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VanHeelKillUSF
Josh Jurgens

Volleyball

No. 8 Mustangs continue league play with pair of matches in North Dakota

    THIS WEEK
  • Following a heartbreaking five set loss to top-ranked Wayne State last Saturday, the No. 8 Southwest Minnesota State University volleyball team (9-2, 2-1 NSIC) prepares for its trip to North Dakota for more NSIC action.
  • SMSU will play Minot State (2-10, 1-3 NSIC) in the Minot State Dome at 6 p.m., on Friday, Sept. 29
  • The Mustangs then travel to Bismarck, N.D., where they will face the UMary Marauders (4-8, 0-4 NSIC) on Saturday Sept. 30, at 2 p.m., in the McDowell Activity Center.
    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.
    SERIES HISTORY
  • This Friday will be the 14th meeting between SMSU and Minot State.
  • SMSU has won every match played between the teams, posting a flawless 13-0 in the overall series against the Beavers.
  • The Mustangs first match with the Beavers was on Oct. 20, 2012, which displayed a 3-0 sweep in favor of SMSU. The most recent match, played on Oct. 7, 2022, went the distance, with the Mustangs sneaking past the Beavers by a score of 3-2.
  • This Saturday will be the 25th meeting between SMSU and UMary.
  • Similarly to Minot State, the Mustangs have never lost to UMary. SMSU holds a flawless 24-0 record against the Marauders.
  • History between the programs dates back to Sept. 9, 2006, when SMSU swept UMary at home. The most recent match was Oct. 8, 2022, which showcased a dominant Mustangs sweep in Bismarck, N.D. 
    MORE ABOUT MINOT STATE
  • Leading Minot State in hitting this season is Maggie Machado with 80 kills total on 13 percent hitting, while averaging 2.58 kills per set. Bailee Brommenschenkel adds 72 kills to the Beavers offense on 21 percent hitting. Rounding out the attackers for Minot State is Taylor Wyatt, hitting 25 percent on the year with 68 kills.
  • Jaina Macaulay leads the Beavers in assists this season, recording 191, with 4.90 assists per set. Milena Cernjanski adds 94 assists, while averaging 2.41 assists per set over 39 sets played thus far.
  • Kendal Braun anchors the Minot State back line, notching 174 digs with only four reception errors this season, averaging 3.95 per set. Machado assists in the defensive effort with 101 digs of her own, averaging 3.26 per set.
  • Minot State relies heavily on middle blockers Wyatt and Brommenschenkel for its front line defense. Both players have 23 total blocks this season, with Brommenschenkel posting five solo blocks, and Wyatt adding four solo blocks of her own.
  • Minot State currently ranks last in the conference in assists per set (8.84), hitting percentage (.117), kills per set (9.62), win-loss percentage (.167), opponent hitting percentage (.233), and total team assists (398).
 
