THE OPENING SERVE: The No. 4 University of Minnesota Duluth engages in a pair of Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference tilts against the University of Mary and Minot State University this Friday and Saturday (Nov. 2-3) to close out the regular season. The first serve is at 6 p.m. on Friday versus the Marauders and 4 p.m. the following afternoon against the Beavers at Romano Gymnasium.

A REGULAR SEASON TITLE WITHIN REACH: UMD has its sight on its league-leading 24th NSIC regular season title -- and 28th overall -- this weekend. The Bulldogs, with a pair of wins, would assure at least a share of the conference title and first since they won it outright in 2014. UMD has not gone more than three seasons without a share of the conference championship.

WIN AND CLINCH HOME COURT FOR TUESDAY: With the top four seeds earning the right to host the quarterfinal round of the NSIC Tournament, the Bulldogs can lock up one of top seeds with one victory this weekend.  

SCOUTING REPORT ON MINOT STATE: The Beavers (13-15; 6-12 NSIC) are coming off back-to-back sweeps over the University of Minnesota Crookston and Bemidji State University. Minot State's 13 wins is the most in a season since 2011 when the Beavers won 18 matches.

Minot State is averaging 12 kills per set and is hitting .166 on the season. Opponents are attacking at a .224 clip. The Beavers, defensively, average 1.2 blocks per set and an even 15 digs per set.

Shelby Spuller paces the Minot State offense with 377 kills and is averaging 3.89 kills per set, fifth in the NSIC. Falldorf leads the Beavers averaging 0.66 blocks per set and ranks second on the team averaging 2.08 kills per set. Kelsey Dewulf directs the Beaver offense with a 10.18 assists per set average. The Minot State defense is led by Karli Koza who has 495 digs and is averaging 5.10 digs per set, second in the conference.

SCOUTING REPORT ON MARY: The Marauders (4-22; 1-17 NSIC) are last in the NSIC but grabbed their first conference win of the season last Friday against Minnesota Crookston. That snapped a 20-game losing skid which included 10 straight sweeps.

Mary is hitting a tad above the .100 mark for the season. The offense is averaging exactly 10 kills per set. On the other side of the ball, opponents are hitting an opportune .240 against the Marauders. Mary is averaging 1.4 blocks per set and 14.0 digs per set.

Morgan Schnabel leads Mary with 168 kills and a 2.58 kills per set. Katja Berge is next for the Marauders with 2.09 kills per set. Sydney Murphy and Brittany Brusven dictate the offense, averaging 6.55 and 3.20 assists per set, respectively. Natalia Cruz backs the defense with 3.20 digs per set. 

THE SERIES: The Bulldogs are 9-0 against Minot State  since their first meeting in 2012. UMD has swept Minot State in all nine meetings.

The Bulldogs are 15-0 versus Mary including 11 straight sweeps over the Marauders. 

HOW THEY RANK: Here is how UMD and its opponents stack up with their overall records, the NSIC standings, in the AVCA poll and in the NCAA Regional Rankings.

THE BROADCAST: All NSIC matches throughout the season will be carried live through a video stream with live stat capabilities. Bulldog Productions will be carrying each match this weekend with Josh Wallace on the call both night. The streams are available for free at:  portal.stretchinternet.com/umd

LAST TIME OUT: The Bulldogs piled up two more big victories to help its resume for the NCAA Tournament last weekend. UMD battled back to take down No. 5 Northern State in five sets on Friday in Aberdeen, S.D. For the Bulldogs, it was their third straight five-set win over the Wolves. Senior right side hitter Sarah Kelly collected a season high 18 kills and sophmore outside hitter Kate Berg posted 17 kills and 18 digs in the win. UMD won in four sets over MSU Moorhead on Saturday. Berg had a match high 16 kills as the Bulldogs had four hitters collect double-figure kills for the first time all season. 

NSIC PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONORS: A pair of Bulldogs -- junior middle blocker Abby Thor and junior setter Emily Torve -- have been honored by the NSIC with its weekly honors. Thor was named the NSIC Offensive Player of Week on Oct. 1. Torve was selected the NSIC Setter of the Week four times (Sept. 24-Oct. 15).

SETTING THE BAR: Junior setter Emily Torve showcased world class form. The quarterback of the Bulldog offense notched the Setter of the Week award for four consecutive weeks, a believe-to-be league first. Torve was the first to three-peat that honor since 2014 when Bulldog almuna Ashley Hinsch rolled off three straight accolades. During her superior run, the Bulldogs attack at a .301 hitting clip and averaged 15.8 kills per set. Torve tallied 475 assists or 13.5 assists per set over the course of that month-long stretch.

SURVEY SAYS: For roughly 16-plus years, the Bulldogs have been nationally ranked in the American Volleyball Coaches Association. UMD has been ranked in the top 10 in every poll this season. It was the biggest mover this week hopping up four spots to No. 4 on Monday. In fact, the Bulldogs have been in every poll since it first appeared on Sept. 10, 2002 -- a stretch of 229 consecutive weeks. No other team has a longer active streak.

SURVEY SAYS II: UMD ranked fifth in the second round of the NCAA Division II Central Region Rankings released Wednesday. The winners of the NSIC Postseason Tournament and the champions of the MIAA and the GAC get automatic bids to the tournament, leaving five at-large bids chosen by the teams ranked highest following postseason tournament play. The NCAA Volleyball selection show will be streamed online on Sunday, Nov. 11 at 9 p.m. on NCAA.com.

HOME COOKIN': Since Romano Gymnasium opened in 1977, the Bulldogs have an overall record of 402-62 overall, winning 86.4 percent of their home matches. The most recent era has been lethal, posting a 80-8 record the last six-plus years. UMD has gone undefeated at home nine times, and has recorded at least double-digits victories in a season on 20 occasions. 

HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE: The Bulldogs have the fifth largest NCAA Division II home attendance averaging 859 fans a match.

HOME SWEET HOME: The Bulldogs have won 20 straight home matches dating back to Sept. 14, 2017. That is the fourth longest home winning streak.

Home Winning Streak
37- 10/23/78 to 10/14/81
33- 8/27/05 to 11/16/07
22- 9/4/12 to 10/18/13
20- 9/14/17 to current

PULLING RANK: UMD is 4-2 against ranked teams this season. The Bulldogs have defeated No. 25 Flagler and No. 3 Concordia-St. Paul in straight sets, and upset Northern State in five sets on two occasions.

ALL BUT GAME OVER: UMD is 18-0 this season when it leads 2-0 going into the intermission. Since the change to 25-point format in 2008, the Bulldogs are 238-2.

STILL LOOKING FOR THAT FIRST SET: Minot State has not won a single set in the nine meetings versus UMD. The Beavers have reached at least 20 points four times and have gotten to 23 once, done earlier this season in the second set. 

AT LEAST MARY HAS ONE: The Marauders haven't fared much better against the Bulldogs either. Mary won its only set back on Oct. 16, 2009 and has dropped the last 34 sets.

DIG THIS: Junior defensive specialist Keena Seiffert has 22 straight matches with at least double figures dig totals. During this stretch, Seiffert scraped up a collegiate best 26 digs against Winona State at home. She has at least nine digs in all but one match this season. 

NO EASY WAY OUT: UMD is allowing 10.55 kills per set which is the lowest total in the NSIC this season. The Bulldogs haven't reached a number that low since 2014 when that squad gave up 10.38 kills per set.

PLAYING OUR STYLE OF BALL: The Bulldogs have done an excellent job of defending and keeping teams out of system. Opponents have 9.88 assists per set against UMD, the lowest total in the NSIC.

OFFENSIVE ONSLAUGHT: The Bulldog offense is once again near the top of the NCAA Division II charts. The .264 hitting percentage is 12th in the nation. The 14.69 kills per set is fourth in the nation and second in the NSIC and UMD has the third highest assists per set in the country with 14.06.

ON LOCKDOWN: Teams are hitting .155 against the Bulldogs this season. That clip is impressive with six NSIC teams in top 50 in terms of attack percentage. That .155 mark is the 73rd best in Division II and the second-best mark in the NSIC.

BLOCK PARTY: The Bulldogs are averaging 2.27 per set, which is good for second in the conference and 23th in the nation.

ROAD BLOCK: The Bulldogs' 2.27 blocks per set this season is the third highest per set average in the last 12 years. 

NO PARTNER NEEDED: Junior middle blocker Abby Thor has 15 solo blocks this season. That is first among Bulldogs and tied for the third in the NSIC. 

THE HAMMER OF THE BLOCK: Junior middle blocker Abby Thor has 93 blocks on the year and is on pace to becoming the third blocker in consecutive seasons to compile at least a block per set. She has 1.01 blocks per set, which is seventh in the NSIC and 83rd among her peers. She could become the third different Bulldog in the last four years to rack up at least 100 blocks in a season.

A TWO-WAY PLAYER: Sophomore outside hitter Kate Berg hasn't fallen into the sophomore slump. Berg has the most double-doubles for UMD this season with seven double-doubles, all of the kill-dig variety. She has three in the last five matches.

WELCOME TO THE 1,000-KILL CLUB: Senior outside hitter Makenzie Morgen becoming the 21st member of the Bulldog club to rack up 1,000 kills. The Appleton, Wis., native reached the milestone on Saturday in third set. Morgen, who has a share of the 19th most kills (1,003) at UMD, has 1,268 kills combining her playing days with the University of Maryland Baltimore County.

MOVING UP THE KILL CHARTS: Senior right side hitter Sarah Kelly is one of those 1,000-Kill members as well. Kelly has 1,236 kills for her career moving her past April Hansen for 11th amongst the program. She is 15 kills away from passing Kari Wolford (1,250) and cracking into the top 10.

LIGHT IT UP: Senior right side hitter Sarah Kelly is fourth in the nation among active career hitting percentages. Kelly is the top senior in terms of hitting percentage attacking at a .383 clip. As it stands, the Chaska, Minn., native is on pace to shatter the best UMD mark set at .361 by both Monica Turner and Sarah Wyffels.  

SET IT AND FORGET IT: Junior setter Emily Torve passed Krista Naugton for seventh all-time among set assists at UMD with 3,875 assists. Torve is chasing Eleena Iisakka for sixth with 4,124 assists.

THE COMPLETE SET: On a national stage, junior setter Emily Torve has the reputation of directing a few of the nation's best hitters and offenses during her stint. The Bulldogs have had the fifth and fourth best offensive hitting percentages the past two seasons. Pile those successes and Torve has the highest assists per set among active setters across all NCAA divisions registering in at 12.15 assists per set. In addition, her 3,875 career assists is 15th among active Division II players and the most by a junior.

Top 5 Active Career Leaders in Assists Per Set
1 Emily Torve, UMD 12.15
2 Ashley Rozell, Northern State 12.03
3 Laura DeMarchi, Michigan Tech 11.88
4 Samantha Seliger-Swenson, Minnesota 11.85
5 Sydney Hilley, Wisconsin 11.66

UP NEXT: The Bulldogs will compete in the NSIC Tournament. The quarterfinal round of the eight-team tournament will begin Tuesday, Nov. 6 and last through Saturday, Nov. 10 with the winner receiving an automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament.