THIS WEEK
• The No. 7 SMSU volleyball team continues non-conference action on the road this Thursday, Friday, and Saturday with four matches at the Drury Invitational in Springfield, Mo.
• SMSU begins the invitational on Thursday, Sept. 12, squaring off against tournament host Drury (Mo.) at 6 p.m.
• The Mustangs play two more matches on Friday, Sept. 13, facing Rockhurst (Mo.) at 11 a.m., and Southern Nazarene (Okla.) at 7 p.m.
• The Mustangs round out the weekend with one match on Saturday, Sept. 14, playing Newman (Kan.) at 11:30 a.m.

MATCH COVERAGE
• Live stats and video for all matches will be available at SMSUmustangs.com
• More information on the tournament can be found at drurypanthers.com
• Stay up to date on the Mustangs throughout the weekend by downloading the official SMSU Athletics app.

SERIES HISTORY
• SMSU will play Drury for the sixth time in program history, with the Mustangs holding a 3-2 advantage after sweeping the Panthers a season ago.
• Rockhurst and SMSU will meet for the ninth time, with the Hawks holding a 3-1 advantage.
• The first meeting was in 1999 and the last meeting came in 2022 with SMSU sweeping RU.
• The Mustangs will play the Crimson Storm for just the second time with the lone meeting happening in 1990.
• SMSU and NU will meet for the second time, with the Mustangs holding a 1-0 series advantage after sweeping the Jets back in 2005.

LAST WEEK
• The Mustangs enter the week 4-0 after posting a flawless performance at the SpringHill Suites Invitational.
• SMSU kicked off the season with two big wins on Friday, securing a pair of sweeps over Spring Hill (Ala.) and then-No. 20 West Florida.
• Against SHC, Saari Kuehl led the Mustangs with 18 kills, while hitting .429. Ashley Peltier hit .500 with eight kills, while Emma VanHeel added seven kills with a .545 hitting percentage.
• Sydney Thein, playing in her first collegiate match, recorded a double-double dishing out 38 assists with 12 digs. McKenzie Tolk led the Mustangs with 18 digs.
• Against UWF, Ashley Peltier led the Mustang offense with a match-high 13 kills and .524 hitting percentage while adding four digs and a block on defense. Saari Kuehl supported the offense with 11 kills, while Leah Jones and Karli Arkell added eight and six kills, respectively. Sydney Thein set up the Mustang offense with 30 assists, while a combined 27 digs from McKenzie Tolk and Leah Jones anchored the defense. Emma VanHeel held the line at the net with three solo blocks.
• The Mustangs capped off the tournament with another pair of sweeps over (RV) Oklahoma Baptist and (RV) Wheeling (W. Va.)
• A trio of hitters in Leah Jones, Saari Kuehl, and Emma VanHeel led the SMSU offense against the Bison. Jones finished with a match-high 13 kills and 16 digs on defense, securing the eighth double-double of her career. Kuehl swung and VanHeel swung for nine kills apiece, with both players adding a block. Sydney Thein logged a double-double as well, supporting the offense with 39 assists and back line with 10 digs, while McKenzie Tolk added a team-high 20 digs.
• Against the Cardinals, Saari Kuehl, Emma VanHeel and Leah Jones again led the offense. Kuehl finished with a match-high of 13 kills and two digs on defense. Jones swung for 12 kills and 12 digs on defense, securing the ninth double-double of her career. VanHeel swung for 12 kills and added a match-high six blocks on defense. Sydney Thein recorded her second double-double of the day, helping the offense with 44 assists and back line with 11 digs, while McKenzie Tolk added a team-high 16 digs. 

2024 OUTLOOK
• SMSU returns eight letter winners from its 2023 team that finished with a 23-7 overall record and made the NCAA Tournament for the 17th time in program history. The 2024 team features two seniors, three juniors, four sophomores, a redshirt freshman, and five true freshmen.
• SMSU senior outside hitter, Saari Kuehl, was named an NSIC 'Player to Watch'. Kuehl earned All-NSIC second team in 2023 after a season where she finished with 283 kills, averaging 3.02 points per set, including a season-high 18 kills in a match against Augustana (10/3).
• Senior middle blocker Emma VanHeel looks to build off a strong junior season that saw her earn a Defensive Player of the Week accolade. VanHeel finished first on the team in blocks (100), second in points (306.5) and third in kills (216).
• Returning juniors McKenzie Tolk and Karli Arkell aim to continue their strong defensive play from their sophomore campaigns, as Tolk led the team in digs (487) and Arkell finished second in blocks (85). 
• Sophomores Leah Jones, Mya Krystosek, and Ashley Peltier will look to continue to make an impact in their sophomore seasons. Jones earned NSIC Freshman of the Year, AVCA Central Region Freshman of the Year, and All-NSIC first team honors after a season that saw Jones lead the squad in kills (327), rank second in service aces (32), and third in digs (253).