    MORE ABOUT UMARY
  • The Marauders are led offensively by outside hitters Ally Gruber and Nehkyah Ellis. Gruber has totaled a team-high 115 kills for the Marauders on 15 percent hitting, recording 2.61 kills per set. Ellis has contributed 103 of her own kills, hitting around the same mark at 17 percent, while contributing 2.34 kills per set.
  • Maddie Cooper and Reyna Isenbart round out the UMary top attackers with 73 kills apiece. Cooper is hitting 21 percent this season, with Isenbart posting 18 percent.
  • UMary touts a defensive heavy back line, with five players recording over 100 digs this season. Kaia Sueker leads the UMary defenders with a team-high 163 digs and 4.53 digs per set, while Gruber comes in second on the squad with 125 digs, averaging 2.84 per set.
  • Cooper leads the Marauders blockers with 35 total blocks. Tied for second on the team are Isenbart and Alexandria Harper, with both tallying 31.
  • UMary currently ranks 12th in the conference in assists per set (9.98), kills per set (10.78), win-loss percentage (.333), opponent hitting percentage (.210), team assists (449), and team kills (485). The Marauders come in at second in the conference in total attacks with 1,634, and third in digs per set (16.42), team digs (739), and attacks per set. 
    MUSTANG MACHINES
  • The Mustangs come in second in the NSIC in service aces per set (2.14), assists per set (13.67), and digs per set (17.44). SMSU ranks third in kills per set (14.56), and fourth in the conference in opponent hitting percentage (.152). SMSU is fifth in the league in hitting percentage (.251).
  • Freshman outside hitter Leah Jones leads SMSU in hitting at 3.03 kills per set, with 109 total kills, followed by junior outside hitter Saari Kuehl with 102 kills, 2.83 per set. Junior Brooklyn Kusler adds 98 kills, at 2.72 kills per set.
  • Middle blocker Karli Arkell leads the Mustangs blockers with 33 total blocks, and is tenth in the NSIC with .92 blocks per set, while adding 87 kills.
  • Senior setter Alisa Bengen ranks fourth in the league with 11.14 assists per set while sophomore libero McKenzie Tolk ranks fourth in digs per set (5.06) and is ninth in service aces with 16 this season.
    LAST TIME OUT
  • In a battle of two Top 10 teams, No. 1 Wayne State rallied to win the final two sets and earn a thrilling 3-2 victory over then-No. 9 Southwest Minnesota State in front of more than 1,300 fans inside the PE Gym last Saturday.
  • Leading the way for the Mustangs were Karli Arkell and Emma VanHeel, with both tallying 14 kills and hitting .367 and .344, respectively. Supporting the attack was freshman Leah Jones, tallying 11 kills of her own, while putting up two block assists and 11 digs. Saari Kuehl rounded out the top Mustang attackers, recording 10 kills and five digs.
  • SMSU was backed defensively by McKenzie Tolk, who scored 21 digs and captured eight assists, while grabbing two service aces. Her defensive counterparts on the floor were Jones and Alisa Bengen.
  • Bengen posted an astounding season-high 52 assists in her effort, pacing the Mustangs offense. She recorded 15 digs and six attacks on an incredible .667 percentage.
  • The trio of VanHeel, Kusler, and Jones put up the Mustangs wall. VanHeel captured a team-high three blocks, while Kusler and Jones tallied two apiece.
  • Wayne State was led offensively by Maggie Brahmer, who posted 20 kills on just 37 attempts, hitting .459 in the match. Kelsie Cada and Taya Beller also stood out for Wayne State. Beller posted a .500 hitting percentage on 13 kills with only one error. Cada had 17 kills on 39 attempts with no errors, hitting a comfortable .436.
  • WSC was defensively anchored by Rachel Walker, who captured 53 digs and four blocks in the win. Wayne's front line was captained by Beller, who posted a whopping seven total blocks. Brahmer captured four blocks in addition.
  • The match saw Wayne State defeat Southwest Minnesota State for the first time at home since 2019, when the Wildcats swept SMSU. The match also highlighted the Mustangs' first set loss in eight matches.
  • Following the AVCA poll released on Sept. 25, the Mustangs moved up to the No. 8 spot, and have now been ranked in the Top 25 for 219 of the last 220 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 ninth in the nation in kills per set with 14.56, and sixth in assists per set with 13.67
  • Additionally, the Mustangs rank in the top 30 in other statistical categories.
  • With 2.14 aces per set, SMSU sits at No. 29
  • SMSU is No. 20 in hitting percentage and No. 29 in win/loss percentage, sitting at .251 and .818, respectively.
  • Alisa Bengen currently ranks tenth in the nation in assists per set, with 11.14, while coming in at No. 58 in total assists with 401.
  • McKenzie Tolk ranks 34th in digs per set with 5.06.
    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 2,796 and aims to climb the rankings as the season progresses.
  • Bengen has started all 36 sets for the Mustangs this season, racking up 401 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 38 kills on 93 attempts for .344 hitting percentage, while coming in second in digs for the squad, with 115. 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 POLLS 
  • The Southwest Minnesota State University volleyball team, despite having its eight-match winning streak snapped last Saturday, moved up one spot and is ranked No. 8 in the fourth 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 following by Concordia-St. Paul at No. 2, St. Cloud State at No. 6, and Minnesota Duluth at No. 10.
    MINOT STATE PREVIEW
  • 2023 Record: 2-10, 1-3
  • Head Coach: Alex Lehocky, 2nd season
  • Mascot: Beavers
  • Overall Program Record: 487-853
Minot State Notes
  • The Minot State volleyball team could not overcome an opposing Bemidji State offense last Saturday on the road, losing to Bemidji State in three sets 25-20, 25-13, 25-12-25.
  • Minot State currently ranks last in the conference in assists per set (8.84), hitting percentage (.117), kills per set (9.62), win-loss percentage (.167), opponent hitting percentage (.233), and total team assists (398).
    UMARY PREVIEW
  • 2023 Record: 4-8, 0-4
  • Head Coach: Abby Pollart, 2nd season
  • Mascot: Marauders
UMary Notes
  • The University of Mary Volleyball team put up big numbers and a fast start in last Saturday against the University of Minnesota Crookston. Nehkyah Ellis led with an all-out effort for season highs in kills (16) and points (18.0) as the Marauders fell to the Golden Eagles in comeback fashion 3-2 (25-18, 25-23, 14-25, 20-25, 9-15). 
  • UMary touts a defensive heavy back line, with five players recording over 100 digs this season.
  • UMary currently ranks 12th in the conference in assists per set (9.98), kills per set (10.78), win-loss percentage (.333), opponent hitting percentage (.210), team assists (449), and team kills (485).
     ON THE HORIZON
  • The Mustangs face a busy week at home starting with Augustana on Tuesday, Oct. 3, at 6 p.m.
  • SMSU welcomes St. Cloud State on Friday, Oct. 6, for the first game of SMSU Alumni Weekend at 6 p.m.
  • Minnesota Duluth comes to town on Saturday, Oct. 7, to round out the Mustangs' week 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
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
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