THE OPENING SERVE: The No. 24 University of Minnesota Duluth partakes in a pair of Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference matches this Thursday and Saturday. The Bulldogs square off against No. 5 St. Cloud State University at Romano Gymnasium on Thursday, Oct. 17 at 6:00 p.m. After a quick off day, UMD will transition and head west to face off against the University of Minnesota Crookston on Saturday, Oct. 19 at 2:00 p.m. 

SCOUTING REPORT ON ST. CLOUD STATE: The Huskies are 14-2 overall and 8-0 in the NSIC. They are ranked fifth in the nation after coming off a five-set road victory over then-No. 6 Wayne State last Saturday. Their 10-match winning streak is the best in the NSIC and they are currently the last undefeated team in conference play. SCSU ranks first in the NSIC in aces/set (1.88) and second in the NSIC in hitting percentage (.275) and kills/set (14.80). The 14.80 kills/set is ranked fifth in the nation. They also rank third in the NSIC and ninth in the nation with 13.46 assists/per set.

Kenizie Foley is the main attraction for the Huskies. Foley, the reigning AVCA Player of the Year, attained her fourth NSIC Offensive Player of the Week on Monday. Foley has 1,769 kills in her career and is six points shy of 2,000 career points. She is fifth in the nation -- first in the NSIC -- with 5.49 kills per set. She is also averaging 3.24 digs/set. Shelby Kimm (0.44) and Keely Kurscher (0.42) rank fourth and sixth, respectively, in aces/set in the conference. Emma Berran is 16th in the nation and third in the NSIC with 11.08 assists/set. Emma Thompson (.372) and Hannah Bruskiewicz (.349) rank in the top six in the league in terms of hitting percentage.

SCOUTING REPORT ON MINNESOTA CROOKSTON: The Golden Eagles are 3-11 overall and 0-6 in conference action this season with a chance to grab their first NSIC win on Thursday on the road against Bemidji State. They have lost the last seven contests and have been swept in five of those. Minnesota Crookston is riding a 10-match losing streak at home in Lysaker Gymnasium including a 0-3 record in 2024. The Golden Eagles dropped a three-set match to Sioux Falls in their last appearance on Friday. UMC ranks second in the NSIC with 38.14 attacks/set and fourth in the NSIC with 17.18 digs/set. However, the Eagles are in the bottom half in kills, assists, hitting percentage and aces. They are last in the NSIC with 1.18 blocks/set.

Kailee Waasdorp leads UMC with 5.02 digs/set, which is fourth in the NSIC. Maya Jones leads the club with 2.80 kills/set and Baily Teveldal leads the offense, averaging 8.76 assists/set.

THE SERIES: Here is how UMD has fared against its opponents all time in program history dating back to 1976.
 

TEAM	ALL-TIME RECORD	LAST MEETING
vs. St. Cloud State	77-37	L, 0-3 (Oct. 1, 2024)
vs. Minnesota Crookston	31-0	W, 3-0 (Oct. 14, 2023)

HOW THEY RANK: Here is how UMD and its opponents stack up with their records this season, conference record, and their ranking in the AVCA Preseason Coaches Poll.
 

TEAM	RECORD	NSIC	AVCA RANKING
UMD	9-7	2-6 (11th)	24th
SCSU	14-2	8-0 (1st)	5th
UMC	3-11	0-6 (T-12th)	NR

LAST SIDE OUT: UMD split a pair of NSIC road matches last weekend. Then-No. 6 Wayne State captured a sweep of the Bulldogs Friday night but UMD returned the following day to knock off Augustana in a back-and-forth five-setter. For the Bulldogs, the win ended a five match losing skid -- the longest since 1993 -- as they won at Augustana for the first time since Oct. 19, 2019.

CAREER WEEKEND FOR BROTEN: It was quite the two matches from Kylie Broten. The junior middle blocker had a monster weekend setting new career marks in kills, blocks and digs this past weekend. The Luck, Wis., native posted a collegiate best 12 kills against Wayne State this past Friday, leading UMD offensively. She backed up that effort on the defensive end on Saturday versus Augustana compiling seven blocks and four digs, both new career bests. Her seven blocks also paced UMD.

GOING THE DISTANCE: The Bulldogs have played in five five-set matches this season, going 3-2 in such matches thus far. UMD has played to a fifth set in now seven of the last nine seasons. The last time UMD played in a sixth five-setter was in 2022.

WELCOME TO THE SHOW: Freshman outside hitter Xada Johnson made her collegiate debut last Saturday. She is the second freshman to see the floor this season with setter Ava Jones making her appearance on opening day. Johnson played the last three sets against Augustana and tallied three kills, two blocks and a dig in her debut outing.

ADVANTAGE, HUSKIES: SCSU won the first meeting this season in a non-conference tune up on Oct. 1 in St. Cloud, Minn. The Huskies won in three sets, making it the first of only two sweeps against UMD this year. Prior to the engagement with SCSU this season, UMD has won the previous three outings.

LEND A HELPIN' HAND: UMD has the fourth most assists/set in the NSIC this season averaging 12.47 assists/set with a pair of setters. That rate ranks 37th in Division II and ninth among teams running a 6-2.

KILLER QUEEN: The Bulldogs are ranked fourth in the NSIC with 13.33 kills/set. Among the nation, the Bulldogs are currently ranked 46th. 

KILLING IN THE NAME: UMD thumped home 22 kills in the second set on Friday night against Wayne State. It was the most kills in a single set this season for UMD and the only time UMD has posted 20-plus kills in a single set this season.

CLIMBING THE RANKS: Graduate outside hitter Cianna Selbitschka became the 23rd Bulldog to register 1,000 career kills on Oct. 25, 2023. Selbitschka paced UMD in the kills category for a second consecutive season and is racing up the charts for most kills in program history. The North Branch, Minn., native currently sits 11th with 1,283 kills. This season, she has passed April Hansen (2007-11), Kari Wolford (2004-07) and Mariah Scharf (2012-15) all-time on the Bulldog kill charts. With a successful weekend, Selbitschka could knock off Anene Anderson (1991-95) and Sarah Kelly (2015-18).

CLIMBING THE RANKS II: Graduate defensive specialist Kaylyn Madison has amassed 1,405 digs during her collegiate career including a season-high 499 just last season. The native of Eagan, Minn., hopped into the top 10 in program history for digs in a career passing Callie Zwettler (2001-04) and former teammate Sydney Lanoue (2018-22). Madison currently ranks ninth all-time in program history and is chasing down Krista Naughton (1992, 94-96) for sole possession of eighth (1,408).

BOOS' CLUES: The long-standing bench boss patrolling the UMD sidelines returns for his 23rd year. Jim Boos has placed himself into the upper echelon as the all-time winningest coach for the volleyball program, notching 563 victories along the way. The 2004 AVCA National Coach of the Year has made 19 NCAA Tournament appearances and is 13th among active Division II coaches in terms of wins. Boos is seventh among active Division II coaches with the most wins at one institution. Only three other active Division II coaches have a higher winning percentage (.818) with at least five accrued seasons. 

ON TAP: The Bulldogs return to Romano Gymnasium for a Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference engagement on Tuesday, Oct. 22 against Bemidji State University. First serve against the Beavers, who they beat in five sets earlier this season, in Bemidji, Minn., will start at 6:00 p.m.