DULUTH, Minn. – The seventh-ranked University of Minnesota Duluth volleyball team will make its home debut this week when it hosts the 6-team, 12-match Up North Preseason Volleyball Tournament at the Romano Gymnasium.
TOURNAMENT WEB SITE
TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
Thursday
5 p.m. - Northern Michigan vs. St. Cloud State
7:30 p.m. - Michigan Tech vs. Minnesota Duluth
Friday
9:30 a.m. - St. Cloud State vs. Southern New Hampshire
12 p.m. - Central Washington vs. Northern Michigan
2:30 p.m. - St. Cloud State vs. Michigan Tech
5 p.m. - Southern New Hampshire vs. Northern Michigan
7:30 p.m. - Central Washington vs. Minnesota Duluth
Saturday
9:30 a.m. - Michigan Tech vs. Southern New Hampshire
12 p.m. - St. Cloud State vs. Central Washington
2:30 p.m. - Northern Michigan vs. Minnesota Duluth
(My9 TV)
5 p.m. - Michigan Tech vs. Central Washington
7:30 p.m. - Southern New Hampshire vs. Minnesota Duluth
Watch: www.umdbulldogs.com/watch
Live Stats: https://umdbulldogs.com/sidearmstats/wvball/summary
Ticket Information
Adult - $10/day
Senior 62+ - $6/day
Youth 3-17 - $5/day
UMD Student - Free
Purchase Tickets
About the Bulldogs
AVCA Ranking: 7
Record: 4-0
- This will be first early season tournament UMD has hosted since 2012 when it hosted the UMD Classic.
- That year the Bulldogs went 4-0 with four sweeps.
- Minnesota Duluth starts the season 4-0 for the second consecutive season after winning all four matches at the Ferris State University (Mich.) Invitational.
- UMD won its first 13 matches last season.
- UMD brings back a wealth of experience from last year's NCAA Tournament squad with five returning starters and a returning libero.
- The returnees were big last week with outside hitter Cianna Selbitschka, right side Samantha Paulsen and defensive specialist Kaylyn Madison all being named to the All-Tournament team.
- Madison also earned Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) Defensive Player of the Week accolades for her efforts.
- UMD had its best offensive efforts against Ferris State and Wayne State University (Mich.), who are both receiving votes in this week's American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Division II poll.
- The Bulldogs moved up one spot to No. 7 in the current AVCA rankings.
- The Bulldogs have not lost a non-conference match at Romano Gym since the 2016 NSIC Tournament and a regular season non-conference match since 2015.
- The last non-NSIC school to beat UMD at home was Western Washington in 2008.
Scouting Michigan Tech
AVCA Ranking: NR
Record: 1-3
- The Huskies opened the season at the Northern Michigan University Tournament last weekend, going 1-3 with the lone win coming against the University of Minnesota Crookston.
- Michigan Tech fell to NSIC schools Winona State University and Concordia University, St. Paul.
- Last season, Tech finished the 2022 season 20-10 overall record, winning 20 matches for the fifth consecutive season.
- The Huskies fell in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Tournament semifinal to end their season.
- Michigan Tech was picked to finish fourth in the GLIAC preseason coaches' poll.
- The Huskies will lean on veteran middle blocker Kaycee Meiners and outside hitter Lindy Oujiri
- Oujiri led the team with 59 kills last weekend.
- Head coach Matt Jennings is in his 11th season with the Huskies and has won 192 matches overall.
- Tech made four consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances from 2017-21.
Scouting Central Washington
AVCA Ranking: 23
Record: 2-2
- Despite going 2-2 last weekend, the Wildcats moved into the AVCA top 25 poll, coming in at No. 23.
- Central Washington played four ranked opponents at the Yotes Classic Showcase in California.
- CWU recorded wins over No. 9 Cal State Los Angeles and No. 18 Regis University (Colo.).
- The Wildcats were unanimously voted to finish atop the Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) and return many key pieces to a 2022 team that finished 17-11 (11-7 GNAC) and tied for 3rd in the conference.
- Among key returners is the GNAC Preseason Player of the Year Tia Andaya.
- The senior setter/outside hitter broke the GNAC career triple-double record last season and holds the record with 12 career triple-doubles.
- Emma Daoud-Hebert led NCAA Division II last season in blocks per set (1.50) and recorded 22 blocks last weekend.
- In total, CWU has a conference-high four selections to the Preseason All-GNAC Team.
- Kylie Thorne, not one of those four, led the team with 3.60 kills per set last weekend.
- Head Coach Mario Andaya enters his 28th season at the helm.
Scouting Northern Michigan
AVCA Ranking: NR
Record: 1-3
- The Wildcats went 1-3 at their own tournament last weekend with the lone win coming against Minnesota Crookston.
- Lauren Van Remortel was named to the UP Open All-Tournament team.
- Over the four matches, Van Remortel recorded 131 assists (9.36 assists/set).
- In 2022, NMU returned to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2010.
- Northern Michigan finished 23-9 and lost to No.1 Midwest seed Quincy.
- The Wildcats return two All-GLIAC First Teamers from a season ago in redshirt juniors Jacqueline Smith (AVCA All-America Honorable Mention) and Meghan Meyer.
- The Wildcats are picked to finish third, according to the GLIAC Preseason Coaches' poll.
- Head coach Mike Lozier has brought in his biggest freshmen class throughout his seven seasons with the Wildcats.
Scouting Southern New Hampshire
AVCA Ranking: NR
Record: 4-0
- The Penmen went 4-0 last weekend at their own tournament, sweeping all four matches.
- Southern New Hampshire begins the season 4-0 for the second straight year, after having previously not started 4-0 since 2009.
- It is also the second consecutive season the Penmen have opened the year winning 12 straight sets.
- Redshirt-senior Ana Pimenta was named the NE10 Player of the Week.
- Pimenta registered 48 kills (4.00 k/s), 22 digs (1.83 d/s) and seven blocks (0.58 b/s) in four matches.
- Pimenta led the team in kills (326), while also ranking second in digs (258) a season ago.
- SNHU are the defending NCAA East Region Champions, which was the most successful season in program history.
- The Penmen finished 19-8, setting a new program record for wins, collecting its first NE10 postseason victory and advancing to the NCAA tournament for the first time.
- Southern New Hampshire returns four of its top seven players from a year ago.
Scouting St. Cloud State
AVCA Ranking: 5
Record: 4-0
- The Bulldogs will have to wait until NSIC play to face the Huskies as they don't see each other this weekend.
- St. Cloud State went 4-0 at the Seawolf Invitational in Alaska last weekend.
- One of those wins was a sweep of 14th-ranked Alaska Anchorage.
- The Huskies are picked to finish fourth in the NSIC this season after capturing the NSIC Tournament championship a season ago.
- St. Cloud then advanced to the program's first NCAA Sweet 16 since 1995.
- The Huskies graduated four key rotation players including three-time All-American outside Linsey Rachel and two-time All-American middle blocker Phebie Rossi.
- Four starters return at key positions in two-time All-American outside Kenzie Foley, middle blocker Sam Zimmerman, setter Emma Berran and libero Keely Kurschner.
- Kenzie Foley is just two kills away from her 1,000th career kill after recording 63 kills in Alaska.
