THE OPENING SERVE: The No. 6 University of Minnesota Duluth was set to start the 2019 year off in West Palm Beach, but due to weather conditions, the West Palm Bash at the Beach was canceled. The Bulldogs shifts its focus to the Texan Invitational in Stephenville, Tex.
UMD will face the California State - Los Angeles Golden Eagles on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. Friday is against California State - San Bernardino at 2:00 p.m. Saturdays' contests will be against theUniversity of Western Alabama Tigers (2:00 p.m.) and Rockhurst University (7:00 p.m.) to round out the tournament for the Bulldogs.

SCOUTING REPORT ON CAL STATE - L.A.: No. 19 ranked California State - Los Angeles posted a 22-6 overall record in 2018. The Golden Eagles were beat in the semifinals of the California Collegiate Athletic Association conference tournament. Advancing to the NCAA tournament, Cal State was knocked out in the first round in a five set match to Cal State - San Bernardino.

SCOUTING REPORT ON WEST ALABAMA: UWA posted a 22-10 overall record in the 2018 season. The Tigers finished runner up in the regular season in the Gulf South Conference, posting a 13-3 record within the GSC. UWA bowed out in the first round of the NCAA tournament, losing a four set match to Barry University.

SCOUTING REPORT ON ROCKHURST UNIVERSITY: No. 14 ranked Rockhurst University went 32-7 overall last year, finishing fourth in the Great Lakes Valley Conference, posting a 14-4 record, and went on to win the GLVC Tournament. Rockhurst would go on to the NCAA Midwest Regional Finals, bowing out to Lewis University in a four set match.

SCOUTING REPORT ON CAL STATE - S.B.: No. 2 ranked California State - San Bernardino posted a 28-3 record overall last year, winning the South division of the California Collegiate Athletic Association conference with a 16-1 conference record. Cal State S.B. would would go on to become CCAA tournament champions as well. The Coyotes went to the NCAA  West Regional Finals, losing to eventual runner up Western Washington in a 5 set match.

THE SERIES: UMD has faced both colleges from California before but it has never battled either UWA or Rockhurst in its 48-year history. The Bulldogs played the Coyotes twice, once in 2005 (0-3 L) and again in 2016 (3-0 W). The Bulldogs and Golden Eagles have met once, back in 2007 where the Bulldogs had taken the match (3-0).  

HOW THEY RANK: Here is how UMD and its opponents this weekend stack up in the AVCA poll.

    
UMD     28-6        6th
CSLA    22-6        19th
UWA     22-10        NR
RU        32-7        14th
CSSB    28-3        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: https://tarletonsports.com/watch/?Live=1414&type=Live

those interested in live stats only follow the link below: http://www.statbroadcast.com/events/statmonitr.php?gid=tarl

RECAPPING THE 2018 SEASON: The Bulldogs were 28-6 last season and finished 17-3 in the NSIC. UMD had tied for the NSIC regular season championship with Northern State, as well as winning the NSIC Tournament. The Bulldogs were dealt a loss at the hands of the eventual NCAA central regional champions, Washburn university.

GLAD TO HAVE YOU BACK: UMD returns 10 letterwinners to the 2018 squad, including four starters and a libero. Those four starters are: senior setter Emily Balts, senior middle blocker Abby Thor, senior right side hitter Hanna Meyer and junior outside hitter Kate Berg. Senior defensive specialist Keena Seiffert is back for a third consecutive season as the libero.

WELCOME TO MINNESOTA DULUTH: The Bulldogs added two newcomers to the mix this season. UMD welcomes outside hitter Grace Post (New Aubrun, Wis.) and outside hitter Hope Schjenken (Deer River, Minn.).

BULLDOGS PICKED SECOND IN NSIC: UMD was picked to finish in a tie with Concordia University, St. Paul for second in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference according to the NSIC coaches' poll. The Bulldogs were selected behind Northern State. UMD received 203 points and four first place votes while Northern State was selected to finish at the top of the conference with 209 points and six first-place votes. Wayne State College (178 points) and Southwest Minnesota State (170 points, one first place vote) round out the top-five.

SETTING THE BAR: Senior setter Emily Balts, the quarterback of the Bulldog offense, notched the Setter of the Week award for four consecutive weeks last season in the NSIC, a believe-to-be league first. Balts 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. She also was named to the American Volleyball Coaches Association All-American second team. Emily Balts moved up to sixth all-time among set assists last year with 4,181 at UMD. Rhaya Tomberlin is fifth on the UMD charts with 5,406.

SURVEY SAYS: For roughly 17-plus years, the Bulldogs have been nationally ranked in the American Volleyball Coaches Association. UMD checked in as the sixth best team in the 2018 preseason poll. The Bulldogs have been in every poll since it first appeared on Sept. 10, 2002, a stretch of 233 consecutive weeks. No other team has a longer active streak.

Rank    School                        Points    Record
1    Tampa (43)                       1142    35-4    
2    Cal Stat                             1040    28-3    
3    Western Washington (1)   1023    32-5    
4    Washburn (2)                    981    33-5    
5    Concordia-St. Paul            931    24-9    
6    Minnesota Duluth              905    28-6    
7    Lewis                                 828    30-9    
8    Northern State                   790    26-5    
9    Southwest Minnesota        732    23-9    
10    Tarleton State                  688    32-6        

OPENING DAY SUCCESS: The Bulldogs have not lost on opening day since 2004 when they were swept by Northern Michigan. Since then, UMD is 25-0 on its opening day. That success has expanded into the opening weekend as well. The Bulldogs are 48-4 (.923) on the opening weekend of the season dating back to 2006.

BOOS CLUES: In his 18th 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' 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, 25 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 466-88 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 nine 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).


 2018 ACCOLADES: Senior setter Emily Balts and alumna right side hitter Sarah Kelly attained AVCA All American honors, continuing the tradition of excellence of having at least one player earn All-American honors for the last 17 years. This was Kelly's second consectutive first team nod and Balts was the 25th different player in program history to be bestowed an All-American. The pair also garnered NSIC All-Tournament team distinctions. In addition, junior outside hitter Kate Berg and alumna outside hitter Makenzie Morgen nabbed All-NSIC first team selections, while senior right side hitter Hanna Meyer and senior middle blocker Abby Thor each obtained All-NSIC second team distinction. Two Bulldogs (Balts and Thor) garnered NSIC weekly awards.

UP NEXT: The Bulldogs head to St. Cloud, Minn., for the St. Cloud State Invitational hosted by St. Cloud State next week

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