THE OPENING SERVE: For the 21st time in school history, the University of Minnesota Duluth will enter the NCAA II Tournament Thursday in search of its first national championship. The NCAA II Central Region Tournament will be held Nov. 15 through Nov. 17 with the winner advancing to the NCAA II Elite Eight in Pittsburgh, Pa. on Nov. 29-Dec. 1. The eight-team region tournament will be held at the Health and Sports Center on the campus of the University of Nebraska Kearney, who is the top seed and tournament host. The Bulldogs were tagged with the second seed and will face off against the seventh seed University of Central Missouri at 2:30 p.m., in a rematch of the NCAA II Central Region quarterfinal six years ago.
 
WHO'S MADE THE CENTRAL REGION: Three teams claimed automatic bids through conference tournament qualifiers. UMD won the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference tournament. The University of Nebraska Kearney won the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association tournament. Harding University defeated everyone in the Great American Conference to claim the last automatic bid. The NSIC received three at-large bids (Concordia University, St. Paul, Southwest Minnesota State and Northern State). The MIAA was awarded with the other two at-large bids (Washburn University and the University of Central Missouri).
 
THE PAIRINGS: No. 3 Washburn (29-4) vs. No. 6 Missouri Western State (24-10) -- 12:00 p.m.
No. 2 UMD (27-5) vs. No. 7 Central Missouri (25-7) -- 12:30 p.m.
No. 4 Concordia-St. Paul (22-8) vs. No. 5 Southwest Minnesota State (23-8) -- 5:00 p.m.
No. 1 Southwest Minnesota State (26-3) vs. No. 8 Harding (25-7) -- 7:30 p.m.
 
SCOUTING REPORT ON CENTRAL MISSOURI: The Jennies (27-5) were swept in the MIAA semifinals by Nebraska Kearney. They made it in as an at-large team and are No. 10 in the AVCA poll. Central Missouri went 14-4 in conference play, which was tied for third in the MIAA.
 
Six Jennies were named to the All-MIAA teams. Audrey Fisher and Kylie Hohlen were first team honorees. Ally Offerdahl was the lone second team selection while Hannah Engelken, Rylee Neigenfind, and Carly Offerdahl were honorable mentions. In addition, Engelken was also named the MIAA Freshman of the Year.
 
The Jennies lead a high-volume attack averaging 40.63 attacks per set, the eighth most in the nation. They are also a solid team on the back end defensively with 18.78 digs per set, good for 29th in the nation. The .225 hitting percentage is 48th in Division II. Central Missouri has 14.15 kills per set, 21st in the country.
 
Fisher and Hohlen lead the Jennies with 3.32 and 3.31 kills per set, respectively. Fisher is hitting a team-leading .337. Offerdahl is averaging 10.91 assists per set. Central Missouri has three players scooping at least 3.90 digs per set with Abby Skrastins leading the pack at 3.96.
 
THE SERIES: The Bulldogs trail the all-time series against the Jennies 11-4. UMD won the previous matchup in the 2012 central region quarterfinal at Concordia-St. Paul. The Bulldogs won that match in five sets. The only other recent meeting came in UMD's first Elite Eight appearance back in 2004. The Bulldogs are 1-0 against the Jennies in postseason play.
 
HOW THEY RANK: Here is how UMD and its opponents stack up with their overall records, NCAA seeding, and in the AVCA coaches' poll.
 
UMD             27-5          2nd         No. 4           
UCM             25-7          7th        No. 10
 
THE BROADCAST: All matches this weekend will be carried live through a video stream. The stream is available for free at: themiaanetwork.com/unklopers
 
LIVE STATS: Live stats for all matches at the NCAA II Central Region Tournament can be viewed at: lopers.com/sidearmstats/wvball/summary
 
LAST TIME OUT: The Bulldogs won the NSIC Tournament beating Southwest Minnesota State in four sets at Romano Gymnasium. It was the third postseason title for the Bulldogs and first since 2014 when it also hosted the conference tournament. UMD is 12-4 in the tournament and 8-1 at home.
 
Sophomore outside hitter Kate Berg notched a team high 15 kills and hit .412 for the match. She also had 12 digs for a double-double. Senior outside hitter Makenzie Morgen collected 13 kills and 12 digs. Senior middle blocker Sarah Kelly had 10 kills to go along with a match high seven blocks. The Bulldogs registered a .336 hitting percentage. UMD claimed the first two sets before dropping the third and finally taking the win in the fourth.
 
IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT: This is the 21st time in program history UMD has been to the national tournament and its 16th in the last 17 seasons. The Bulldogs got to the regional final last season before bowing out to Concordia-St. Paul.
 
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.

FARING AGAINST THE FIELD: UMD is 4-2 against teams in the central region this year -- all NSIC teams. The Bulldogs are 5-3 against teams that made the field of 64.
 
BEST OF THE CONFERENCE: Six Bulldogs were recognized by the NSIC for all-conference accolades. Senior right side/middle blocker Sarah Kelly, junior outside hitter Makenzie Morgen, junior setter Emily Torve and sophomore outside hitter Kate Berg all received first team honors. Junior right side hitter Hanna Meyer middle blocker Abby Thor each obtained NSIC second team distinction.
 
For Kelly, this is her third straight first team honor. Morgen and Torve each attained first team honors for the first time after collecting a pair of second team honors. Berg jumped up to the top team after grabbing second team honors as a freshman. For Meyer and Thor, this is their first all-conference selection.
 
