The University of Minnesota Duluth begins Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference this week, including one home match that will be broadcasted locally on My9 Sports Network.
 
No. 3 UMD is set play on the road against the University of Minnesota Crookston on Thursday, before returning home to make its 2016 Romano Gymnasium debut on Saturday as they take on Bemidji State University. To cap off three games in five days, the Bulldogs travel to St. Cloud State University on Tuesday. UMD began the season by powering through the Ferris State Invitation and the Wisconsin-Parkside Tournament with a 4-0 record in each. After being ranked 10^th in the AVCA II Preseason Poll, the Bulldogs have climbed to third in just two weeks.
 
SCOUTING THE GOLDEN EAGLES | 4-4, 0-0 NSIC | 8-20, 4-16 NSIC (2015)

 Minnesota Crookston was one of eight teams in the Ferris State Invitational field that included the Bulldogs … the Golden Eagles went 2-2 on the tournament, including a win over Lake Superior State (UMD defeated 3-0) and a loss to No. 13 Cal State-San Bernardino (UMD defeated 3-0) … Crookston had an identical 2-2 record in the Sioux Falls Invitational … fell to NSIC foe Bemidji State University before grabbing a pair of victories … junior right side hitter Maggie Perrel leads the Golden Eagles in kills with 82, nearly twice as many as anyone else on the team … senior setter Sierra Trost is off to a fast start, leading the team in assists (237) and digs (76) … head coach Lee Anderson is embarking on his tenth season … UMD has yet to drop a match to UMC and holds a 23-0 record against the Golden Eagles, which is the most victories without a loss of any Bulldog opponent … game time is set for 7 p.m. on Thursday at Bemidji State.
 
SCOUTING THE BEAVERS | 4-4, 0-0 NSIC | 7-22, 5-15 NSIC (2015)
 
Bemidji State kicked off their 2016 season in the Bulldog Bash Tournament, hosted by Concordia University (Neb.), with a 2-2 record … the Beavers also went 2-2 the following weekend in the Sioux Falls Invitational, grabbing a victory of Minnesota Crookston in the process … BSU fell to the University of Sioux Falls by a score of 3-1 … senior outside hitter Jessica Yost returns for her final season after leading the team in kills the previous three years … Yost is off to a hot start, leading the team yet again with 127 kills while also recording 69 digs … head coach Kevin Ulmer begins his first season for the Beavers, previously coaching at Bethel College (Ind.) for four seasons … UMD holds a dominating 89-3 series lead against BSU, coming off a 3-0 win on Sept. 19, 2015 … the opening serve is scheduled to start at 4 p.m. at Romano Gymnasium while also being broadcasted on My9.
 
SCOUTING THE HUSKIES | 4-4, 0-0 NSIC | 9-19, 5-15 NSIC (2015)
 
St. Cloud State began their season in the Oredigger Volleyball Classic and faced the fifth-ranked University of Nebraska at Kearney as well as No. 18 Colorado School of Mines, falling to each of them 3-0 … the Huskies were fellow participants with UMD at the Wisconsin-Parkside Tournament, falling to Northern Michigan University before running off three straight wins while losing just one set in the process … SCSU brings a balanced offensive attack with five players recording 47 kills or more (accounting for 85% of their total kills) … the Husky offense runs through senior setter Marissa Kline who has 281 assists (10.04/set) on the season … head coach Chad Braegelmann is on his second season leading SCSU, posting a 9-19, 5-15 NSIC record his first year … UMD holds a 69-33 series lead over the Huskies, including last year's 3-0 win on Oct. 20, 2015 … game time is schedule for 7 p.m. in St. Cloud, Minn.
 
OUTSIDE HITS
 
The Bulldogs are off to an eight game win streak this season, their longest season-opening streak since the 2013 season … UMD has also taken 16 straight sets dating back to Sept. 3 against No. 21 Ferris State University, its longest consecutive set streak since the Bulldogs ran off 20 straight from Oct. 4 to Oct. 25 of 2014 … junior middle blocker Allison Olley recorded a career-high seven blocks against Michigan Tech University while also adding 38 kills last weekend … after being ranked No. 3 in this week's AVCA II poll, UMD will look to overtake fellow NSIC teams Wayne State University (Neb.) (No. 2) and Concordia University-St. Paul (No. 1)
 
LINKS TO WATCH
at Minnesota Crookston: Live Stats
vs. Bemidji State: Live Stats/Video
at St. Cloud State: Live Stats | Video