THIS WEEKEND
• The No. 16 SMSU volleyball is scheduled to play its final matches of the regular season this week on the road, playing MSU Moorhead (9-15, 4-12 NSIC) and No. 18 Northern State (19-5, 11-5 NSIC).
• The Mustangs match up against the Dragons on Friday, Nov. 15, with first serve slated for 6 p.m.
• SMSU then heads to Aberdeen, S.D., for a match-up at the Wolves on Saturday, Nov. 16, with first serve scheduled for 3 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.

SERIES HISTORY
• Friday will be the 116th meeting between SMSU and MSUM, with the Mustangs leading the all-time series 69-46.
• The Mustangs have won the last 24 matches in the series, dating back to 2006.
• SMSU defeated MSUM earlier this season by way of sweep at home.
• SMSU is 23-18 all-time on the road against MSUM.
• Saturday will be the 76th meeting between SMSU and NSU, with the Mustangs leading 64-11 in the all-time series.
• The Mustangs have defeated the Wolves in the eight of the last 10 match-ups.
• SMSU defeated NSU earlier this season with a come-from-behind 3-2 win at home.
• SMSU is 20-7 all-time on the road versus NSU.

MORE ON MSU MOORHEAD
• MSU Moorhead went 0-2 on the road last week, and is currently on a three-match losing streak. On Friday, the Dragons were swept by then-No. 10 Wayne State before suffering a four-set loss to Sioux Falls on Saturday.
• Brielle Reiss leads the Dragons on offense with 235 kills and ranks second defensively with 259 digs. Reiss leads the back line with 29 service aces and has jumped for 21 blocks. 
• Annalise Wilson leads the team with 474 assists and has tallied 188 digs. She ranks third on the Dragons with 20 service aces.
• Emily Ramsay ranks second on the team with 220 kills and has recorded 207 digs thus far. She also has 19 service aces and nine blocks.
• Kiara Olesch has a team-high 331 digs this season and supports the offense with 55 assists and 25 service aces.
• Abby Thompson comes in third with 203 kills. Thompson ranks first on the team with 64 blocks and has recorded 29 digs. Maci Martini rounds out the top five with 122 digs.
• Amanda Lisi ranks second on the team with 337 assists and adds 109 digs and 15 service aces.
• MSUM is averaging 12.3 kills per set on 20.4 percent hitting while opponents average 13.4 kills on 23.5 percent hitting.

MORE ON NORTHERN STATE
• NSU jumped into the national top 20 and top five in the NSIC standings after a big 2-0 weekend on the road. The Wolves battled both Sioux Falls and Wayne State to five sets, emerging victorious in both matches.
• Natalia Szybinska leads the Wolves offense with 277 kills. Szybinska adds 46 digs and 41 blocks.
• Hanna Thompson follows behind with 263 kills and helps defensively with 80 digs and 36 blocks.
• Keri Walker is the anchor for the offense, putting up a team-high 949 assists while holding it down defensively with 262 digs, good enough for second on the team. Walker adds 28 service aces and 54 kills on .318 hitting.
• Abby Meister excels on the back line with a team-high 493 digs to go with 16 service aces and 28 assists.
• Abby Brooks ranks fourth with 176 kills and leads the NSU blocking unit with 104 blocks.
• Morissen Samuels ranks third with 229 kills and 59 blocks, while helping defensively with 64 digs.
• NSU is averaging 13.2 kills per set on 24.6 percent hitting while opponents average 12.6 kills per set on 17.9 percent hitting.

LAST TIME OUT
• SMSU earned a 3-0 sweep over Minnesota Crookston by set scores of 25-12, 25-14, 25-12 on Friday evening. 
• SMSU was led by Leah Jones with 13 kills on .300 hitting and nine digs. Emma VanHeel supported the attack with 10 kills on .429 hitting and four block assists, while Saari Kuehl swung for nine kills.   
• Sydney Thein supported the attack with 31 set assists and helped defensively with 12 digs, enough for a double-double.
• McKenzie Tolk was the anchor for the Mustangs on the back line, tallying 16 digs.
• SMSU won three straight sets to beat Bemidji State by set scores of 23-25, 25-6, 25-19, 25-22 on Saturday afternoon.
• SMSU was led by Saari Kuehl with 15 kills on .310 hitting and a pair of solo blocks. Emma VanHeel and Ashley Peltier each swung for nine kills and combined for five block assists. Leah Jones added eight kills and recorded 11 digs.
• Sydney Thein supported the attack with 37 set assists and helped defensively with 10 digs.
• McKenzie Tolk anchored the Mustang defense, tallying 18 digs. 