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 and at No. 4 in back-to-back weeks. In fact, the Bulldogs have been in every poll since it first appeared on Sept. 10, 2002 -- a stretch of 231 consecutive weeks. No other team has a longer active streak.

PULLING RANK: UMD is 5-2 against ranked teams this season. The Bulldogs have defeated then-No. 25 Flagler and then-No. 3 Concordia-St. Paul in straight sets. They upset Northern State in five sets on two occasions and downed then-No. 7 Southwest Minnesota State.
 
ALL BUT GAME OVER: UMD is 22-0 this season when it leads 2-0 going into the intermission. Since the change to 25-point format in 2008, the Bulldogs are 242-2.
 
DIG THIS: Junior defensive specialist Keena Seiffert has 27 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.
 
KEEP DIGGING: In the NSIC Tournament Quarterfinal against Upper Iowa, a trio of UMD players scraped up 20 or more digs first time since Oct. 28, 2006. The trio of senior outside hitter Makenzie Morgen, sophomore outside hitter Kate Berg and junior libero Keena Seiffert combined for 70 of the 98 digs. Morgen collected a collegiate high 28 digs and Berg also tallied a career high as well with 22. They joined the trio of Chelsea Meierotto, Whitney Meierotto and Kari Walford as the newest Bulldogs to accomplish the feat.
 
NO EASY WAY OUT: UMD is allowing 10.62 kills per set which is the lowest total in the NSIC this season. The Bulldogs haven't reached a number that low since 2012 when that squad gave up 10.23 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 10.01 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 .273 hitting percentage is fifth in the nation. The 14.87 kills per set is third in the nation and second in the NSIC and UMD has the third highest assists per set in the country with 14.18.
 
SPREAD THE WEALTH: The Bulldogs have had at least four attackers rip 10 or more kills in a single match three times in the last six matches. Last season, UMD reached that threshold six times. In the last two years the Bulldogs are 8-1 when four or more hitters all collect at least 10 kills in a match.
 
THIS GIRL IS ON FIRE: Junior outside hitter Hanna Meyer has been on the roll since postseason play started. Meyer has amassed a team-high 3.55 kills per set on a .366 hitting percentage.
 
ON LOCKDOWN: Teams are hitting .152 against the Bulldogs this season. That clip is impressive with six NSIC teams in top 25 in terms of attack percentage. That .158 mark is the 79th best in Division II and the second-best mark in the NSIC.
 
BLOCK PARTY: The Bulldogs are averaging 2.30 per set, which is good for second in the conference and 24th in the nation.
 
ROAD BLOCK: The Bulldogs' 2.30 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 sixth in the NSIC.
 
THE HAMMER OF THE BLOCK: Junior middle blocker Abby Thor has 113 blocks on the year and is on pace to become the third blocker in consecutive seasons to compile at least a block per set. She has 1.06 blocks per set, which is fourth in the NSIC and 62nd among her peers. She became 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 nine, all of the kill-dig variety.
 
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 against MSU Moorhead in third set. Morgen, who has slid into 15th for most kills (1,046) at UMD, has 1,283 kills combining her playing days with the University of Maryland Baltimore County.
 
MOVING UP THE KILL CHARTS:  Senior right side/middle blocker Sarah Kelly is one of those 1,000-Kill members as well. Kelly has 1,291 career kills moving her into UMD's top 10 for kills. She can surpass Anene Anderson for eighth with two kills on Thursday.
 
LIGHT IT UP: Senior right side/middle blocker Sarah Kelly is third in the nation among active career hitting percentages. Kelly is the top senior in terms of hitting percentage attacking at a .385 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 has 4,098 assists, the seventh Bulldog to reach 4,000 assists at UMD. Torve is chasing Eleena Iisakka for sixth all-time with 4,124 assists, needing only 27 assists to pass her.
 
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 12.20 assists per set. In addition, her 4,098 career assists is 14th among active Division II players and the most by any junior.
 
Top 5 Active Career Leaders in Assists Per Set
1    Emily Torve, Minn. Duluth                       12.20
2    Ashley Rozell, Northern St.                     12.02
3    Samantha Seliger-Swenson, Minnesota  11.84
4    Sydney Hilley, Wisconsin                        11.76
5    Laura DeMarchi, Michigan Tech              11.75
 
BOOS CLUES: In his 17th year at the helm of the UMD volleyball program, Jim Boos has turned 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' 47-year history.
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, 24 individuals have accumulated AVCA All-American honors since Boos arrival. Each year under his helm, the Bulldogs have had at least one representative selected to the All-American team.
The native of Delafield, Wis. has produced a 463-87 record and has taken his club into the NCAA tournament every year expect the 2015 season -- an illuminating one despite knocking off the eventual champions Wheeling Jesuit twice in the regular season.
The Bulldogs would finish 29-3 in Boos' first go-around, romping to an 18-0 mark against Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference competition as Boos laid claim to the first of his eight conference championships to date. At the end of his debut season behind the Bulldog bench, Boos was recognized by his colleagues as the 2002 NSIC Coach of the Year. He'd repeat that feat in 2011 and again in 2014, when UMD went 20-0 in their tough NSIC schedule defeating 11 ranked teams on the way to a program-best winning percentage with a 33-2 overall record.
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 2004 AVCA Coach of the Year. Two years later, Boos and the Bulldogs would return with another deep postseason run before falling to the University of Tampa, who would be crowned national champions.
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: With a win Thursday night, the Bulldogs would face the winner of the quarterfinal match between third seeded Washburn University and sixth seeded Northern State University on Friday at 5:00 p.m.