Previewing the Mustangs
•The No. 9 Southwest Minnesota State volleyball team opens the programs' 48th season this week at the Michigan Tech Classic in Houghton, Mich.
•SMSU opens play against Michigan Tech at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 5. The tournament continues on Friday, Sept. 6., versus Lake Superior State (Mich.) at 10 a.m. and a 4 p.m. match versus Northern Michigan. On Saturday Sept. 7, the Mustangs take on Wisconsin-Parkside at 10 a.m. 
•Mustangs were slated at fifth in the annual NSIC Preseason Coaches' Poll released on Aug. 12. 
•SMSU junior outside hitter, Angela Young, was named an NSIC "Player to Watch." Young finished second on the team last season with 332 kills and recorded a .270 hitting percentage. 
•SMSU also ranked No. 9 in the Preseason AVCA Top 25 Poll. 
•SMSU opens its 10-match home schedule on Sept. 27 versus Northern State. 
•SMSU finished 23-9 a season ago and appeared in its 15th straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament.

What You Need To Know 
•The Mustangs begin the season ranked No. 9 in the Preseason AVCA Poll for 2019. This marks the program's 11th consecutive season beginning the year ranked in the Top 10.
•Mustangs return 11 letter winners on the 2019 roster. 
•The 2018 Mustangs finished at the NCAA Regional Tournament. Their overall record was 23-9 overall and 16-4 in the conference. 
•Mustangs were picked to finish fifth in the NSIC Preseason Coaches' Poll for the 2019 season. 
•Mustangs return one All-Conference award winner, Sarina Smith, was named NSIC Second Team All-Conference. 
•SMSU has won its season opener the past five years.
•Junior outside hitter, Angela Young, was named SMSU's Player to Watch. Young finished second on the team in kills with 332 and a .270 hitting percentage.

Head Coach Terry Culhane 
•Terry Culhane enters his 16th season as head coach. 
•He is decorated as the program's all-time winningest head coach. 
•His overall record going into the 2019 season is 392-106 and 233-41 in the conference. His home record is 134-31. 

Closing in on 400
•Head coach, Terry Culhane, is closing in on his 400th career win as he enters the season just eight victories shy of the accolade. 
•Culhane, who is in his 16th season with the Mustangs, has a 392-106 overall record. 

Mustang Returners
•SMSU returners include two-time second team All-NSIC honoree, Sarina Smith, who finished 262 kills last season and a team-high 78 blocks.
•Junior outside, Angela Young, is finished second on the team with 332. 
•Sophomore right side, Meg Schmidt, had 263 kills and second on the team with 66 blocks. 
•Junior setter, Emma Thomssen, dished out 1,410 assists which ranked ninth in Division II and also had 238 digs. 
•Junior defensive specialist, Erin Corrigan, leads the returners with 265 digs from a season ago. 

Era of Reiss
•SMSU's 2019 campaign will miss the presence of Taylor Reiss, an all-time great at SMSU. 
•Reiss' accolades achieved in her senior season include but not limited to DII Female Athlete of the Year, DII Honda Athlete of the Year, AVCA two-time National Player of the Year, CCA Player of the Year, AVCA Central Player of the Year, NSIC Player of the Year. 
•Reiss was the first athlete in conference history to earn POY three times. 
•Reiss earned first-team All-NSIC, NSIC Offensive Player of the Week four times, AVCA DII Player of the Week twice, became the first player in any division to earn the award five times in her career, CCA Central Player of the Year, and finished her career ranking in the top-10 career records in nine categories. 

AVCA Academic Award
•SMSU earned the AVCA Team Academic Award for the 2018 season. 
•The 2018 team finished with a GPA of 3.49 and was one of 141 NCAA Division II Programs to earn the award.
•SMSU had nine student-athletes earn Academic All-NSIC honors while SMSU graduated senior, Taylor Reiss, was named CoSIDA Google Cloud second-team Academic All-American. 

Michigan Tech: Match Preview
2018 Record: 23-7
Head Coach: Matt Jennings, eighth season
Mascot: Huskies

Series History
•Michigan Tech and SMSU will meet for the third time in history with SMSU holding a 2-0 advantage. 
•The first meeting was in 1997 and the last meeting occurred in 2016 with SMSU claiming a four-set victory. 

Michigan Tech Notes
•Head Coach, Matt Jennings, in his eighth season with the Huskies­ has a 111-110 overall record and a 69-52 record in the conference. 
•Michigan Tech was picked second in the North Division in the GLIAC Preseason Coaches' Poll. 
•Huskies are coming off back-to-back trips to the NCAA Tournament and three straight second-place finishes in their conference. 
•Huskies are led by All-Americans, junior outside hitter Olivia Ghormley and junior setter Laura De Marchi.

Lake Superior State (Mich.):  Match Preview 
2018 Record: 5-22
Head Coach: Dave Schmidlin, third season
Mascot: Lakers

Series History
•This will be the second meeting for LSSU and SMSU with SMSU winning the only match in 2002. 

Lake Superior State (Mich.) Notes
•Head Coach, Dave Schmidlin, is in his third season and has a 8-44 overall record. 
•LSSU was ranked No. 6 in the North Division of the 2019 GLIAC Volleyball Preseason Coaches' Poll. 
•The Lakers roster includes nine returners including two redshirt freshman. 
•LSSU also added 10 new student-athletes to the 2019 roster. 
•Key returners are senior outside hitter, Amanda Reid and sophomore setter Halle Grulke. 
•Grulke was second on the team in assists (345) as a true freshman.

Northern Michigan: Match Preview
2018 Record: 16-11
Head Coach: Mike Lozier, third season
Mascot: Wildcats

Series History
•NMU and SMSU will meet for the third time in program history with a locked series at 1-1. 
•NMU snagged the first victory in 1985 in the Minnesota Duluth Tournament while SMSU claimed a sweep on Sept. 2, 2011 against, then ranked, No. 25 NMU. 

Northern Michigan Notes
•Head coach, Mike Lozier, is in his third season and has a 37-19 overall record. 
•Wildcats are led by two-time All-GLIAC, senior Sarah Kuehn, who led the team in blocks and second on the team in kills. 
•Junior Leticia Antunes led the team in kills with 221 and Alli Yacko returns after a team-high 33 aces as a true freshman.
•NMU was slated to finish fourth in the GLIAC North Division. 

Wisconsin-Parkside: Match Preview 
2018 Record: 8-21
Head Coach: Leigh Barea, second season
Mascot: Rangers

Series History
•This will be the first meeting for both teams in program history.

Wisconsin-Parkside Notes
•Head coach, Leigh Barea, in her first season with the program led the Rangers to 8-21 overall and 5-11 in the conference. 
•The Rangers are led by two seniors, Ann Leo and Carlee Behnke. 
•The 2019 roster will also include six new faces to add to the eight other returners, in addition to the seniors. 
•The Rangers graduated the top-two leaders in kills but will follow junior Rachel Hedman who recorded a team-third best 297 kills a season ago. •Wisconsin-Parkside also returns a junior setter Emma Habisch who recorded 493 assists and appeared in all matches last season. 

Up Next
The Southwest Minnesota State volleyball team continues play on Friday, Sept. 6., versus Lake Superior State (Mich.) at 10 a.m. and a 4 p.m. match versus Northern Michigan. On Saturday Sept. 7, the Mustangs take on Wisconsin-Parkside at 10 a.m. SMSU then travels to the Colorado Premier Challenge on Sept. 13 and 14.