SIX MUSTANGS EARN ALL-NSIC VOLLEYBALL HONORS
• The NSIC office announced on Nov. 13 that Southwest Minnesota State University setter Sydney Thein has been named to the All-NSIC first team, while teammates Leah Jones, Saari Kuehl, Ashley Peltier, McKenzie Tolk, and Emma VanHeel have been named All-NSIC second team.
• Thein, a redshirt freshman setter from Clara City, Minn., earns All-NSIC first team honors for the first time in her career. She has dished out 1,080 assists while ranking third on the team with 301 digs. Thein has registered 71 kills while compiling a .321 hitting percentage and has 18 blocks, 25 service aces and 17 double-doubles. In the latest NCAA national statistics (Nov. 11), she ranks No. 6 in both assists per set (11.61) and total assists. Thein recorded a career-high 73 assists in the win over then-No. 7 Wayne State on Oct. 24. The 73 assists are tied for the second-most in a single match in program history.
• Jones, a sophomore outside hitter from Marshall, Minn., earns All-NSIC honors for the second consecutive season. Jones earned AVCA Central Region Freshman of the Year along with NSIC Freshman of the Year and All-NSIC first team honors a season ago. Jones ranks second with 276 kills. She has also recorded 302 digs, 42 blocks, 30 service aces, and 30 assists. She has racked up double-digit kills in 14 matches and double-digit digs in 16 matches. Jones swung for a career-high 19 kills in the home win over then-No. 22 Northern State on Sept. 27. She also bumped a career-high 27 digs in the road win versus then-No. 7 Wayne State on Oct. 24.
• Kuehl, a senior outside hitter from Reinbeck, Iowa, earns All-NSIC honors for the second time in her career. With two regular season matches remaining, Kuehl leads SMSU with 304 kills and has compiled a .226 hitting percentage. Kuehl has amassed double-figure kills in 19 matches, including a season-high 18 twice. She has also recorded 68 digs and 36 blocks.
• Peltier, a sophomore right side and middle blocker from Taylors Falls, Minn., earns All-NSIC honors for the first time. She ranks fourth on the team with 234 kills while logging a .288 hitting percentage. Peltier recorded a career-high 18 kills in the win over then-No. 7 Wayne State on Oct. 24 and has reached double-digit kills in 10 matches. She has also recorded 72 blocks and 37 digs. 
• A junior defensive specialist from Minneota, Minn., Tolk leads SMSU with 495 digs and currently ranks 21st nationally in digs per set (5.32). A second time All-NSIC honoree, she has reached double-figures in digs in every match and has registered 20 or more digs nine times. Tolk has also recorded 87 assists and 24 service aces.
• A senior middle blocker from Otsgeo, Minn., VanHeel earns All-NSIC honors for the second time in her career. VanHeel ranks third for SMSU with 258 kills on an efficient .317 hitting percentage and leads the team with 101 blocks. She has also recorded 73 digs, 19 service aces, and 16 assists. She has racked up double-digit kills in 12 matches and five or more blocks in 11 matches. VanHeel swung for a season-high 18 kills in the in the road win versus then-No. 7 Wayne State on Oct. 24. She currently ranks seventh all-time in program history with 400 total blocks.

THEIN EARNS THIRD NSIC SETTER OF THE WEEK ACCOLADE
• SMSU redshirt freshman setter Sydney Thein was named the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Setter of the Week on Monday, Oct. 28, following her performance in SMSU's 1-0 week. It is the third time the SMSU setter has earned the accolade this season.
• Thein, a native of Clara City, Minn., shined over the week, ranking first in the league in assists per set (14.60), while leading the Mustangs to season-high 79 kills on a .235 team hitting percentage.
• Thein logged 73 assists in the 3-2 reverse sweep and upset win over No. 7 Wayne State on Thursday (Oct. 24) - tying the second-most assists in a single match in team history.
• She would add a kill and 15 digs on defense for her 13th double-double of the season.

