THIS WEEK
The No. 16 ranked Southwest Minnesota State University volleyball team continue NSIC play with two matches on the road this weekend.
The Mustangs face off against No. 22 Northern State in Aberdeen on Friday, Nov. 7, at 6 p.m. SMSU plays again the following day, Saturday, Nov. 8, at 12 p.m. against Jamestown.
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
SMSU will play Northern State for the 78th time, with the Mustangs holding a 65-12 record all time against the Wolves.
The Mustangs are 4-1 against the Wolves in the last five, with Northern State winning the latest matchup in four sets last November.
The Mustangs will meet Jamestown for only the 7th time, with the Mustangs leading the series 4-2 all time.
This meeting will be the first between the two in NSIC play, and will be the first time these two have played in 34 years.
PREVIEWING No. 22 NORTHERN STATE
2025 Record: 18-6, 10-6 NSIC
Current NSIC Ranking: 5th (as of Nov. 4)
Head Coach: Brent Aldridge, 15th season
Last weekend the Wolves hosted both Concordia-St. Paul and Winona State, losing to the Golden Bears in three sets, and defeating the Warriors in three sets.
Since the start of October, the Wolves are 9-2 in their last 11 matches.
Redshirt freshman setter Ava Nillson currently has 945 assists on the season, averaging 12.12 assists per set. Nillson is currently second in Division II in assists per set, and fifth in total assists.
Sophomore outside hitter Linnea Nesheim currently leads the Wolves in kills with 284, averaing 3.59 kills per set.
PREVIEWING JAMESTOWN
2025 Record: 9-14, 4-12 NSIC
Current NSIC Ranking: 12th (as of Nov. 4)
Head Coach: Jon Hegerle, 17th season
The Jimmies are competing in the NSIC this season for the first time.
Last weekend Jamestown was swept by both Winona State and Concordia-St. Paul.
Junior outside hitter Ava Mueller leads the Jimmies in kills with 188, averaging 2.32 kills per set.
Junior defensive specialist Momoka Minamiya leads the team in digs with 354, averaging 4.37 digs per set.
LAST WEEK
The Mustangs played two matches last weekend, first on Friday against Minnesota Duluth, and on Saturday against Bemidji State.
In a four-set victory over the then-ranked Bulldogs, Leah Jones led the Mustangs with 20 kills, 15 of them in the first two sets, while hitting .234 and adding five digs. Karli Arkell had her second highest kills total this season with 15, hitting .382 in the match. Natalie Pilney had eight kills and three service aces. McKenzie Tolk led the team in digs with 21, while freshman Ashlynn Schroeder had 13 digs, and Sydney Thein led the squad in assists with 43.
On Saturday, the Mustangs swept the Bemidji State Beavers, with Leah Jones leading the Mustangs in kills with 14, hitting .500 with five digs. Karli Arkell and Ashley Peltier had eight kills each, hitting a combined .297. McKenzie Tolk had 11 digs, leading the team, and Sydney Thein tallied 36 assists.
SMSU IN THE AVCA POLLS
SMSU moves up two spots, from No. 18 to No. 16 in the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Division II Week 9 Poll released on Nov. 3
SMSU is one of seven NSIC schools represented in the recent poll, with Wayne State leading the conference at No. 5. Concordia-St. Paul remains at No. 9 followed by St. Cloud State at No. 10. The Mustangs are at No. 16, followed by Northern State at No. 22. Minnesota State remains at No. 24, and Minnesota Duluth falls four spots to No. 25.
Following the AVCA poll released on Oct. 27, the Mustangs have now been ranked in the Top 25 for 250 of the last 251 rankings, dating back to Sept. 5, 2006.
SMSU IN THE NATIONAL RANKS
The Mustangs have started the 2025 season with team and individual placements amongst the NCAA statistical leader boards.
SMSU rank No. 13 in DII in kills per set (14.21), No. 19 in hitting percentage as a team (.256), and are in the top 50 in digs per set (17.3)
The Mustangs are currently No. 10 in assists per set (13.40) and are tied for ninth in total assists (1166)
Leah Jones is No. 22 in total kills (333) and is No. 32 in kills per set with 3.87
Sydney Thein is currently fourth in DII with 1006 assists and fifth with 11.56 assists per set.
MUSTANGS LEADING THE CONFERENCE
The Mustangs have started the 2025 season with team and individual placements amongst the NSIC statistical leader boards.
SMSU ranks first in the conference in assists with 1165, and are first in digs per set (17.30). The Mustangs are also third in kills with 1236 on the season.
Leah Jones is top three in the conference with 3.83 kills per set, and kills with 333.
Natalie Pilney and Karli Arkell are both in the top 20 in hitting percentage and total blocks; Pilney is fifth in total blocks with 88.
Sydney Thein is currently first in the NSIC with 1006 assists and second with 11.56 assists per set.
McKenzie Tolk is fourth in the NSIC in total digs (403) and fifth in digs per set (4.63).
Paige Steinmetz is in the conference top 15 in both total service aces (32) and aces per set (0.37).
HEAD COACH TYLER BODDY
Tyler Boddy is in his fourth season as head coach in 2025 and has a career record of 86-25 overall, including 53-20 in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play with two NCAA tournament appearances (2023 & 2024).
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.
During his tenure at SMSU, the program has appeared in nine NCAA tournaments, including finishing as NCAA national runners-up in 2014. SMSU has a combined record of 334-95 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
The Mustangs will be back home for their final regular season matches next weekend.
Senior Night will be held on Friday, Nov. 14 at 6 p.m. against the UMary Marauders
Then the following day at 2 p.m. the Mustangs host Minot State on Parents' Day.
Both matches are available to watch on the NSIC Network.
Tickets and more information can be found at smsumustangs.com/sports/womens-volleyball.
