THIS WEEK

• The No. 11 Southwest Minnesota State University volleyball team hosts Minnesota State on Thursday, Sept. 14, at 6 p.m., in its first NSIC match up of the season.
• SMSU will also travel to Sioux Falls on Saturday, Sept. 16, to play the Cougars in the Stewart Center at 2 p.m.

 
   MATCH COVERAGE

• Live stats and video for both 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 MSU will be broadcasted over the radio on 107.5 FM The Fan and online at MarshallRadio.net.
• The match against USF will be broadcasted on 101.7 FM / 1400 KMHL and online at MarshallRadio.net.

   SERIES HISTORY

• This Thursday will be the 62nd meeting between the Mustangs and Mavericks.
• The Mustangs swept the Mavericks a season ago, bringing the record against Minnesota State to 30-31.
• The Mustangs currently hold a three win-streak against Minnesota State, winning by match scores of 3-0, 3-2, 3-0
• The last time Minnesota State defeated SMSU was in the 2019 season by a score of 3-0.
• SMSU and Sioux Falls will square-off for the 22nd time in Sioux Falls, S.D., with the Mustangs holding the advantage 17-4.
• The Cougars went the distance with SMSU last season, beating the Mustangs in the fifth set by scores of 12-25, 25-22, 21-25, 25-23, 15-12.
• SMSU has won seven of the last 10 match ups with USF, only giving up one match loss prior to the 2018 season.

 
   LAST TIME OUT

• SMSU went 4-0 at the PSU Classic last weekend, sweeping all four opponents in its trip to Kansas.
• SMSU beat Arkansas-Fort Smith handedly Friday morning, winning by scores of 25-23, 25-13, and 25-17. The Mustangs tallied 45 kills in the match on a .218 hitting percentage.
• SMSU took on Northwestern Oklahoma on Friday afternoon, defeating NWOSU 3-0 in the match with scores of 25-10, 25-22, and 25-18, while the Mustang offense recorded 11 aces and 42 kills.
• SMSU began the second day of the classic with a commanding sweep over Drury (Mo.) by scores of 25-17, 25-20, and 25-16, posting 39 kills and capturing all eight service aces in the match.
• Tournament host Pittsburg State (Kan.) also fell victim to a Mustang sweep, with SMSU winning by scores of 25-21, 25-14, and 25-20. Saari Kuehl led the way offensively, posting a season-high 13 kills in the win.
• The Mustangs have started the season 7-1, and enter week three with six straight wins under their belt.
• Following the 2023 week two poll, the Mustangs remain at No. 11, and have now been ranked in the Top 25 for 217 of the last 218 rankings, dating back to Sept. 5, 2006.

 
   BENGEN NAMED MVP; JONES, KUEHL, TOLK ON ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM

• An incredible FOUR SMSU Mustangs were named to the PSU Classic All-Tournament Team.
• Alisa Bengen was named tournament MVP of the Pittsburg State Classic following a career weekend. The senior setter recorded 126 assists, 13 kills on an impressive .344 hitting percentage, and assisted the Mustang defense with 43 digs over the weekend.
• Freshman Leah Jones led the Mustangs with 39 kills in four matches, including 25 digs and five service aces during the tournament.
• Outside Hitter Saari Kuehl was second in kills for the Mustangs, knocking 37 of her own, while also recording nine digs and three assists.
• Additionally, Kuehl hit a whopping .330 percentage in the classic, tallying only 8 errors on 95 total attacks, while collecting a season-high 13 kills in the sweep over Pittsburg State.
• McKenzie Tolk successfully anchored the SMSU defense throughout the tournament, scoring 62 digs and setting 12 assists, while nabbing nine service aces.
• Brooklyn Kusler had a great weekend as well, posting 29 kills on 95 attempts, adding five aces of her own with 10 digs.
• Rounding out the impressive performances is sophomore Karli Arkell.
• Arkell stood out defensively for the Mustangs, nearly recording three blocks in every match this weekend, totaling 10 over the weekend, with 24 kills on a hitting percentage of .168

 
   SMSU IN THE NATIONAL RANKS 

• The Mustangs currently hold numerous team and individual placements amongst the NCAA statistical leaderboards.
• SMSU currently ranks T2 in the nation in kills per set with 14.96, and second in assists per set with 14.00
• Additionally, the Mustangs rank in the top 25 in other statistical categories.
• With 38.56 attacks per set, SMSU sits at No. 18
• SMSU holds the 17 position in hitting percentage and win/loss percentage, sitting at .261 and .875, respectively.
• Alisa Bengen currently ranks sixth in assists per set, with 11.28, while coming in at No. 33 in total assists with 282

 
   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 30-7 overall and 15-5 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 2,677 and aims to climb the rankings as the season progresses.
• Bengen earned All-NSIC second team honors in 2022, as well as Academic All-NSIC and Academic All-District honors.
• Additionally, Bengen appeared in 108 sets in 29 matches with 28 starts, finishing with a team-best 1,154 assists. Furthermore, Bengen averaged 10.69 assists per set, recorded 121 kills, collected 212 digs, had a career-high 62 assists against Missouri Western (9/2), and recorded a season-high 17 digs against Sioux Falls (10/25).

