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Volleyball

SMSU volleyball begins three-game home stand against Augustana on Tuesday

THIS WEEK
  • The Southwest Minnesota State volleyball team (11-2, 4-1 NSIC) begins a three-game home stretch this week, starting with Augustana (5-8, 2-3 NSIC) on Tuesday, Oct. 3, at 6 p.m.
  • SMSU welcomes No. 6 St. Cloud State (12-3, 5-1 NSIC) on Friday, Oct. 6, for the first game of SMSU Alumni Weekend at 6 p.m.
  • No. 11 Minnesota Duluth (10-4, 3-3 NSIC) comes to town on Saturday, Oct. 7, to round out the Mustangs' week with first serve at 2 p.m.
 
MATCH COVERAGE
  • Live stats and video for all matches will be available at SMSUmustangs.com
  • Stay up to date on the Mustangs throughout the weekend by downloading the official SMSU Athletics app on your smartphone.
  • SMSU versus AU will be broadcasted over the radio on 105.1 FM KARL
  • The match against Minnesota Duluth can be listened to on 101.3 FM / 1400 AM KMHL
SERIES HISTORY
  • Tomorrow will be the 70th meeting between the SMSU and Augustana.
  • Their first meeting came in 1972, and their most recent meeting came in October of 2022, which resulted in a four-set home victory for the Vikings.
  • The Vikings have won two of the last three meetings but have lost six of the last ten meetings in Marshall.
  • SMSU is 18-16 all-time at home against Augustana.
  • SMSU and St. Cloud State will meet for the 52nd time, with the Mustangs leading the series 27-24.
  • Last season, the then-No. 7-ranked Southwest Minnesota State volleyball team fell to then-No. 9-ranked St. Cloud State 25-20, 30-28, 25-19 in the quarterfinals of the NSIC Tournament.
  • This Friday will be a rematch from the quarterfinals of the 2022 NSIC Tournament, showcasing two juggernaut NCAA DII volleyball squads.
  • SMSU is 14-10 all-time against the Huskies in Marshall.
  • SMSU and Minnesota Duluth will meet for the 91st time, with the Bulldogs leading the series 69-21.
  • Their first meeting came in 1973, and their most recent meeting came in September of 2022, which resulted in a five-set road victory for the Bulldogs.
  • SMSU has won two of the last three matches, sweeping UMD in the 2021 season.
  • The Mustangs are 12-24 at home against the Bulldogs.
 
MORE ABOUT AUGUSTANA
  • Augustana earned a hard-fought win over the weekend, hitting the road and knocking off then-No. 10 Minnesota Duluth in a five-set thriller last Friday night. The win is the first ranked road win since Sept. 18, 2021, and the first top-10 road victory for the Vikings since Nov. 15, 2017.
  •  Kia Kriener leads the Vikings with 178 kills, while Reagan Jansen follows with 110 kills and 90 digs, both good for second on the team, and also leads the team with 19 aces. Erika Bute leads the team with 271 digs, including 5.42 digs per set.
  • Excelling on the Vikings front line are Callie Hohenhaus (96 kills, 38 blocks) and Maya Wente (93 kills, 46 blocks).
  • Lucy Bartee has put together an all-around contribution, adding 488 assists, 97 digs, 20 blocks, and 15 aces. Kiylah Franke and Ellie Walker have each produced on the back line, as Franke has tallied 91 digs and 17 aces, while Walker has collected 77 digs and 14 aces.
 
 MORE ABOUT ST. CLOUD STATE
  • St. Cloud State Volleyball relied on a balanced offensive attack to take down Augustana in straight sets at Halenbeck Hall last Saturday Afternoon, taking the match 25-23, 25-17 and 25-21.
  • Kenzie Foley leads the Huskies with 239 kills, while Hannah Bruskiewicz follows with 124 kills and also leads the team with 36 total blocks. Keely Kurschner leads the team with 217 digs, including 4.52 digs per set.
  • Excelling on the Huskies' front line are Bruskiewicz (124 kills, 36 blocks) and Sam Zimmerman (121 kills, 33 blocks).
  • Emma Barren has put together a well-rounded contribution, adding 570 assists, 101 digs, 25 blocks, and 22 aces. Shelby Kimm and Foley have done their part on the back line, as Kimm has tallied 90 digs and 9 aces, while Foley has collected 156 digs and 15 aces.
 
MORE ABOUT MINNESOTA DULUTH
  • The Bulldogs enter this week with an overall 10-4 record and 3-3 conference record, following a tough pair of losses to Augustana University and #1 Wayne State.
  • Senior setter Madison Gordon currently sits ranked #7 nationally and #3 in conference for assists per set this season with an average 11.35 per set.
  • Senior defensive specialist Kaylyn Madison posted a season high 32 digs in UMD's loss to Augustana on Friday, and enters the week aiming for a third NSIC Defensive Player of the Week award.
  • Minnesota Duluth is led offensively by Cianna Selbitschka, who currently has recorded 178 kills (3.63 kills per set) and 160 digs. Her offensive counterparts include Samantha Paulsen and Hope Schjenken, as Paulsen has notched 129 kills in her effort with 28 total blocks, while Schjenken adds 111 kills and 41 total blocks, good enough for first on the squad.

