THIS WEEK
- The No. 9 Southwest Minnesota State University volleyball team (9-1, 2-0 NSIC) hosts top-ranked Wayne State (8-1, 1-0 NSIC) on Saturday, Sept. 23, at 4 p.m., for an anticipated NSIC battle.
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 WSC will be broadcasted over the radio on 105.1 FM KARL
SERIES HISTORY
- This Saturday will be the 63rd meeting between the Mustangs and Wildcats.
- SMSU holds the series advantage 31-30-1, with the first match between the two being on Sept. 8, 1980.
- The Mustangs bested the then-No. 1 ranked Wildcats a season ago, handing the Wildcats their first loss of the year after opening with a 24-game win streak as the Mustangs won a five set marathon over WSC on October 22, 2022 by scores of 27-25, 20-25, 18-25, 25-18, 15-13.
- The Mustangs have defeated the Wildcats in eight of the last 10 matches, dating back to the 2016 season.
- The last time Wayne defeated SMSU was on Nov. 5, 2019, sweeping the Mustangs by scores of 25-18, 25-21, and 25-20 in Marshall, Minn.
- The Mustangs use their home court well to their advantage against WSC, holding a 16-7 record at home against the Wildcats, while being 7-12 when playing in Wayne, Neb.
- The longest winning streak SMSU has had against WSC is six matches, with the longest losing streak being three matches.
MORE ABOUT WAYNE
- Following Friday's sweep of then No. 1 Concordia-St. Paul in Rice Auditorium (25-19, 28-26, 25-21), the Wildcats are the newest No. 1 team in the nation in Monday's AVCA/TARAFLEX Division II Top 25 Coaches Poll. The 8-1 Wildcats (1-0 NSIC) received 26 first-place votes and 1,144 points in voting.
- It marks the eighth time in program history that the Wildcats have been ranked No. 1 in the country. Last season WSC was ranked the top team in the nation for five straight weeks from mid-September through mid-October and the Wildcats were the No. 1 team in the nation twice during the 2010 season.
- Wayne State ranks third nationally and leads the NSIC with a .295 hitting percentage. The Wildcats also rank sixth in NCAA Division II and second in the league in blocks per set at 2.58. WSC also ranks fourth in the NSIC in digs per set (15.77), fifth in kills per set (13.55) and ninth in opponent hitting percentage (.195).
- Taya Beller, this week's NSIC Offensive Player of the Week, leads a balanced Wildcat attack. The 6-2 junior middle/rightside hitter leads the NSIC in blocks per set (1.29) and hitting percentage (.391) and is second in kills per set (4.00) and points per set (5.10).
- Junior middle hitter Maggie Brahmer follows with 3.13 kills per set and ranks fifth in the league in hitting percentage (.370) and tied for seventh in blocks per set at 1.00.
- Outside hitter Kelsie Cada also averages 3.13 kills per set (12th-NSIC) and is 10th in points per set at 3.73. 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.
LAST TIME OUT
- SMSU went 2-0 in its first two conference matches last week, sweeping both opponents.Â
- SMSU beat Minnesota State handedly last Thursday, winning by scores of 25-17, 25-14, and 25-17. Minnesota State dropped to a record of 5-4 as a result, while SMSU improved to 8-1.
- Leading the Mustang offense was Karli Arkell, with 11 kills on an impressive .421 hitting percentage. Saari Kuehl hit 12 kills on a .345 hitting percentage. Emma VanHeel was the most efficient hitter on the floor for SMSU, hitting a .600 percentage with nine kills on just 15 attempts.Â
- The Mustangs out-hit MSU in the match by nearly 18 percent. Kills for MSU totaled to just 25, while SMSU totaled an impressive 48, nearly doubling the Mavericks effort.
- SMSU has now beaten MSU in 10 of the last 11 match-ups dating back to 2015, and now lead the overall series 32-29
- The University of Sioux Falls also fell victim to a Mustang sweep, with SMSU winning by scores of 25-18, 25-23, and 25-20. Saari Kuehl led the way offensively, posting 12 kills on a .346 hitting percentage in the win.
- The Mustangs improved to 9-1 (2-0 NSIC) as a result, while USF dropped to 4-6 (0-2 NSIC).
