THIS WEEK

Southwest Minnesota State will take the court for the first time in 657 days when it travels to Golden, Colo. for the Colorado School of Mines Classic on Friday and Saturday, Sept. 3-4

The Mustangs face No.10 Colorado Mesa at 12:30 p.m. CDT on Friday, and will also face Grand Valley State on Friday at 5 p.m. CDT.

SMSU closes the classic with Colorado Christian at 12:30 p.m. CDT and No. 12 Colorado School of Mines at 5:30 p.m. CDT on Saturday.

    ABOUT SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA STATE   

Friday will be the first time the Mustangs take the floor in regular season action in 657 days, with their final game ending in a sweep over Minot State at home to end the 2019 regular season.

The Mustangs return after missing their first NSIC Tournament for the first time in program history.

SMSU returns 2019 All-NSIC first team Angela Young and second team All-NSIC Meg Schmidt, as well as three-time Academic All-NSIC Payton Hjerleid.

SMSU was voted seventh in the NSIC Preseason Coaches' Poll

Meg Schmidt was named NSIC Player to Watch. Schmidt was second on the team with 328 kills, while also finishing second on the team with 62 blocks.

    SERIES HISTORY

Colorado Mesa and SMSU will meet for the eighth time in history with SMSU holding a 4-3 advantage.

The first meeting was in 1989 and the last meeting occurred in 2015 with SMSU claiming a five-set victory.

Grand Valley State and SMSU will meet for the seventh in history with the series split 3-3

The first meeting was in 1999 and the last meeting occurred in 2014 with SMSU claiming victory in a sweep

Colorado Christian and SMSU will meet for the third time in history with the series even at one win a piece.

The first meeting was in 1995 and the last meeting occurred in 2018 with SMSU claiming a five-set victory.

Colorado School of Mines and SMSU will meet for the fifth time, with the Mustangs holding a 4-0 advantage.

The first meeting was in 2010 and the last meeting occurred in 2016 with SMSU claiming victory in a sweep

    FRESH FACES

The 2021 fall will see the arrival of six true freshman who join Terry Culhane's 18th installment of the 

Mustangs women's volleyball program.

Saari Kuehl, Outside Hitter from Reinbeck, Iowa

Emma VanHeel, Middle Blocker from Otsego, Minn.

Natalie Welch, Outside/Right Side Hitter from Mount Vernon, Iowa

Gabby Fredrickson, Right Side Hitter from Detroit Lakes, Minn.

Brooklyn Kusler, Outside Hitter from Aberdeen, S.D.

Kaitlyn Bingham, an Outside Hitter/Defensive Specialist from Oconomowoc, Wis.

    2021 OUTLOOK

The Mustangs look to reach the NSIC Tournament for the first time since 2018 after being narrowly edged out by strength of schedule points index in 2019.

Senior outside hitter Angela Young, who earned All-NSIC first team honors in 2019, returns this season after leading the team with 420 kills in 2019. Young also garnered CoSIDA Academic All-District honors.

Junior right-side hitter Meg Schmidt is back after amassing 328 kills and 62 blocks en route to All-NSIC second team honors.

Junior setter Alisa Bengen also returns after ranking second on the squad two seasons ago with 538 assists. 

Senior Payton Hjerleid will help anchor the defense after recording a team-high 426 digs in 2019, while junior outside hitter Rachel Fink amassed 256 digs and recorded 116 kills.

    THE TERRY CULHANE FILES

Terry Culhane, the all-time wins leader in program history, is in his 18th season as head coach and has an overall record of 410-116, including 245-59 in NSIC play.

The four-time NSIC Coach of the Year, Culhane has never led SMSU to a losing season, a resume that includes a 30-win season, and 11 other seasons with at least 25 wins.

SMSU has won NSIC Tournament titles in 2012 and 2017 and has won a pair of NSIC regular season championships in 2012 and 2016.  

SMSU has played in 15 NCAA Tournaments during Culhane's time with the Mustangs, including a NCAA National Championship appearance in 2014

SMSU's fourth head coach, Culhane spent 23 seasons (1979-2003) as a high school basketball and volleyball coach around the state of Minnesota, including his final four seasons coaching volleyball at Marshall High School, appearing in three state Tournaments.

Culhane ranks 16th among active DII coaches in win percentage, while ranking 26th in wins

Culhane's complete bio is found on page 11.

    COLORADO MESA PREVIEW

2021 Spring Record: 15-1

Head Coach: Dave Fleming, 16th season

Mascot: Mavericks

Colorado Mesa Notes

Head Coach, Dave Fleming, in his 16th season with the Mavericks has a 300-159 overall record and a 204-84 record in the conference.

Colorado Mesa opens up the season ranked tenth in the AVCA DII Coaches' Top 25 Preseason Poll    

The Mavericks were also picked to finish atop the RMAC, receiving seven of 15 first place votes. 

Colorado Mesa returns after finishing 15-1, winning every game before falling in their conference semifinal game in the spring of 2021  

Mavericks are lead by senior outside hitter Maddi Foutz, who was named as the RMAC Player of the Year in the spring, while setter Sabrina VanDeList was named as the RMAC Freshman of the Year. Both joined middle blocker Savannah Spitzer on the first team All-RMAC squad.

