DULUTH, Minn. – The 12^th-ranked University of Minnesota Duluth volleyball team will face its second consecutive top-10 team when it travels to face eighth-ranked St. Cloud State University on Thursday before returning to Romano Gymnasium on Saturday to square off against the University of Minnesota Crookston.

MATCH SCHEDULE
Thursday
6 p.m. at #8 St. Cloud State
Saturday
4 p.m. vs. Minnesota Crookston
 
Watch: www.umdbulldogs.com/watch
Live Stats Thursday: https://scsuhuskies.com/sidearmstats/wvball/summary
Live Stats Saturday: https://umdbulldogs.com/sidearmstats/wvball/summary
 
Promo Information
Saturday vs. Minnesota Crookston
Camper Appreciation/Family Weekend
 
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About the Bulldogs
AVCA Ranking: 12
Record: 12-5, 5-4 NSIC
NSIC Standing: 7^th
 

• The Bulldogs sit 12^th in this week's American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Division II poll.
• UMD won two straight matches at Bemidji State University last Tuesday and the University of Sioux Falls on Friday, before dropping its first match away from Duluth this season at Southwest Minnesota State University in four sets on Saturday.
• The Bulldogs are 8-1 away from Duluth thus far this year and 4-4 at Romano Gymnasium.
• UMD has suffered more than four home losses in season just once since 2013 (2021).
• This is the halfway point of the NSIC season with the Bulldogs having a chance to avenge losses in the second half of the conference slate against Southwest and Northern State University.
• This will be the only time during the regular season, the Bulldogs will face St. Cloud State and Minnesota Crookston.
• Minnesota Duluth ranks fourth in the NSIC in hitting percentage (.243) and opponent hitting percentage (.161).
• UMD ranks 16^th in NCAA Division II averaging 12.85 assists per set.
• Madison Gordon ranks 14^th nationally with 10.76 assists per set.
• Gordon is 37 assists away from reaching the 3,000 assists milestone.
• Cianna Selbitschka leads the team averaging 3.58 kills per set.
• Two-time NSIC Defensive Player of the Week Kaylyn Madison sits at exactly 900 digs in her career.
• Madison ranks third in the league averaging 5.0 digs per set.
• Head Coach Jim Boos, the winningest coach in program history in his 22^nd year at Minnesota Duluth, sits at 548 career wins entering the weekend.

 

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Scouting St. Cloud State
AVCA Ranking: 8
Record: 14-4, 7-2 NSIC
NSIC Standing: 4^th
 

• After losing in four sets at Southwest Minnesota State on Friday, the Huskies survived a rally from the University of Sioux Falls on Saturday to win the fifth set 15-13.
• The other losses this season have against Wayne State College (Neb.) and Concordia University St. Paul in three sets.
• St. Cloud State also fell at Romano Gymnasium earlier this season on the Up North Tournament to Central Washington University in five sets.
• The Huskies went 3-1 in Duluth earlier this season with Kenzie Foley and Shelby Kimm named to the All-Tournament team.
• Foley leads the NSIC averaging 4.85 kills per set and ranks third in NCAA Division II.
• Foley also leads the conference with 5.41 points per set, which ranks fourth nationally.
• Emma Berran ranks fifth in the country with 11.54 assists per set.
• Foley has been named NSIC Offensive Player of the Week twice this season, while Berran has been named NSIC Setter of the Week on one occasion.
• The Huskies have won at least 25 matches each of the last 25 seasons.
• St. Cloud State captured the NSIC Tournament championship for the second straight year a season ago as the No. 5 seed in the tournament and then advanced to the NCAA Central Region Final also as the No. 5 seed.

 
Previous Meeting: (All-Time Series: UMD leads 81-43)
The Bulldogs won both meetings last season in five sets after the Huskies had won three of the previous four meetings … Selbitschka had 22 kills in the home win over St. Cloud State, while Daak recorded 15 kills in the road win … UMD won 35 straight in the series from 1996-2017.
 

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Scouting Minnesota Crookston
AVCA Ranking: NR
Record: 3-13, 1-7 NSIC
NSIC Standing: 13^th
 

• The Golden Eagles enter the week having dropped the last four matches all in straight sets.
• Crookston will face Bemidji State University on Thursday before taking on the Bulldogs Saturday.
• The lone conference win of the season for UMC came against the University of Mary (N.D.) in five sets.
• The Golden Eagles are led by Madison Carsten with 136 kills this season and 2.47 kills per set.
• Setter Dana Melby 7.55 assists per set and leads the team with 15 service aces.
• Kailee Waasdorp ranks fifth in the NSIC averaging 4.79 digs per set.

 
Previous Meeting: (All-Time Series: UMD leads 30-0)
Sydney Lanoue led the way with 13 kills for UMD at Romano Gymnasium … The Bulldogs have not dropped a set to the Golden Eagles in the last 16 meetings.