-set victory to Minnesota Crookston. 

What You Need to Know
•SMSU notches the No. 11 spot in the latest AVCA poll released on Monday, Oct. 22. This marks the 183rd poll that SMSU has been featured in the Top-25. 
•SMSU is one of eight NSIC schools ranked in this week's Top 25 with Northern State leading the way, tied at No. 3 with Washburn. Followed by Minnesota Duluth at No. 5, Concordia-St. Paul at No. 7, Wayne State moved to No. 8, then SMSU at No. 11, St. Cloud State at No. 13, Winona State at No. 17, and Upper Iowa at No. 21. 
•Minnesota State and Sioux Falls are both mentioned as receiving votes. 
•SMSU snapped a four-match losing streak this weekend with the weekend sweep over BSU and UMC. 
•SMSU ties St. Cloud State, Winona State, and Minnesota State at fifth in the conference. 

Head Coach Terry Culhane 
•Terry Culhane enters his 16th season as head coach in 2019.
•He is decorated as the program's all-time winningest head coach. 
•His overall record in the 2019 season is 405-112 and 240-55 in the conference. His home record is 139-32.

400 Career Victories
 •Head coach, Terry Culhane, earned his 400th career victory as the Mustangs earned a sweep over Minot State on Sept. 21. 
•Culhane, who is in his 16th season with the Mustangs, now has a 405-112 overall record and is 240-55 in the conference. 

Mustangs Leaders
•Junior Angela Young leads the team offensively with 296 kills and a 4.23 kills per set average.
•Emma Thomssen leads in assists with 487 and Alisa Bengen is right behind with 382.
•Payton Hjerleid leads the team defensively with 273 digs and 3.90 digs per set.
•Hjerleid also leads in service aces with 25.
•Zoe Lier leads in blocks with 58 including  42 block assist and 16 block solos. 
•SMSU has a 15.10 kills per set average and a .252 hitting percentage.

Conference Rankings
•SMSU leads the conference in assists with 938 and a 14.43 assist per set average. a
•SMSU comes in second in the NSIC in hitting percentage with a .308 mark in conference play and kills with 991 and a 15.25 kill per set avg.
•Angela Young  has the most kills in the NSIC this season in a four-set match with 26 kills on Oct. 19 vs. UMC. ranks third in total kills with kills 204 and fourth in total attacks with 515. 
•Young comes in fifth in points with 4.71. 
•Payton Hjerleid ranks ninth in service aces with 18. 

St. Cloud State: Match Preview
2019 Record: 15-4, 7-4 NSIC
Head Coach: Chad Braegelmann, fourth season
Mascot: Huskies
Series History
•SMSU holds a 26-19 advantage over SCSU in the all-time series, dating back to 1972. 
•SCSU opened the series with a 16-match winning streak. 
•SMSU has won 19 of the last 20 matches. 
•SCSU claimed a four-set victory (19-25, 20-15, 25-19, -), over SMSU in the last meeting on Oct. 6, 2018, in Marshall. 
St. Cloud State Notes
•Head Coach, Chad Braegelmann,  in his fourth season has a 63-69 overall record at SCSU and is 34-57 in conference play.
•SCSU is locked with Winona State, Minnesota State, and SMSU tied for fifth place in the conference.
•SCSU tabbed the No. 13 spot in the latest AVCA weekly poll. 
•Huskies record 14.63 kills per set with a .218 hitting percentage.
•Linsey Rachel leads the team with 264 kills and 4.00 kills per set. Rachel received NSIC Offensive Player of the Week on Sept. 23. 
•The Huskies run their offense through Maddy Torve who has 811 assists on the season with 12.10 assists per set. 
•On the defensive end, Clara Krenz, leads the way with 410 digs and 6.12 digs per set. Krenz is the current NSIC Defensive Player of the Week, her second honor this season, after recording 55 digs in three matches and roke the SCSU record for career-digs (1,954).
•At the net, Marah Mulso, is the Huskies biggest threat with 44 blocks on the season, six solo and 38 assists. 
•SCSU leads the conference in digs with 1,304 and 19.46 digs per set. 

Minnesota Duluth: Match Preview
2019 Record: 17-2, 10-1 NSIC
Head Coach: Jim Boos, 18th season
Mascot: Bulldogs
Series History
•SMSU trails the all-time series, 67-19, dating back to 1973. 
•SMSU and UMD played for a 1-1 record a season ago after SMSU took down UMD when the team was ranked No. 1 in a four-set victory (25-18, 25-23, 21-25, 25-23) in Marshall on Oct. 5, 2018. 
•UMD then defeated SMSU in the conference tournament championship in four-sets (17-25, 23-25, 25-23, 22-25) on Nov. 18 in Duluth.
Minnesota Duluth Notes
•Head Coach, Jim Boos, in his 18th season has a 483-90 overall record with  225-39 record in the NSIC.
•UMD is ranked No. 5 in the latest AVCA poll and is tied with No. 3 Northern State to lead the NSIC, who dealt UMD its only conference loss thus far. 
•NSU claimed a five-set victory over UMD on Oct. 11. 
•Kate Berg leads the team with 274 kills and 4.35 kills per set. 
•Meredith Sutton comes in second with 178 kills and is a past NSIC Offensive Player of the Week, which she received on Sept. 30. 
•The Bulldog offense is run through Emily Balts  with 785 assists. Balts has earned NSIC Setter of the Week twice this season. 
•Keena Seiffert leads the defense with 324 digs and 5.14 digs per set. 

Up Next: The Mustangs head on the road on Thursday, Oct. 31, at Sioux Falls at 6 p.m. in the Stewart Center before returning to the PE Gym to host Augustana on Saturday, Nov. 2., at 4 p.m.