THE OPENING SERVE: There might not be a more fitting way to conclude the NCAA II Central Region final then having the University of Minnesota Duluth square off against its most heated rival, Concordia University, St. Paul, for an opportunity to continue towards the NCAA national championship.
Once an eight-team onslaught, one of the two powerhouse programs will be left standing after the championship match Saturday, Dec. 2 at 3:00 p.m. 

HOW WE GOT TO THE REGIONAL FINAL:
No. 2 Concordia-St. Paul (30-3)
1st- Defeated No. 15 Central Oklahoma 3-0
2nd- Defeated RV Missouri Western State 3-1

No. 5 UMD (26-6)
1st- No. 11 Northern State 3-2
2nd- No. 2 Southwest Minnesota State 3-0

SCOUTING REPORT ON CONCORDIA-ST. PAUL: The Golden Bears are in contention for their ninth national title, all in the last 11 years. They have been remarkable in the postseason, going 63-6 in the NCAA Tournament and have appeared in the regional final every year since 2003 excluding 2014.
CSP, who is coached by Brady Starkey, trailed by four or more in all four sets only to battle back to win three of the four against a streaking Missouri Western State University club.
Brooklyn Lewis, who leads the team with 4.05 kills per set, notched 23 kills in that match. There other outside hitter Mariya Sampson had 14 kills. Tori Hanson has done a spectacular job at the libero spot as a freshman scooping out 4.26 digs a set. Elizabeth Mohr leads the nation on an average of 13.12 assists per set.

THE SERIES: UMD leads the series 27-24 over Concordia-St. Paul. The Bulldogs snapped the Bears' 18 NSIC-game winning streak last October when they pulled off the upset at home. Later, the Golden Bears dumped the Bulldogs out of the NSIC Tournament in five sets.
UMD and Concordia-St. Paul will collide for the ninth time in the NCAA tournament and the sixth time in the regional final. The Golden Bears are 3-2 in those matches. UMD has not beaten Concordia-St. Paul in the NCAA Tournament since 2006. 

HOW THEY RANK: Here is how UMD and SMSU stack up in the AVCA poll and the NCAA Central Region seeding.
TEAM        RECORD        AVCA        SEED
UMD             26-6               7th             5th
CSP              30-3               3rd             2nd

THE BROADCAST: The matches this weekend will be carried live through a video stream, in addition to live stats capabilities, and is available for free at:
portal.stretchinternet.com/umd

For those interested in live stats only follow the link below:
www.sidearmstats.com/smsu/wvball/

LAST SIDE OUT: It may have not been what the hometown wanted but UMD shocked top-seeded and host Southwest Minnesota State University in straight sets Friday night as they advanced onward to the regional final for the first time in three years. 
It was much needed revenge as at that same time, the Mustangs won the region in Duluth, knocking off the Bulldogs in four sets.
The defense was astounding once again as the Bulldogs denied the Mustang attack throughout the match. SMSU hit .179 for the match and was held to -.061 and .162 hitting percentages in the second and third sets. UMD outblocked SMSU 8.0-7.0 and out dug them 55-44. 
UMD had its most effective night offensively since it beat SMSU in the regular season on Nov. 3 as it was the first night the Bulldogs hit above .300 since then.
Three players compiled at least 10 digs with Keena Seiffert leading the pack with a match-high 14 digs. Kate Berg had 13 and Sarah Kelly threw in 10 digs as well. Abby Thor caused havoc at the net, recording five blocks to pace all players. The UMD defense stifled the two-time AVCA All-Region Player of the Year Taylor Reiss. Reiss managed only 10 kills on 37 swings and hit .081, her second lowest total of the season.
Kelly was explosive from an offensive standpoint as well. The AVCA All-Region First Team selection blasted 13 kills and only one error for an absurd .600 hitting percentage. Makenzie Morgen returned from a rough outing the night before to smash home 12 kills with eight digs and three blocks, matching a season-high.
The Mustangs built an early lead in the first set and held on to that advantage for much of the set. The first set was tied 11 times before UMD could finally gain the lead and stole the set late.
The Bulldogs took the crowd out of the second set with a convincing 25-15 set win. The set got out of hand as the Bulldog lead ballooned and the set ended with Morgen compiling the last three UMD kills.
It was the defense that kept the Mustangs from pushing the match longer than it needed to be. Three straight errors at 15-15 set the advantage back to the Bulldogs and eventually won on the fourth match point.

IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT: This is the 20th time in program history UMD has been to the national tournament and its 15th in the last 16 seasons. The Bulldogs had an early exit last year, losing in four sets to Winona State. UMD is 24-19 all-time in the NCAA Tournament.
The Bulldogs have made it out of the region twice in 2004 and 2006. Each time they have lost in the to eventual champions in the semifinals. Barry defeated UMD in 2004 and Tampa did the same thing two years later.
The Bulldogs have the chance to make it there for a  third time and first in 11 years. Today's match will mark the seventh time UMD has reached the regional final, going 2-4 in the first six.

FARING AGAINST THE CENTRAL REGION: Against ranked opponents this season, UMD is 9-4. Concordia-St. Paul will be the seventh straight ranked opponent to battle UMD, a program high. In addition, the Bulldogs are 7-4 against teams that made the field of 64 and 4-3 versus the central region.

GOING THE DISTANCE: Before the regional semifinal,the last four matches have gone to the fifth set, which is the first time in program history that four consecutive matches have needed the decisive final set. UMD is 4-2 in fifth sets this season. 2009 was the last time the Bulldogs won four five-set matches.

SPREAD THE WEALTH: The Bulldogs have had at least three attackers rip 10 or more kills in a single match on 15 occasions. They are 12-3 in those 15 matches.  When UMD had four attackers notch double figures kills, it has gone 6-1 with that only loss coming to Saint Leo. Once have the Bulldogs registered five attackers hitting that mark. They defeated Wayne State in four sets back on Sept. 22.

ON A ROLL: Kate Berg's run of at least 10 kills ended at eight straight matches, a run that started back on Oct. 31 against St. Cloud State, in the last match. Her total is the longest stretch by a Bulldog this season. Berg collected eight kills versus the Mustangs yesterday.

YOU CAN ONLY HOPE TO CONTAIN IT: Displaying the nation's best offense in terms of its attack percentage and the second-best kills per set, the Bulldogs have hit above the .300-mark in 20 of its 32 matches and above .400 in four of those. UMD has only hit sub-.200 only three times this season. They have out blasted the opposition in kills in all but two matches (SMSU- 9/30 and Winona State- 11/15).
The Bulldogs have the three of the top 17 highest kill totals in three set matches, and top ten totals in a four and five set match as well. Eight players have notched collegiate bests for kills in a match this season.

TOP NOTCH OFFENSE: As good as UMD's .291 attack clip is, it's the third best percentage since Jim Boos' arrival in 2002. UMD hit .299 in 2015 and .305 in 2013.

WATCH THE ATTACK ERRORS: With all that success, UMD has killed itself in its six losses on attack errors. It has combined to hit .178 in those six games and mishandle the attack with an average of 28.3 errors a match or 7.1 errors a set. On average, the Bulldogs commit 17.6 errors a match and only 4.3 a set when they pull out a victory.

SLIP THROUGH THE BLOCK: The Bulldogs have been slightly below their yearly average in blocks per set the past few years. UMD is averaging a solid 1.95 blocks a set, but it's lowest mark since 2011 (1.75). Opponents are hitting .186 this year,which is second highest average in Jim Boos' tenure. In 2015, the Bulldogs allowed the opposition to attack at a .187-clip.

BEST OF THE REGION: Sarah Kelly was named to the AVCA and the D2CCA All-Central Region first teams for the second consecutive year. Allison Olley was given an honorable mention slot in the AVCA all-region club.