 
   SMSU SELECTED FIFTH IN NSIC PRESEASON POLL

• SMSU was picked to finish fifth in the annual 15-team Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll.
• Concordia-St. Paul was selected as the preseason favorites to win the conference earning 190 points and eight first place votes (coaches can't vote for their own school). The defending NSIC regular season champion, Wayne State, earned 189 points and the remaining seven first place votes to finish in second place. In third place was Minnesota Duluth with 165 points, while the defending tournament champion, St. Cloud State had 154 points. SMSU rounded out the top five earning 142 points.

 
   SMSU AND THE NSIC IN THE POLLS 

• After sweeping all four opponents this past weekend at the Pittsburg State Classic, the Southwest Minnesota State University volleyball team (7-1) rests at No. 11 in the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Division II Poll
• SMSU is one of five NSIC schools ranked in the AVCA Top 25 with Concordia-St. Paul sitting at best-in-the-nation in the No. 1 spot, with Wayne State and St. Cloud State sitting at No. 3 and No. 6, respectively. Minnesota Duluth is positioned at No. 7-T, butting heads with Nebraska-Kearney and making them the fourth NSIC team in the top-10, while the Mustangs round out the rankings at No. 11. Winona State has 16 votes in the polls, but remains unranked. 

   MINNESOTA STATE PREVIEW

• 2023 Record: 5-3, 0-0
• Head Coach: Corey Phelps, 3rd season
• Mascot: Mavericks
• NSIC Preseason Rank: 10

Minnesota State Notes
The Mavericks went 3-1 last weekend at the Tiger Classic in Hays, Kan.
Junior Elizabeth Dille was named MSU's Player to Watch for the upcoming season. Last season, Dille appeared in 56 sets, while recording 98 kills and 90 digs.
 
   SIOUX FALLS PREVIEW

• 2023 Record: 4-4, 0-0
• Head Coach: Dan Mathews, 3rd season
• Mascot: Cougars
• NSIC Preseason Rank: 6

Sioux Falls Notes
The Cougars went 3-1 last weekend at the DoubleTree by Hilton Maverick Fall Classic in Grand Junction, Colo.
Jordan Kuper was picked as the USF Volleyball Player to Watch for this season. Jordan was named to the NSIC All-Conference 2nd Team, named to the NSIC Fall All-Academic Team of Excellence, and named a D2 ADA Academic Achievement Award Recipient..
 
   2023 OUTLOOK

• SMSU returns nine letter winners from its 2022 team that finished with a 23-6 overall record. The 2023 team features two seniors, four juniors, four sophomores, three redshirt freshmen and three true freshmen.
• SMSU senior setter, Alisa Bengen, was named an NSIC 'Player to Watch'. Bengen earned All-NSIC second team in 2022 after a season where she finished with 1,154 assists, averaging 10.69 assists per set, including a career-high 62 assists in the match against Missouri Western.
• Junior middle blocker Emma VanHeel looks to build off a strong sophomore season that saw her named to the All-NSIC second team. VanHeel finished second on the team in points (331), second in blocks (96) and third in kills (252).
• Junior outside hitters, Saari Kuehl and Halle Jansen, return after ranking second and fourth on the team in kills, tallying 293 and 197 respectively.
• Returning sophomores Natalee Rolbiecki, McKenzie Tolk and Karli Arkell will look to continue their strong defensive play from their freshmen campaign, as Rolbiecki and Tolk were top two on the team in digs and Arkell led the Mustangs in blocks.

 
   ON THE HORIZON

• SMSU will host Wayne State for an NSIC powerhouse match up on Saturday, Sept. 23, at 4 p.m.
• The Mustangs will travel to Minot, N.D. on Friday, Sept. 29, to face off with Minot State for more conference action at 6 p.m.
•  Following its trip to Minot, SMSU will travel to Bismarck, N.D., where it will play UMary at 2 p.m., on Sept. 30