THIS WEEK

• The Southwest Minnesota State volleyball team (21-3, 12-2 NSIC) is back on the road tomorrow, Oct. 31, for a rematch against Wayne State (23-1, 14-0 NSIC) at 6 p.m.
• SMSU then travels to Duluth, Minn., for a rematch with UMD (15-7, 8-6 NSIC) on Thursday, Nov. 2, at 6 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. 

SERIES HISTORY

• Tomorrow will be the 64th meeting between the SMSU and WSC, with the overall series knotted at 31-31-1.
• Their first meeting came in 1978, and their most recent meeting was Sept. 23, which resulted in a five-set road victory for the Wildcats.
• SMSU has won seven of the last ten meetings, with Wayne winning the previous match held in Wayne, Neb., by a score of 3-2.
• SMSU is 7-12 all-time on the road against the Wildcats.
• SMSU and Minn. Duluth will meet for the 92nd time, with the Bulldogs leading the overall series 22-69.
• The Mustangs bested then-No. 8 Minn. Duluth in four sets on Oct. 7, winning by scores of 15-25, 25-18, 25-22, 25-17.
• The Mustangs have defeated UMD in three of the last five matches, suffering their last loss to the Bulldogs on Sept. 30, 2022.
• SMSU is 6-29 all-time against the Bulldogs in Duluth.

MORE ABOUT WAYNE STATE

• Wayne State ranks No. 1 nationally and leads the NSIC with a .320 hitting percentage. The Wildcats also rank 13th in NCAA Division II and second in the league in blocks per set at 2.41. WSC also ranks sixth in the NSIC in digs per set (15.54), fourth in kills per set (13.98) and third in opponent hitting percentage (.164).
• Taya Beller, this week's NSIC Offensive Player of the Week, leads a balanced Wildcat attack. The junior middle/rightside hitter ranks third in the NSIC in blocks per set (1.10) and hitting percentage (.388) and is sixth in kills per set (3.60), and second in points per set (4.46).
• Junior middle hitter Maggie Brahmer follows with 3.60 kills per set and ranks first in the league in hitting percentage (.420) and is fifth in blocks per set at 1.04.
• Outside hitter Kelsie Cada averages 3.36 kills per set (11th-NSIC) and is seventh in points per set at 3.99. She also averages 3.16 digs per set and leads the Wildcats in service aces with 13.
• Rachel Walker has six double-doubles this season and accounts for 10.45 assists and 2.81 digs per set. She ranks fifth in the league in assists per set.
• Senior libero Jordan McCormick accounts for 4.26 digs per set, ranking 10th in the league. 

MORE ABOUT MINNESOTA DULUTH

• The Bulldogs enter this week with an overall 15-7 record and 8-6 conference record, following a four-set victory over Winona State last week.
• Senior setter Madison Gordon currently sits ranked No. 21 nationally and sixth in the conference for assists per set this season with an average 10.60 per set.
• Senior defensive specialist Kaylyn Madison posted a season high 32 digs in UMD's loss to Augustana this season, 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 288 kills (3.69 kills per set) and 257 digs. Her offensive counterparts include Samantha Paulsen and Hope Schjenken, as Paulsen has notched 188 kills in her effort with 43 total blocks, while Schjenken adds 159 kills and 65 total blocks, good enough for first on the squad. 

VANHEEL EARNS NSIC DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK

• Southwest Minnesota State University junior middle blocker Emma VanHeel has been named the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Defensive Player of the Week following her performances in SMSU's undefeated three-match home stand in the sixth week of the regular season, including two big four-set wins over No. 6 St. Cloud State and No. 11 Minn. Duluth.
• VanHeel, a native of Otsego, Minn., dazzled over the week, recording 15 total blocks, including a season-high eight block performance against the No. 11-ranked Bulldogs. She would finish the match with nine kills and a service ace.
• She also led the way against No. 6 St. Cloud State on Friday, leading a ferocious offensive onslaught with 13 kills to go along with two blocks and three digs.
• She would end the weekend with 1.33 blocks per set while hitting .250 and recording eight digs. She is the first Mustang to win an NSIC weekly honor since Oct. 25, 2021, when Angela Young earned offensive honors.

MUSTANG MACHINES

• SMSU ranks second in the NSIC in opponent hitting percentage (.158). The Mustangs rank third in the NSIC in service aces per set (1.82), assists per set (13.00), team kills per set (14.01) and digs per set (17.04). SMSU leads the league in attacks per set (38.00), and ranks third in win-loss percentage (.864).
• Freshman outside hitter Leah Jones leads SMSU in hitting at 3.11 kills per set, with 236 total kills, followed by junior outside hitter Saari Kuehl with 203 kills, 2.78 per set. Junior Emma VanHeel adds 159 kills, while also leading the team in total blocks with 69.
• Middle blocker Karli Arkell comes second in Mustang blockers with 67 total blocks, and is eleventh in the NSIC with .92 blocks per set, while adding 164 kills.
• Senior setter Alisa Bengen ranks fourth in the league with 10.64 assists per set while sophomore libero McKenzie Tolk ranks fourth in digs per set (4.75) with 361 total digs.

LAST TIME OUT

• The Southwest Minnesota State volleyball team wrapped up its weekend with another sweep, beating the MSU Moorhead Dragons at home by scores of 25-5, 25-19, and 25-15. SMSU hit an astounding .342 in the match in comparison to just .068 posted by MSUM.
• Leah Jones led the way in her career-best performance. Jones tallied a career-high 18 kills in the match with only one attacking error on 29 attempts (.586). Jones added nine digs on the back line and dished out one assist in addition. Brooklyn Kusler was back in her groove tonight, grabbing 13 kills on 41 percent hitting, while adding two assists, one service ace, and two digs in today's match. Emma VanHeel and Saari Kuehl rounded out Mustangs attacking crew, notching eight kills apiece on .429 and .261 hitting, respectively.
• Alisa Bengen did what she does best today, dishing 38 assists and two kills on offense, while snagging a team-high two service aces and 13 digs on the back line.
• McKenzie Tolk anchored the Mustangs back line, snagging a team-high 15 digs. Tolk dished out seven assists on offense in addition. Natalee Rolbiecki bumped seven digs on defense.
• Karli Arkell set the tone at the net on defense, posting a match-high three solo blocks. Emma VanHeel tallied a team-high two block assists, followed by Kuehl and Kusler with one block assist apiece.

SMSU IN THE NATIONAL RANKS 

• The Mustangs currently hold numerous team and individual placements amongst the NCAA statistical leaderboards.
• SMSU currently ranks twelfth in the nation in kills per set with 14.13 and win-loss percentage with .875
• Additionally, the Mustangs rank in the Top 25 in other statistical categories.
• SMSU is No. 10 in assists per set with 13.17 and No. 21 in attacks per set with 37.95.
• Alisa Bengen currently ranks No. 17 in the nation in assists per set, with 10.76, while coming in at No. 30 in total assists with 882.
• McKenzie Tolk ranks No. 46 in digs per set with 4.78.

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 44-9 overall and 30-7 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 6th all-time in assists in program history with 3,277 and seventh in assists per set with 9.18.
• Bengen has started all 82 sets for the Mustangs this season, racking up 882 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 92 kills on 228 attempts for a .346 hitting percentage, while coming in second in digs for the squad, with 256. The senior setter has made her defensive presence known at the net, tallying 32 total blocks for the Mustangs front line. 

WAYNE STATE PREVIEW

• 2023 Record: 23-1, 14-0
• Head Coach: Scott Kneifl, 19th season
• Mascot: Wildcats

Wayne State Notes

• Wayne State ranks No. 1 nationally and leads the NSIC with a .320 hitting percentage. The Wildcats also rank 13th in NCAA Division II and second in the league in blocks per set at 2.41. WSC also ranks sixth in the NSIC in digs per set (15.54), fourth in kills per set (13.98) and third in opponent hitting percentage (.164).
• Taya Beller, this week's NSIC Offensive Player of the Week, leads a balanced Wildcat attack. The junior middle/rightside hitter ranks third in the NSIC in blocks per set (1.10) and hitting percentage (.388) and is sixth in kills per set (3.60), and second in points per set (4.46).

MINNESOTA DULUTH PREVIEW

• 2023 Record: 14-7, 8-6
• Head Coach: Jim Boos, 24th season
• Mascot: Bulldogs

Minnesota Duluth Notes

• The Bulldogs enter this week with an overall 15-7 record and 8-6 conference record, following a four-set victory over Winona State last week.
• Senior setter Madison Gordon currently sits ranked No. 21 nationally and sixth in the conference for assists per set this season with an average 10.60 per set.

ON THE HORIZON

• SMSU returns home on Friday, Nov. 10, for a rematch against Winona State with first serve at 7 p.m.
• The Mustangs then welcome Concordia-St. Paul in their final match of the regular season on Nov. 11, with match start time set for 3 p.m.