MUSTANG MACHINES
  • The Mustangs come in first in the NSIC in service aces per set (2.14), and rank second in opponent hitting percentage (.134), and digs per set (17.12). SMSU ranks third in kills per set (14.43), assists per set (13.40), and win-loss percentage (.846).
  • Freshman outside hitter Leah Jones leads SMSU in hitting at 2.93 kills per set, with 123 total kills, followed by junior outside hitter Saari Kuehl with 121 kills, 2.88 per set. Junior Brooklyn Kusler adds 98 kills, at 2.72 kills per set.
  • Middle blocker Karli Arkell leads the Mustangs blockers with 39 total blocks, and is ninth in the NSIC with .93 blocks per set, while adding 102 kills.
  • Senior setter Alisa Bengen ranks fourth in the league with 11.02 assists per set while sophomore libero McKenzie Tolk ranks fifth in digs per set (4.90) and is tenth in service aces with 20 this season.
LAST TIME OUT
  • The No. 8 Southwest Minnesota State volleyball team rounded out its trip to North Dakota last week with a sweep over the University of Mary by scores of 25-14, 25-23, and 25-21. As a result, SMSU improved to 4-1 in the NSIC and 11-2 overall, while UMary dropped to 4-10 overall and 0-6 in the conference.
  • The Mustangs dominated the match in every facet, giving the Marauders little-to-no chance to keep up. SMSU nearly doubled the Marauders total in kills, posting 44 to just 28 by UMary.
  • SMSU, which hit .222 in the match, used a balanced attack between three players reaching over nine kills. Saari Kuehl racked up a match-high 12 kills, swinging a season-high .476, while Ashley Peltier added nine kills on a .200 hitting percentage, and Leah Jones recorded nine kills while hitting .222. Karli Arkell notched eight kills on nearly 36 percent hitting.
  • Alisa Bengen dished out 36 assists, collected three kills and no errors while hitting .333, and picked up five digs.
  • Natalee Rolbiecki and McKenzie Tolk combined for 24 digs to lead the back line, with Leah Jones adding 11 of her own digs. Kuehl and Emma VanHeel both had three blocks up front, with Arkell supporting the front line with two of her own blocks.
  • Following the AVCA poll released on Oct. 2, the Mustangs are locked at the No. 8 spot, and have now been ranked in the Top 25 for 220 of the last 221 rankings, dating back to Sept. 5, 2006.
 
SMSU IN THE NATIONAL RANKS 
  • The Mustangs currently hold numerous team and individual placements amongst the NCAA statistical leaderboards.
  • SMSU currently ranks eighth in the nation in kills per set with 14.43, and seventh in assists per set with 13.40
  • Additionally, the Mustangs rank in the Top 25 in other statistical categories.
  • With 2.17 aces per set, SMSU sits at No. 22
  • SMSU is No. 18 in hitting percentage and No. 17 in win/loss percentage, sitting at .252 and .846, respectively.
  • Alisa Bengen currently ranks ninth in the nation in assists per set, with 11.02, while coming in at No. 67 in total assists with 463.
  • McKenzie Tolk ranks 38th in digs per set with 4.90.
 HEAD COACH TYLER BODDY 
  • Tyler Boddy is in his second season as head coach after being named to the position on Dec. 17, 2021, with a career record of 32-8 overall and 17-6 in the NSIC.
  • Boddy joined the SMSU coaching staff in 2012 and since that time the program has appeared in seven NCAA tournaments, including finishing as NCAA national runners-up in 2014. SMSU has a combined record of 274-77 during his tenure which includes two Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference regular season titles and two NSIC tournament championships.
  • For his efforts during his coaching career, Boddy was named a recipient of the Thirty Under 30 Award from the American Volleyball Coaches Association in April of 2019. He was promoted to associate head coach in the summer of 2021.
  • Boddy, a native of New Ulm, Minn., came to SMSU after spending two seasons (2010-11) as an assistant coach at Wisconsin-Oshkosh and one season (2009) at Ripon College. Boddy has also had a successful coaching career in club volleyball with his Southwest Minnesota Volleyball Club teams winning national championships in 2014 and 2018.
  • Boddy, a 2012 graduate of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, lives in Marshall with his wife, Alex, sons, Bronx and Wilke, and daughter, Rowan.
HISTORY BOOKS
  • Following a career-high 1,154 assist season in 2022, SMSU senior setter, Alisa Bengen currently ranks 8th all-time in assists in program history with 2,858 and aims to climb the rankings as the season progresses.
  • Bengen has started all 42 sets for the Mustangs this season, racking up 463 assists her in effort, and set a season-high 52 assists for SMSU on Sept. 23, in the loss to No. 1 Wayne State.
  • Additionally, Bengen has 45 kills on 109 attempts for a .358 hitting percentage, while coming in second in digs for the squad, with 127. The senior setter has made her defensive presence known at the net, tallying 12 total blocks for the Mustangs front line.
 