JONES, THEIN EARN NSIC VOLLEYBALL WEEKLY HONORS
• The Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference office announced on Sept. 30 that Leah Jones and Sydney Thein earned weekly player honors following a 3-0 week at home, including a pair of five-set victories. 
• Jones, a native of Marshall, Minn., earns NSIC Offensive Player of the Week for the first time in her career. The sophomore outside hitter was the cornerstone of the SMSU offense last week, posting a team-high 4.00 kills per set (52 total) on a .244 hitting percentage, while assisting the offense with four assists and three service aces.
• Jones batted down a match-high 18 kills while adding 17 digs and a pair of blocks for a double-double in the 3-2 non-conference win over Augustana. In the five-set win over No. 22 Northern State, Jones swung for a career-high 19 kills on .250 hitting while again adding 18 digs for another double-double.
• She would end the weekend with a match-high 15 kills on a season-best .379 hitting percentage in the sweep over MSU Moorhead. Jones is a 2023 graduate of Marshall High School.
• Thein earns NSIC Setter of the Week honors for the second consecutive week. The redshirt freshman shined over the week posting 12.38 assists per set, while leading the Mustangs to a .285 team hitting percentage.
• Thein recorded a then-career-high 56 assists against Augustana, then logged a career-high 64 assists in the win over No. 22 Northern State.
• She would end the weekend with a career match-high 13.67 assists per set (41) against MSU Moorhead, while boasting 7.67 digs per set (23) in the win. Thein also had a standout weekend defensively, posting 4.15 digs per set.

THEIN EARNS NSIC SETTER OF THE WEEK HONORS
• SMSU redshirt freshman setter Sydney Thein was named the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Setter of the Week on Monday, Sept. 23, following her performances in SMSU's 2-0 weekend in North Dakota.
• Thein shined over the week, ranking first in the league in assists per set (12.17), while leading the Mustangs to an NSIC-best .313 team hitting percentage.
• Thein recorded 36 assists in the sweep over Minot State on Sept. 20, then logged 37 assists in the 3-0 win over UMary on Sept. 21.
• She would end the weekend with 12.17 assists per set while hitting .250 and recording 17 digs. She is the first Mustang to win an NSIC weekly honor since Oct. 9, 2023, when Emma VanHeel earned defensive honors, and is the first SMSU setter to earn the honor since Emma Thomssen won the weekly accolade in 2018. 

MUSTANG MACHINES
• SMSU ranks first in the NSIC in digs per set (19.18), and assists per set (13.87), while ranking second in kills per set (14.60), and sixth in blocks per set (2.16) and in team hitting pct. (.240).
• Senior outside hitter Saari Kuehl leads SMSU in hitting with 304 kills (3.27 per set), followed by sophomore outside hitter Leah Jones with 276 kills (2.97 per set). Senior middle blocker Emma VanHeel comes in third with 258 kills while sophomore right side hitter Ashley Peltier adds 234 kills. 
• VanHeel also leads the Mustang blockers with 101 blocks.
• Redshirt freshman setter Sydney Thein anchors the offense with 1,080 assists (11.61 per set) while supporting the attack with 71 kills on .321 hitting. Thein adds 301 digs and 25 service aces.
• Junior libero McKenzie Tolk leads the defense with 495 digs (5.32 per set) while supporting the offense with 87 assists.

SMSU AND THE NSIC IN THE POLLS
• SMSU remained at No. 16 in the most recent American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Division II poll released on Nov. 11.
• SMSU is one of five NSIC schools ranked in the top 25 with St. Cloud State coming in at No. 2, followed by Concordia-St. Paul at No. 8 and Wayne State at No. 15, while Northern State ranks No. 18. Minnesota Duluth is receiving votes.
• Following the AVCA poll released on Nov. 11, the Mustangs have now been ranked in the Top 25 for 239 of the last 240 rankings, dating back to Sept. 5, 2006.

SMSU IN THE NATIONAL RANKS  
• The Mustangs currently hold multiple team and individual placements amongst the weekly NCAA statistical leader boards.
• SMSU ranks third in the nation in assists per set (13.87), fifth in Division II in kills per set (14.60), and seventh in digs per set (19.18).
• The Mustangs sit at No. 9 in total assists (1,290), No. 18 in total kills (1,358), and No. 21 in total digs (1,784).
• Sydney Thein comes in at No. 6 in assists per set (11.61) and in total assists (1,080), while McKenzie Tolk ranks No. 21 in digs per set (5.32) and No. 23 in total digs (495).

HEAD COACH TYLER BODDY  
• Tyler Boddy is in his third season as head coach in 2024 and has a career record of 67-17 overall, including 41-13 in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play.
• Boddy, who spent 10 years as an assistant coach at SMSU, became the fifth head coach in the program's 50-year history on Dec. 17, 2021. 
• In that time, the program has appeared in eight NCAA tournaments, including finishing as NCAA national runners-up in 2014. SMSU has a combined record of 292-81 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.

ON THE HORIZON
• SMSU, currently tied for third place in the NSIC standings, will host a first-round match for the NSIC Tournament if the Mustangs capture the third or fourth seed.