The University of Minnesota Duluth will embark on its final road trip of the regular season this weekend with a pair of Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference rematches on the docket.
The Bulldogs (24-2, 14-2 NSIC) enter the weekend on a five-match winning streak and will face a pair of teams whom they swept at home earlier this season in Winona State University and Upper Iowa. UMD once against boasts the NSIC setter of the week in
Ashley Hinsch. Hinsch helped direct the Bulldogs' offense with 80 assists on the weekend, good for a 13.33 per-set average. The Bulldogs hit .386 as a team, defeating Sioux Falls and No. 8 Southwest Minnesota State in straight sets. She added one kill, a pair of block assists, one service ace, and six digs.
UMD finds itself ranked fourth in the NCAA II Central region according to the official rankings
released Wednesday.
The Opponents
UMD made quick work of the Warriors in their last meeting, holding Winona State (10-15, 7-9 NSIC) to just 26 kills and a .085 hitting percentage. Coach Dave Simon has WSU on a two-match winning streak as they currently sit in a four-way tie for the last playoff spot in the NSIC. The Warrirors have been strong defensively averaging 16.64 digs per set while holding opponents to a .205 hitting percentage. Junior outside hitter Rachel Polland has been efficient for Winona State with a .236 hitting percentage and 185 kills.
The Bulldogs are 69-1 all-time against WSU.
UMD plucked the Peacocks in early October, hitting .286 as a team with 51 kills as a team. Coach Aaron Nelson and UIU find themselves looking to play spoiler in the final weeks of the NSIC season. The Peacocks rank 15th in the NSIC, hitting just .160 as a team this season. Upper Iowa sophomore setter Hailey Brown feeds the ball to sophomore outside hitter Jennifer Mundt, who averages 3.15 kills per set. Junior libero Amanda Weiss ranks ninth in the conference with 4.23 digs per set.
UMD holds an undefeated 8-0 record in the all-time series with the Peacocks.
The Bulldogs
Senior outside hitter
Kate Lange nears another career milestone, just two solo blocks away from 100 in her career. Her 228 career total blocks are the most since 2007 for UMD but she has yet to crack the top 10 in that category. At 4,437 total attacks, she still sits 107 behind UMD career leader Callie Zwettler ('04).
Junior libero
Julie Rainey has climbed to third-place for digs in a Bulldog career, now sitting at 1,613, just 90 off the UMD record.
The Bulldogs travel to Winona State on Friday evening for a 7:00 p.m. match-up before heading down to Fayette to take on Upper Iowa on Saturday afternoon. That match is set for a 4:00 p.m. opening serve.