MUSTANG MACHINES
• SMSU ranks first in the NSIC in assists per set (15.33) and kills per set (16.08), and digs per set (19.25). The Mustangs rank third in the NSIC in opponent hitting pct. (.133), fifth in hitting pct. (.273), and seventh in blocks per set (2.00). SMSU leads the league in attacks per set (40.67), and is tied for first in win-loss percentage (1.000).
• Senior outside hitter Saari Kuehl leads SMSU in hitting at 4.25 kills per set with 51 total kills, followed by sophomore outside hitter Leah Jones with 40 kills, 3.33 per set. Sophomore right-side hitter Ashley Peltier adds 36 kills.
• Junior middle blocker Emma VanHeel leads the Mustang blockers with 14 total blocks, while adding 32 kills.
• Redshirt freshman setter Sydney Thein ranks first in the league with 12.58 assists per set while junior libero McKenzie Tolk ranks third in digs per set (5.67) with 68 total digs.

SMSU AND THE NSIC IN THE POLLS
• SMSU jumped four ranks in the week one American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Division II poll released on Sept. 9. SMSU is in a tie for seventh with conference opponent St. Cloud State.
• SMSU is one of five NSIC schools ranked in the top 25 with Wayne State leading the way at No. 2, followed by Concordia-St. Paul at No. 5 and St. Cloud State at No. T7, while Minnesota Duluth comes in at No. 14. Northern State is receiving votes.
• Following the AVCA poll released on Sept. 9, the Mustangs have now been ranked in the Top 25 for 230 of the last 231 rankings, dating back to Sept. 5, 2006.

SMSU IN THE NATIONAL RANKS  
• The Mustangs currently hold multiple team and individual placements amongst the NCAA statistical leader boards.
• SMSU is ranked first in the nation in assists per set at 15.33 and kills per set with 16.08.
• The Mustangs reside in the top 10 in two other categories, sitting at No. 7 in digs per set (19.25) and No. 8 in attacks per set (40.67).
• Sydney Thein comes in at No. 2 in assists per set (12.58) and No. 28 in total assists (151), while McKenzie Tolk sits at No. 17 in digs per set (5.67) and No. 57 in total digs (68). Saari Kuehl ranks No. 27 in kills per set (4.25).

HEAD COACH TYLER BODDY  
• Tyler Boddy is in his third season as head coach in 2024 and has a career record of 50-13 overall, including 29-9 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 298-83 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.

PREVIEWING DRURY (MO.)
2024 Record: 3-1, 0-0
Conference: GLVC
Head Coach: Jenifer Bahner-Hill, 11th season
• Last weekend, the Panthers beat Southern Arkansas (3-0), Northwestern Oklahoma St. (3-1), and Midwestern St. (3-1) last weekend, with their lone loss coming to Western New Mexico, 3-2.
• Mailie Chretien shined throughout the weekend. The Catawba transfer had 57 kills and 58 digs. In the Midwestern St. match, she was responsible for 20.5 points. Lauren Tyler recorded 139 assists in 16 sets played, with 21 digs in the Western New Mexico game. Freshman Libero, Kim Quinit had 66 digs in her first weekend of college volleyball, 27 of them coming against Midwestern State.

PREVIEWING ROCKHURST (MO.)
2024 Record: 2-1, 0-0
Conference: GLVC
Head Coach: Trent Jones, 5th season
• The Hawks enter week two at 2-1 after earning a pair of sweeps as the host of the Kansas City Classic last weekend.
• RU started the week with a 3-0 win over Emporia State (Kan.), suffered a five-set loss to Winona State, then captured another sweep over Sioux Falls to close the tournament.
• Senior right-side hitter Tera Reberry leads the Hawks with 39 kills on .319 hitting, while logging seven blocks on defense. Senior setter Sarah Montague anchors the offense with 6.00 assists per set while recording a pair of double-doubles. Senior libero Riley Maureen sits at 5.82 digs per set while recording five service aces to lead the back line.

PREVIEWING SOUTHERN NAZARENE (OKLA.)
2024 Record: 1-3, 0-0
Conference: GAC
Head Coach: Kevin Ingram, 24th season
• The Storm enter week two at 1-3 after dropping three matches at the Texas A&M Kingsville tournament last weekend.
• SNU split its matches on Sept. 6, suffering a 3-1 loss to Westminster (Utah) to start the day before salvaging a five-set win over Missouri Southern State. The Storm rounded out the tournament with a 3-1 loss to host TAMK before getting swept by then-No. 16 Minnesota Duluth.
• Four players have contributed more than 20 kills to lead the offense. Sophomore setter Emma Grace Moddelmog anchors the offense with 6.38 assists per set and recorded a career-high 43 assists in the win over MSSU. Senior libero Tatum Smith leads SNU with 3.44 digs per set while recording three service aces to lead the back line.

PREVIEWING NEWMAN (KAN.)
2024 Record: 0-4, 0-0
Conference: MIAA
Head Coach: Marisa Compton, 3rd season
• The Jets enter the week winless after suffering four losses at the Hilltopper Classic last weekend.
• Leading NU will be senior Ozioma Ajekwu, who sits first on the team with 46 kills, while leading the team with .450 hitting. Natalie Trigo leads the team with 63 digs while posting three service aces on the back line. The duo of Avery Dempsey and Madalyn Hoot anchor the Jets offense with more than 60 assists apiece.

ON THE HORIZON
• The Mustangs begin NSIC play on the road at Minot State on Friday, Sept. 20, before facing off with UMary on Saturday, Sept. 21
• SMSU's home-opener is scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 24, with a non-conference match versus Augustana.