BEST OF THE CONFERENCE: Five Bulldogs were recognized by the NSIC for all-conference accolades. Junior right side Sarah Kelly and senior middle blocker Allison Olley each received first team honors. Freshman outside hitter Kate Berg, junior outside hitter Makenzie Morgen and sophomore setter Emily Torve each obtained NSIC second team distinction.

WEEKLY HONORS: Four Bulldogs (Allison Olley, Emily Torve, Sarah Kelly and Abby Thor) have been recognized by the NSIC, garnering accolades from each available award. Kelly and Torve each collected their second honors on Nov. 6.

Player of the Week Honors
Oct. 9- Allison Olley Offense PoW
Oct. 9- Emily Torve Setter PoW
Oct. 16- Sarah Kelly Offensive PoW
Oct. 23- Abby Thor Defensive PoW
Nov. 6- Sarah Kelly (2) Offense PoW
Nov. 6- Emily Torve (2) Setter PoW

ATOP THE NCAA MOUNTAIN: UMD is known year in and year out to boast some of the nation's best numbers and this year is no different as it ranks among the NCAA's best in terms of individual and team rankings coming into the regional tournament.
Sophomore setter Emily Torve ranks fifth in the nation with 12.13 assists/set. She also holds the third best mark for assists in a three-set match (50) in all of Division II.
With senior setter Sarah Heesacker, UMD is second in the nation in assists/set (14.28). Those assists numbers also have the Bulldogs sitting in second on the leader board for kills/set at an astounding 15.18.
Senior middle blocker Allison Olley and junior Sarah Kelly have each established themselves as one of the most efficient hitters in the country. Kelly (.417) and Olley (.391) sit third and ninth, respectively, in attack percentage. Either Olley or Kelly have held the number one spot for well over two months. Those outstanding clips have catapulted UMD to the best hitting average in the land at .293, two points ahead of next best Southwest Minnesota State (.291).

SET IT AND FORGET IT: Sophomore setter Emily Torve moved up to ninth all-time among set assists with 2,712 at UMD. Torve passed Shelia Brown's (1985-86) mark of 2,019 with her 60-assist effort versus Winona State. Tammy Wermager is eighth on the UMD charts with 3,513. Torve hit 1,000 assists for a second consecutive season vs. SMSU (11/3) and is the current leader among active players in assists per set at 12.02 edging Marina Hansen (Colo. School of Mines). Torve also turned in a new personal match-high with 65 assists this season. Ashley Hinsch, who preceded Torve, is the last UMD player to serve up that many assists, passing out 68 assists vs. Sioux Falls on Nov. 11, 2014. 

RIGHT SIDE AND CONQUER: Junior right side hitter Sarah Kelly is third among active players in DII in career hitting percentage. Her .383 clip trails Brittany Deveaux of Bluefield State College by 19 points. Kelly hit .360 in back-to-back seasons and is more efficient this year as she has clubbed an astounding .417 while she has increased her kills per set by 71 points up to 3.70. Kelly conquered the NCAA II landscape attaining the Sports Imports/AVCA National Player of the Week on Oct. 17.

ONE-THOUSAND KILL CLUB WATCH: In addition, junior right side hitter Sarah Kelly is on the verge of becoming the next Bulldog attacker to eclipse the 1,000-kill milestone. The Chaska H.S. product is six kills away from becoming the 20th Bulldog to join the club. Sydnie Mauch was the 19th player in team history to join the prestigious club on Oct. 21, 2016 against Wayne State.

CLOGGING THE MIDDLE: Sophomore middle blocker Abby Thor has imploded opposing attacks in the last three matches.  Thor has five blocks in each of the last three games and played a crucial role in the success UMD had in advancing past SMSU. 

HEAD OF THE ROOKIE CLASS: Outside hitter Kate Berg has shown the tools to become a perennial threat the next three years with her play as a freshman. As the second option in the UMD attack, the native of Wayzata, Minn., leads all NSIC newcomers in a bevy of categories: kills per set (3.24), points per set (3.64), attacks per set (8.82), kills (369). Among all freshmen, she ranks ninth in the country in terms of total kills, 13th in points per set and 11th kills per set.