SMSU AND THE NSIC IN THE POLLS 
  • The Southwest Minnesota State University volleyball team, after beating two conference opponents this past weekend, has remained at No. 8 in the fifth regular season American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA)/ TARAFLEX Top 25 Division II poll.
  • SMSU is one of five NSIC schools ranked in this week's Top 25 with Wayne State remaining at the No. 1 spot, followed by Concordia-St. Paul at No. 2, St. Cloud State at No. 6, and Minnesota Duluth, which was No. 10 last week, has dropped to No. 11
 
AUGUSTANA PREVIEW
  • 2023 Record: 5-8, 2-3
  • Head Coach: Jennifer Jacobs, 7th season
  • Mascot: Vikings
  • Overall NSIC Record: 165-120
Augustana Notes
  • Augustana earned a hard-fought win over the weekend, hitting the road and knocking off then-No. 10 Minnesota Duluth in a five-set thriller last Friday night. The win is the first ranked road win since Sept. 18, 2021, and the first top-10 road victory for the Vikings since Nov. 15, 2017.
  •  Kia Kriener leads the Vikings with 178 kills, while Reagan Jansen follows with 110 kills and 90 digs, both good for second on the team, and also leads the team with 19 aces. Erika Bute leads the team with 271 digs, including 5.42 digs per set.
 
ST. CLOUD STATE PREVIEW
  • 2023 Record: 12-3, 5-1
  • Head Coach: Chad Braegelmann, 9th season
  • Mascot: Huskies
  • Overall NSIC Record: 141-178
St. Cloud State Notes
  • St. Cloud State Volleyball relied on a balanced offensive attack to take down Augustana in straight sets at Halenbeck Hall last Saturday Afternoon, taking the match 25-23, 25-17 and 25-21.
  • Kenzie Foley leads the Huskies with 239 kills, while Hannah Bruskiewicz follows with 124 kills and also leads the team with 36 total blocks. Keely Kurschner leads the team with 217 digs, including 4.52 digs per set.
 
MINNESOTA DULUTH PREVIEW
  • 2023 Record: 10-4, 3-3
  • Head Coach: Jim Boos, 20th season
  • Mascot: Bulldogs
  • Overall NSIC Record: 510-80
Minnesota Duluth Notes
  • The Bulldogs enter this week with an overall 10-4 record and 3-3 conference record, following a tough pair of losses to Augustana University and #1 Wayne State.
  • Senior setter Madison Gordon currently sits ranked #7 nationally and #3 in conference for assists per set this season with an average 11.35 per set.
 
ON THE HORIZON
  • Following its three game home stand, the Southwest Minnesota State volleyball team will travel to St. Paul, Minn. where it will square off with Concordia-St. Paul on Thursday, Oct. 12, with first serve set for 6 p.m.
  • SMSU will then head to Winona State for a battle with the Warriors on Saturday, Oct. 14, at 2 p.m.
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Players Mentioned

Karli Arkell

#21 Karli Arkell

MB/RS
6' 3"
Sophomore
Saari Kuehl

#5 Saari Kuehl

OH
6' 0"
Junior
Brooklyn Kusler

#12 Brooklyn Kusler

OH
6' 0"
Junior
Ashley Peltier

#23 Ashley Peltier

MB/RS
5' 11"
Redshirt Freshman
McKenzie Tolk

#11 McKenzie Tolk

L/DS
5' 5"
Sophomore
Emma VanHeel

#8 Emma VanHeel

MB
6' 0"
Junior
Alisa Bengen

#6 Alisa Bengen

S
5' 9"
Senior
Leah Jones

#10 Leah Jones

OH
6' 2"
Freshman

Players Mentioned

Karli Arkell

#21 Karli Arkell

6' 3"
Sophomore
MB/RS
Saari Kuehl

#5 Saari Kuehl

6' 0"
Junior
OH
Brooklyn Kusler

#12 Brooklyn Kusler

6' 0"
Junior
OH
Ashley Peltier

#23 Ashley Peltier

5' 11"
Redshirt Freshman
MB/RS
McKenzie Tolk

#11 McKenzie Tolk

5' 5"
Sophomore
L/DS
Emma VanHeel

#8 Emma VanHeel

6' 0"
Junior
MB
Alisa Bengen

#6 Alisa Bengen

5' 9"
Senior
S
Leah Jones

#10 Leah Jones

6' 2"
Freshman
OH