NSIC/U.S. Bank Volleyball Tournament
Official NCAA Central Region Rankings (week three)
The University of Minnesota Duluth will return to St. Paul, Minn. and the campus of Concordia University-St. Paul for the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference/U.S. Bank Volleyball Tournament with four nationally-ranked teams remaining in the bracket.
No. 2 UMD (29-2) currently sits third in the official NCAA Central region tournament with the top eight teams, including the conference champions of the NSIC, MIAA, and GAC, receiving bids to the NCAA Central Regional, hosted by the top seed. While the odds are in the Bulldogs' favor for making a 12th-straight national postseason appearance, the only way to guarantee a selection is winning the NSIC tournament.
The Bulldogs, led by the team's 2013 record-breakers, AVCA Division II Player of the Week senior outside hitter
Kate Lange and the conference's defensive player of the week, junior libero
Julie Rainey, will look to maintain momentum as they ride a ten-match winning streak
UMD takes on No. 18 Wayne State (Neb.) College in its semifinal round match on Saturday, while the hosts from No. 3 Concordia-St. Paul take on No. 22 Northern State in their semifinal. The winners will meet to decide the championship at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday.
About the Wildcats
Sixth-seed Wayne State (22-9), tenth in the NCAA Central Region, knocked off third-seed Southwest Minnesota State in straight sets in the opening round, hitting .317 for the match with just seven errors. The final set closed at 33-31 as WSC jumped back from down 30-29 to win. Senior outside hitter and All-NSIC First Teamer Cori Hobbs had 19 kills without an error to lead Wayne State. Freshman middle hitter Alyssa Frauendorfer was named the league's newcomer of the year averaging 2.85 kills and 0.85 blocks per set.
Earlier this year, the Wildcats took UMD to five sets earlier in 2013, rallying from down 2-0 to force a decisive fifth set. It was in that game that UMD's Lange broke all-time kills record for Bulldogs with her first kill of the final set. UMD won 28-26, 25-17, 20-25, 26-28, and 15-12. The Bulldogs are 18-5 all-time against Wayne State.
About the Wolves
Fifth-seed Northern State, sixth in the Central Region ranks, was forced to go on the road by a tiebreaker but swept Augustana after falling twice to the Vikings earlier this season. Senior right side hitter and All-NSIC first teamer Kelsey Chambers led the way with 16 kills. Northern State's Brent Aldridge was named NSIC Coach of the Year in his third season.
The Wolves handed UMD its lone home-court loss of 2013, catching the Bulldogs flat-footed in a four-set victory. Northern State produced nine blocks as a squad and held UMD to a season-low .165 hitting percentage while hitting .277 as a team. Chambers led the way for Northern with 17 kills. The Bulldogs are 46-2 all-time against the Wolves and would gladly take a shot at revenge in the NSIC Championship.
About the Golden Bears
The NSIC's Regular Season Champions of Concordia-St. Paul, ranked second in the region this week, made quick work of eight-seed Minnesota-Crookston, downing the Eagles 25-12, 25-14, 25-17 in straight sets. All-NSIC selections Kayla Koenecke and Erienne Lauersdorf led the way offensively with ten kills apiece while four-time NSIC Setter of the Week Amanda Konetcy, the Division II leader in assists per set, had 36 assists and eight digs.
UMD and CU split two matches in 2013, each knocking the other from the top of the AVCA National Poll. The Bulldogs broke a 25-match winning streak by Concordia to close out the regular season one week ago. UMD hit .259 while holding CU to a .214 attack in the five-set thriller. UMD is 20-17 all-time against Concordia, and a rubber match in the NSIC Championship would be very fitting for the top two teams in the league.
The Bulldogs and Wildcats set the semifinals in motion at 1:00 p.m. Saturday, followed by the one-five match-up at 3:30 p.m.