WHY SERVE TO HER: Teams have been picking on the freshman in the serve-receive game all season. Kate Berg has seen 582 serves come her direction, the most among any Bulldog. She only has 32 errors which is good for a .945-clip, the third best mark on the club. 
More importantly, Berg has translated her passing to quick kills. Forty-two percent of the time (246 kills) Berg has passed good balls to the setter for easy terminations.

MASTER OF ALL TRADES: Junior outside hitter Makenzie Morgen has been the most versatile player for UMD this season. Morgen is currently on pace at become the first Bulldog to average at least 3.00 kills per set and 3.00 digs per set since Kate Lange who accomplished that feat in 2011. She also has 42 aces from the service line this year. That is the most by a Bulldog since Kate Lange had 48 aces in 2011. 

DOUBLE-DOUBLE MACHINE: Junior outside hitter Makenzie Morgen has racked up 12 double-doubles. She has recorded a double-double in the last three matches before entering the NCAA Tournament.
Sept. 1- Nova Southeastern 11k-12d
Sept. 8- Lake Superior State 15k-13d
Sept. 9- Wisconsin-Parkside 12k-11d
Sept. 14- Minnesota Crookston 14k-10d
Sept. 19- St. Cloud State 12k-10d
Sept. 22- Wayne State 13k-18d
Sept. 23- Augustana 14k-11d
Oct. 7- Concordia-St. Paul 19k-16d
Oct. 27- MSU-Moorhead 15k-16d
Nov. 11- Wayne State 27k-24d
Nov. 15- Winona State 15k-16d
Nov. 18- Concordia-St. Paul 21k-12d

SURVEY SAYS: For roughly 15-plus years, the Bulldogs have been nationally ranked in the American Volleyball Coaches Association. UMD has been in every poll since it first appeared on Sept. 10, 2002, a stretch of 217 consecutive weeks. Only Central Missouri (ranked 19th) has a longer running active streak with 421. The Bulldogs checked in as the seventh best team in the second-to-last poll.

Rank     School                                     Points         Record
1            California Baptist (27)                1162             28-0
2            Southwest Minn. State (13)        1146             28-3
3            Concordia-St. Paul (7)                1101            28-3
4             Lewis (1)                                    1083             31-2
5            Western Washington                   996               25-3
6             Nebraska-Kearney                     896               33-3
7             Minnesota Duluth                       875               24-6
8             Arkansas Tech                            840              35-0
T-9         Palm Beach Atlantic                    787               25-3
T-9        Regis 787 28-3

BOOS CLUES: In his 16th year at the helm of the UMD volleyball program, Jim Boos has turn the volleyball club into a perennial national contender. Boos was hired on July 24, 2002 to become the fourth coach since 1976, succeeding Pati Rolf, and has become the longest tenured volleyball coach in the Bulldogs' 41-year history.
The native of Delafield, Wis. has produced a 429-77 record and has taken his club into the NCAA tournament every year expect the 2015 season being an illuminating one despite knocking off the eventual champions Wheeling Jesuit twice in the regular season.
UMD earned its inaugural trip to the NCAA II Elite Eight in 2004 before losing to eventual champions Barry University. Boos was given the prestigious accolade of AVCA Coach of the Year. Two years later, Boos and the Bulldogs would return with another deep postseason before falling to the University of Tampa, who would be crowned National Champions.
Boos has hand-crafted numerous players that have rewritten the record books, and have retooled the expectations set forth yearly by the program. To date, 22 individuals have accumulated AVCA All-American honors since Boos arrival. Each of the past 15 years, the Bulldogs have had at least one representative selected to the All-American team. 
Before his time at UMD, Boos served as an assistant coach at UW-Oshkosh for five years (1992-98) and assistant at North Dakota State University (1998-2001).

UP NEXT: The NCAA Elite Eight is at stake for the winner of the Central Region championship match. The eight regional winners will battle for a national championship in Pensacola, Fla. The Elite Eight will take place Dec. 7-9. The surviving eight teams will be reseeded in the NCAA quarterfinals.