THIS WEEK

The No. 12 Southwest Minnesota State University volleyball team are back on the road again this weekend with two pivotal matches.

SMSU will face off against the NSIC Preseason favorite No. 13 St. Cloud State on Friday, Oct. 3, at 6 p.m. in St. Cloud, Minn.

The Mustangs will then matchup against Minnesota State on the following Saturday at 2 p.m. in Mankato.

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 St. Cloud State for the 54th time, with the Mustangs holding a 28-25 advantage all time.

The Mustangs last won against the Huskies in 2023, winning in four sets.

The Mustangs will meet Minnesota State for the 64th time, with the Mavericks holding a slight 32-31 advantage all time.

SMSU has won 10 of the last 12 matchups against the Mavericks.

PREVIEWING NO. 15 ST. CLOUD STATE

2025 Record: 10-3, 5-0 NSIC

Current NSIC Ranking: 2nd (as of Sept. 30)

Head Coach: Chad Braegelmann, 11th season

The Hukies finished last season 29-3, 18-0 NSIC, winning the NSIC Tournament. The Huskies lost to Central Oklahoma in the DII Central Region Championship. In the 2025 NSIC Preseason poll, St. Cloud State was picked to finish 1st in the conference.

Last week the Huskies went unbeaten, first traveling to Mankato and defeating No. 23 Minnesota State in four sets. St. Cloud State then swept Jamestown on Friday, before sweeping Northern State in Aberdeen.

Preseason Player of the Year Ella Thompson currently leads the Huskies with 147 kills, averaging 3.68 kills per set, while hitting .345. She also leads the team in total blocks with 30.

PREVIEWING MINNESOTA STATE

2025 Record: 12-1, 4-1 NSIC

Current NSIC Ranking: 4th (as of Sept. 30)

Head Coach: Corey Phelps, 5th season

The Mavericks finished last season 18-9, 10-8 NSIC, losing to Concordia-St. Paul in the first round of the NSIC Tournament. Minnesota State were picked to finish 9th in the 2025 NSIC Preseason poll.

The Mavericks went 2-1 last week, first losing in four sets against No. 15 St. Cloud State, before sweeping Northern State and defeating Jamestown in four sets.

Preseason 'Player to Watch' Avery Klein is currently second for Minnesota State in kills with 128, averaging 3.12 kills per set, and is third on the team in total blocks with 26.

LAST WEEK

The Mustangs continued their NSIC start, first dropping a five set match to Sioux Falls, before making their home debut against Minnesota State Moorhead and Minnesota Crookston, sweeping them both.

Against Sioux Falls, Leah Jones and Mya Krystosek led the Mustangs with 18 kills each. Natalie Pilney, with 15 kills, hit .278 in the match.

McKenzie Tolk had 22 digs, and Sydney Thein had 52 assists and 14 digs.

In their home debut against Minnesota State Moorhead, Ashley Peltier led the Mustangs with 14 kills, hitting .500 in the match. Mya Krystosek had 13 kills, and Leah Jones, with 12 kills, hit .524.

McKenzie Tolk had 12 digs, and Sydney Thein had 41 assists.

Against Minnesota Crookston, Leah Jones led the team with 10 kills while hitting .320 in the match. As a team, the Mustangs hit .318 in the match, and held the Golden Eagles to a -.074 hitting percentage.

McKenzie Tolk had 14 digs, and Sydney Thein had 30 assists.

EMILY ROHRER | NSIC DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK

SMSU junior middle blocker Emily Rohrer was named NSIC Defensive Player of the Week on Monday after her performances in last weekends matches.

Rohrer, a native of Slayton, Minn., averaged 1.67 blocks per set in the two matches she played this weekend, with the Mustangs sweeping both Minnesota State Moorhead and Minnesota Crookston. Rohrer had one solo block and nine block assists in those matches, and added 10 kills, with six coming against Minnesota Crookston. 

This is the second weekly award this season for a Mustang volleyball player, the first being Sydney Thein winning Setter of the Week on Sept. 15, and this is the first Defensive Player of the Week since McKenzie Tolk was honored on Nov. 16, 2024. In addition, this is the first weekly award for Rohrer in her time at SMSU.

SMSU IN THE AVCA POLL

SMSU moves down four spots, from No. 8 to No. 12 in the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Division II Week 4 Poll released on Sept. 29.

SMSU is one of six NSIC schools represented in the recent poll, with five teams in the top 15. Wayne State jumped five spots to No. 9 leading the conference, with Concordia-St. Paul at No. 11 followed by the Mustangs at No. 12. SMSU's next opponent St. Cloud State is at No. 13, and Minnesota Duluth is at No. 15. After a rough weekend, Northern State fell six spots to No. 24, and 12-1 Minnesota State is receiving votes.

Following the AVCA poll released on Sept. 15, the Mustangs have now been ranked in the Top 25 for 245 of the last 246 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 in the top 10 in DII in kills per set (14.36), No. 29 in digs per set (17.27), and No. 18 in hitting percentage as a team (.263)

The Mustangs are currently fourth in assists per set (13.67) and are No. 19 in total assists (615)

Leah Jones is in the top 50 in kills per set with 3.64, and is currently in the top 40 in total kills (164).

Sydney Thein is currently seventh in DII with 521 assists and fourth with 11.58 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 per set with 13.67, and are first in both total digs (777) and digs per set (17.27).

Natalie Pilney is ninth in the NSIC in hiting percentage, hitting .361 on the season, and is one of three Mustangs in the top 20 in blocks per set along with Karli Arkell and Ashley Peltier.

Leah Jones is fifth in the conference with 3.64 kills per set, and is sixth in kills with 164.

Sydney Thein is currently third in the NSIC with 521 assists and fourth with 11.58 assists per set.

McKenzie Tolk is sixth in the NSIC in both total digs (201) and digs per set (4.47).

Paige Steinmetz is in the conference top 10 in both total service aces (22) and aces per set (0.49) 

HEAD COACH TYLER BODDY  

Tyler Boddy is in his fourth season as head coach in 2025 and has a career record of 79-21 overall, including 46-16 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 317-89 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 return home for Homecoming with two matches.

SMSU plays first against Concordia-St. Paul on Friday, Oct. 10 at 6 p.m.

The Mustangs then play the next day against Winona State at 2 p.m.

Both games will be played in the PE Gym.

All games are available on the NSIC Network.