SMSU Quick Hits
•The No. 9 Southwest Minnesota State volleyball team (8-2, 2-0 NSIC) faces No. 8 Northern State in the home opener of the 2019 campaign on Friday, Sept. 27 at 6 p.m. in the PE Gym for the annual "white out" game.  
•SMSU will then host MSU Moorhead on Saturday, Sept. 28, at 2 p.m. for State Farm Insurance Day.
•Saturday is also International Student Day hosted by the SMSU volleyball team. All international students are welcome.
•SMSU went 2-0 in the opening conference weekend, sweeping both matches in a road-weekend at UMary on Friday and Minot State on Saturday.
•SMSU remains at No. 9 in the latest AVCA Top 25 Poll released on Monday. SMSU is one of eight NSIC schools featured in this weeks poll.

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 going into the 2019 season is 400-108 and 235-51 in the conference. His home record is 134-31. 

400 Career Victories
•Head coach, Terry Culhane, earned his 400th career victory as the Mustangs swept the weekend, capped off by a 3-0 victory over Minot State to earn Culhane the accolade.
•Culhane, who is in his 16th season with the Mustangs, now has a 400-108 overall record and is 235-51 in the conference. 

What You Need To Know
•SMSU stays at No. 9 in the latest AVCA poll released on Monday. This marks the 179th poll that SMSU has been featured in the Top-25.
•SMSU is one of eight NSIC schools ranked in the Top-25. innesota Duluth leads the way at No. 4. Concordia-St. Paul is ranked No. 7, followed by Northern State at No. 8, SMSU at No. 9, St. Cloud State at No. 15, Wayne State at No. 17, Sioux Falls at No. 19 and Upper Iowa at No. 23.  

Mustang Leaders
•Angela Young leads the team offensively with 149 kills.
•Emma Thomssen leads in assists with 238 and Alisa Bengen is right behind with 221.
•Payton Hjerleid leads the team defensively with 131 digs and 3.54 digs per set.
•Zoe Lier leads in blocks with 33 including 23 block assist and 10 block solos.

Northern State: Match Preview
2019 Record: 9-1 overall, 2-0 NSIC
Head Coach: Brent Aldridge, ninth season
Mascot: Wolves

Series History
•SMSU holds a 58-10 advantage in the all-time series.
•SMSU has one 25 of the last 26 matches, with the only loss, a four-set defeat on Oct. 7, 2017.
•The Mustangs won the last meeting with a five-set victory in the conference tournament a season ago.
•SMSU swept the Wolves at home on Oct. 10, 2018, when the Wolves were ranked No. 1.

Northern State Notes
•Head Coach, Brent Aldridge, in his ninth season holds a 172-72 overall record and 91-54 in the conference.
•Laura Snyder leads the Wolves with 151 kills this season.
•Leading the Wolves defense is Jaiden Langlie  with 149 digs.
•Ashley Rozell leads NSU in service aces with nine and paces the Wolves with 419 assists.
•The Wolves hold a 15.29 kills per set average and a team .319 hitting percentage.
•NSU's lone loss this season with a four-set loss to No. 19 Northwest Missouri State in the Drury Invitational.
•After winning the first set, NSU was plagued with errors recorded 23 attach errors and a .179 hitting percentage. •NSU opened conference play hosting RV Augustana in a four-set victory and No. 20 Wayne State in a sweep to cap off the weekend.

MSU Moorhead: Match Preview
2019 Record: 5-5 overall, 0-2 NSIC
Head Coach: Tammy Blake, 24th season
Mascot: Dragons

Series History
•SMSU holds a 63-46 advantage over MSUM in the all-time series, dating back to 1975.
•The Mustangs have a 18-match winning streak in the series, dating back to Oct. 6, 2006.
•SMSU swept the last meeting on Oct. 19, 2018, in Marshall. 


Up Next: The Mustangs will continue a four-match homestead with a 6 p.m. match hosting Upper Iowa on Friday, Oct. 4 and Winona State at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 5, both in the PE Gym.