DULUTH, Minn. – It's Homecoming weekend for the 10^th-ranked University of Minnesota Duluth volleyball team this weekend with opponents Augustana University (S.D.) and No. 1 ranked Wayne State College (Neb.) coming to town for the festivities.
 
MATCH SCHEDULE
Friday
5 p.m. vs. Augustana (Note Start Time)
Saturday
4 p.m. vs. #1 Wayne State
 
Watch: www.umdbulldogs.com/watch
Live Stats: https://umdbulldogs.com/sidearmstats/wvball/summary
 
Promo Information
Friday vs. Northern State
Hall of Fame Night/Alumni
Saturday vs. MSU Moorhead
Homecoming
 
Purchase Tickets
 
About the Bulldogs
AVCA Ranking: 10
Record: 10-2, 3-1 NSIC
 

• The Bulldogs dropped from seventh to 10^th in this week's American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Division II poll, following their five-set loss to Northern State University (S.D.).
• UMD bounced back on Saturday by sweeping Minnesota State University Moorhead.
• First-year outside hitter Paige Decker led the Bulldogs in kills in each match over the weekend with a season-high 19 in Friday's match and 10 in Saturday's victory.
• Setter Madison Gordon, who ranks sixth in NCAA Division II with 13.49 assists per set, had a season-high 59 assists against Northern State on Friday, while also adding a career-high 17 digs.
• Gordon has four double-doubles on the season.
• Defensive specialist Kaylyn Madison ranks second in the NSIC, averaging 5.32 digs per set, while outside hitter Cianna Selbitschka also ranks third in the NSIC, averaging 3.66 kills per set.
• Head Coach Jim Boos, the winningest coach in program history in his 22^nd year at Minnesota Duluth, sits at 546 career wins entering the weekend.
• Former Bulldog middle blocker Joleyn (Young) Hansen will be inducted into the UMD Athletic Hall of Fame Friday night.
• Hansen ranks fourth in the program history with 1,696 career kills and still holds the program record for career solo blocks at 127, while ranking second with 195 career service aces.

 

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Scouting Augustana
AVCA Ranking: NR
Record: 4-7, 1-2 NSIC
 

• The Vikings have been a streaky team this season, dropping four straight matches to begin the season, then winning three straight before three straight defeats.
• Augie is coming off a sweep of Minnesota State University on Saturday.
• Augustana enters the weekend winless in its two true road matches on the season at Texas Woman's University and Winona State University.
• Kia Kriener leads the team and ranks fourth in the NSIC averaging 3.64 kills per set.
• Erika Bute ranks second in the conference with 222 total digs and third in the league averaging 5.29 digs per set.
• The Vikings rank 12^th in the conference with a .172 hitting percentage, while opponents are hitting at a rate of .204.
• Joining the Vikings on the bench this season is former Bulldog Sydney Lanoue as a graduate assistant.
• Lanoue played for the Bulldogs

 
Previous Meeting: (All-Time Series: UMD leads 37-13)
The Bulldogs snapped a two-match losing streak to the Vikings with a sweep of Augustana at Romano last September … UMD is 14-3 all-time against the Vikings at home.

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Scouting Wayne State
AVCA Ranking: 1
Record: 12-1, 3-0 NSIC
 

• Like last season, the Wildcats will travel to Duluth as the No. 1 ranked team in NCAA Division II.
• Wayne State had a match on Tuesday, sweeping NAIA's Peru State College (Neb.).
• The Wildcats will open the conference weekend on Friday when they face No. 6 St. Cloud State before traveling to Duluth
• On Saturday, the Wildcats rallied from a 2-1 deficit at No. 9 Southwest Minnesota State to win in five sets.
• Maggie Brahmer had a career-high 20 kills in the victory and was named the NSIC Defensive Player of the Week.
• Brahmer averaged 1.55 blocks per set to go along with her 3.55 kills per set in three matches last week.
• Wayne State's lone loss this season came against a conference foe in a non-conference match as No. 2 Concordia University St. Paul prevailed in five sets at the Colorado Premier Challenge in Denver back in early September.
• Since that defeat, the Wildcats are on a five-match win streak.
• Nine of Wayne State's 12 wins have come by sweeps this season.
• The Wildcats rank third in the nation in hitting percentage (.298) and blocks per set (2.67).
• Taya Beller leads the conference averaging 1.26 blocks per set.
• Beller also ranks second in the league with a .370 hitting percentage and averages 4.70 points per set.
• Kelsie Cada joined the 1,000 kill, 1,000 dig club earlier this season for the Wildcats, becoming the eighth player in program history to do so.
• Opponents are hitting .183 against the Wildcats, which ranks seventh in the NSIC.

 
Previous Meeting: (All-Time Series: UMD leads 30-11)
The Wildcats have the last three meetings over the Bulldogs, including winning by sweeps each of the last matches … Wayne State has won the last two meetings played at Romano.