- Floating around the court on defense was McKenzie Tolk. Tolk captured 20 digs and set three assists with two service aces in the match. Her defensive counterparts were Alisa Bengen and Natalee Rolbiecki, notching 12 and five digs, respectively.
- Following the AVCA poll released on Sept. 18, the Mustangs jumped to the No. 9 spot, and have now been ranked in the Top 25 for 218 of the last 219 rankings, dating back to Sept. 5, 2006.
MUSTANG NOTABLES
- The Mustangs lead the NSIC in service aces per set (2.23) and rank second in opponent hitting percentage (.123), kills per set (14.90), assists per set (13.87) and digs per set (17.87). SMSU is fourth in the league in hitting percentage (.256).
- Freshman outside hitter Leah Jones leads SMSU in hitting at 3.16 kills per set followed by junior outside hitter Saari Kuehl with 2.97. Junior Brooklyn Kusler adds 2.94 kills per set.
- Sophomore middle blocker Karli Arkell ranks sixth in the NSIC with 1.03 blocks per set, while adding 2.35 kills.
- Senior setter Alisa Bengen ranks third in the NSIC with 11.26 assists per set while sophomore libero McKenzie Tolk ranks third in digs per set (5.19) and is seventh in service aces at 14 this season.
SMSU IN THE NATIONAL RANKSÂ Â
- The Mustangs currently hold numerous team and individual placements among the NCAA statistical leaderboards.
- SMSU currently ranks second in the nation in kills per set with 14.90, and third in assists per set with 13.87
- Additionally, the Mustangs rank in the top 25 in other statistical categories.
- With 38.87 attacks per set, SMSU sits at No. 16
- SMSU is No. 23 in hitting percentage and No. 13 in win/loss percentage, sitting at .256 and .900, respectively.
- Alisa Bengen currently ranks eighth in assists per set, with 11.26, while coming in at No. 46 in total assists with 349
HEAD COACH TYLER BODDYÂ Â
- 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 32-7 overall and 17-5 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 2,744 and aims to climb the rankings as the season progresses.
- Bengen has started all 31 sets for the Mustangs this season, racking up 349 assists her in effort, and set a season-high 51 assists for SMSU on Sept. 1, in the loss to Spring Hill.
- Additionally, Bengen has 34 kills on 84 attempts for .310 hitting percentage, while coming in second in digs for the squad, with an even 100. The senior setter has made her defensive presence known at the net, tallying 11 total blocks for the Mustangs front line.
SMSU AND THE NSIC IN THE POLLSÂ Â
- After sweeping all both NSIC opponents this past week, the Southwest Minnesota State University volleyball team (9-1, 2-0 NSIC) has jumped two spots to No. 9 in the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Division II Poll
- SMSU is one of five NSIC schools ranked in this week's Top 25 with Wayne State moving into the No. 1 spot. Concordia-St. Paul, which lost to Wayne State on Friday night, is No. 2, with St. Cloud State at No. 6, and Minnesota Duluth at No. 7.
WAYNE STATE PREVIEW
- 2023 Record: 8-1, 1-0
- Head Coach: Scott Kneifl, 19th season
- Mascot: Wildcats
- Overall NSIC Record: 252-92
Wayne State Notes
- Leading the Wildcats offensively is Taya Beller. The junior middle hitter has 124 kills on the year on 258 attempts, for an impressive .391 hitting percentage, good enough for seventh in the NSIC and 101st nationally. Beller leads the NSIC in blocks per set, with a staggering 1.29Â
- Wayne State ranks third nationally and leads the NSIC with a .295 hitting percentage. The 'Cats also rank sixth in NCAA Division II and second in the league in blocks per set at 2.58. WSC also ranks fourth in the NSIC in digs per set (15.77), fifth in kills per set (13.55) and ninth in opponent hitting percentage (.195).
ON THE HORIZON
- The Mustangs will travel to Minot, N.D. on Friday, Sept. 29, to face off with Minot State (1-9, 0-2 NSIC) for more conference action at 6 p.m.
- Â Following its trip to Minot, SMSU volleyball will travel to Bismarck, N.D., where it will play UMary (4-6, 0-2 NSIC) at 2 p.m., on Sept. 30