    GRAND VALLEY STATE PREVIEW

2021 Spring Record: 12-4

Head Coach: Jason Johnson, first season

Mascot: Lakers

Grand Valley State Notes

Head Coach, Jason Johnson, was selected as the third head coach in Laker history in July of 2021. He enters his 23rd season with the volleyball program, previously working as the teams full-time assistant, and later as an associate head coach.

The Lakers were voted to win the GLIAC South Division in their annual conference preseason coaches poll

The Lakers return to action after finishing second in the GLIAC during the spring of 2021.

GVSU are lead by GLIAC Blocker of the Year and First Team All-GLIAC honoree, Jaelianna Primus, as well as First Team All-GLIAC recipient, Ali Thompson.

    COLORADO CHRISTIAN PREVIEW

2021 Spring Record: 5-13

Head Coach: Bobby Blanken, fifth season

Mascot: Cougars

Colorado Christian Notes

Head Coach, Bobby Blanken, in his fifth season with the Cougars has a 46-55 overall record and a 36-41 record in the conference.

The Cougars were selected to finish sixth in the RMAC this season. 

Colorado Christian is lead by All-RMAC Second Teamer Maddie Burns, as well as All-RMAC honorable mention Jasa Scheiderman.

    COLORADO SCHOOL OF MINES PREVIEW

2021 Spring Record: 11-4

Head Coach: Jamie Magaelei, 15th season

Mascot: Orediggers

Colorado School of Mines Notes

Head Coach, Jamie Magaelei returns for her 15th season leading the Orediggers, holding an all-time record of 292-98, a .748 win percentage that ranks in the top-25 all-time for DII volleyball.

Colorado School of Mines opens up the season ranked 12th in the AVCA DII Coaches' Top 25 Preseason Poll  

The Orediggers were picked to finish third in the RMAC, collecting three first place votes in the process.

Mines finished the spring 2021 season fourth in the RMAC during the regular season, before defeating a pair of top-three DII teams by a total of six sets to one en route to a RMAC Tournament title.

The Orediggers return RMAC Setter of the Year for Drew Stokes, First-Team All-RMAC Stokes, Elle Duis and Taylor Hicken, Second-Team All-RMAC for Amanda Donais and Honorable Mention All-RMAC for Julia Eiken.

    SMSU PICKED 7TH IN NSIC PRESEASON POLL

SMSU was voted seventh in the NSIC Preseason Coaches' Poll

Meg Schmidt was named NSIC Players to Watch

Concordia-St. Paul was picked to top the conference, with Minnesota Duluth, St. Cloud State, Northern State, and a tie between Winona State and Wayne State rounding out the top five.

    REWINDING TO 2019 

SMSU returns five letter winners, including three starters, from a 2019 team that finished with an 18-10 overall record. 

The Mustangs were narrowly edged out of the NSIC Tournament, with Upper Iowa earning a better strength of schedule points index despite SMSU defeating them in their lone meeting. 

    ON THE HORIZON

The Mustangs compete in the Fort Hays State Classic in Hays, Kansas on Sept 10-11. They will face Black Hills State, Fort Hays State, Emporia State, and Adams State. 

SMSU will open its conference schedule at Bemidji State on Friday, Sept. 17, and will host Augustana on Tuesday, Sept. 21 to open their home slate.

    ALL OR NOTHING 

SMSU is 54-28 in five-set matches during the Culhane era, including a five-set victory over Northern State in Aberdeen, S.D., on Nov. 8, 2019

The Mustangs finished 3-2 in five-set matches in 2019

    SMSU IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT 

SMSU has made 16 NCAA Tournament appearances (2001, 2004-2018) in program history since moving to Division II in 1995-96. 

SMSU is 17-16 all-time in NCAA Tournament matches, appearing in three region championship matches, and was NCAA National runner-up in 2014

    SEASON OPENERS 

SMSU is 29-20 all-time in season openers following last season's 3-0 loss to Michigan Tech. 

SMSU has opened the season 14-2 since Culhane took the helm in 2004.

    SMSU ALL-TIME IN THE NSIC 

The 2021 campaign marks the 42nd season SMSU has competed in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference. 

SMSU has an all-time record of 420-190 in 610 conference matches, finishing in the top five of the final standings 15 of the last 16 season.

SMSU has two regular season championships (2012 and 2016) and two Tournament championships (2012 and 2017). 

    MUSTANG HISTORY 

Southwest Minnesota State is in its 51st season of volleyball and 50th season of competition in 2021.

SMSU has played 1,693 matches compiling an all-time record of 998-683-12. 

SMSU has won two NSIC regular season championships (2012 & 2016), two NSIC Tournament championships (2012, 2017), a NCAA region championship and NCAA DII National Championship appearance in 2014, and has appeared in 16 NCAA Tournaments (2001, 2004-18).

SMSU has recorded 32 winning seasons in program history with 17 straight.