THE OPENING SERVE: The No. 25 University of Minnesota Duluth will look to extend its two-match winning streak this weekend with a pair of Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference contests. The Bulldogs will open the weekend slate with Minnesota State University, Moorhead on Friday at 6:00 p.m. On Saturday, UMD will take on No. 22 Northern State University in a battle of top 25 clubs with the first serve beginning at 2:00 p.m.

SCOUTING REPORT ON MSU MOORHEAD: The Dragons are 8-10 overall and 3-7 in the NSIC. They snapped a four-match losing streak on Tuesday by defeating Minot State in straight sets at home, which they are 3-2 at Alex Nemzek Fieldhouse. This season, MSU Moorhead is eighth in hitting percentage (.216), 10th in kills/set (12.64), 11th in assists/set (11.62), 10th in aces/set (1.59), seventh in digs/set (15.86), and 11th in blocks/set (1.74).

Brielle Riess and Emily Ramsay are the main two-headed attack for the Dragons. Riess is averaging a team-leading 2.97 kills/set and Ramsay is second with 2.64 kills/set. Abby Thompson is hitting .335 on the year, a team high. That hitting rate is eighth in the NSIC. Annalise Wilson (5.48) and Amanda Lisi (4.37) direct the MSUM offense. Kiara Olesch scoops up 4.24 digs/set to pace the club and is ninth in the NSIC. Thompson and Pfeifer provide the biggest net presence averaging .079 and .077 blocks/set, respectively.

SCOUTING REPORT ON NORTHERN STATE: The Wolves are 14-4 overall and 6-4 in the NSIC. They have won three straight heading into the weekend and are currently 4-1 at Wachs Arena. Northern State took its third straight sweep on Tuesday after defeating the University of Mary at home. The Wolves rank sixth in hitting percentage (.241), fifth in kills/set (13.23), fourth in assists/set (12.42), fourth in aces/set (1.81), second in digs/set (18.30), and fourth in blocks/set (2.31).

The Northern State offense features four hitters averaging over 2.00 kills/set. Natalia Szybinska is currently fourth in the NSIC and paces the team with 3.33 kills/set. Hanna Thompson is the secondary outside option posting 2.78 kills/set. Abby Brooks leads the club with a .315 hitting percentage. Keri Walker averages 10.89 assists/set directing the offense which is fifth in the NSIC. The Wolves have a pair of defensive stars averaging over 3.00 digs/set. Walker is registering 3.19 digs/set and Abby Meister is digging a conference-leading 5.75 digs/set. Victoria Persha has 1.12 blocks/set, which ranks third in the NSIC this season.

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. MSU Moorhead	68-13	W, 3-0 (Nov. 10, 2023)
vs. Northern State	54-8	L, 0-3 (Nov. 11, 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	11-8	4-7 (10th)	25th
MSU	8-10	3-7 (11th)	NR
NSU	14-4	6-4 (T-6th)	22nd

LAST SIDE OUT: The Bulldogs captured their first home victory of the season on Tuesday night. UMD won in straight sets (25-17, 25-10, 25-16) over Bemidji State at Romano Gymnasium. It was the 38th consecutive win over the Beavers and a season-series sweep.

UMD posted 34 kills on a .333 hitting percentage, the highest clip in the last 12 matches and the highest clip in conference action to date. The Beavers hit a mere .089 on the night as the Bulldogs held their opponent under a hitting percentage of 10-percent for a second straight match.

For a second consecutive outing, senior right side hitter Samantha Paulsen led the team with 10 kills while sophomore right side hitter Madeline Guetzkow provided her own efficiency, slamming home seven kills on nine attempts. Redshirt sophomore outside hitter Mary Satori recorded a season-high five kills.

Freshman middle blocker Elyse Karrels dished out four of the team's 10 aces. Senior outside hitter Payton Addink registered three aces, a career high mark. Senior setter Maddi Kealy led the team with 16 assists. Graduate libero Kaylyn Madison notched 14 digs, leading all players.

DRAGON SLAYERS: The Bulldogs have won the last eight meetings against MSU Moorhead and 17 of the last 18. UMD has won via a sweep in the last six. The Dragons last won on Oct. 27, 2017 in five sets on their home floor. 

WOLF PACK: The Wolves have won the last three contests heading into Saturday's contest. NSU won at home in three sets last time out before taking a five-set victory against UMD at Romano last season. Over the course of the last 10 meetings, the Bulldogs and the Wolves are an even 5-5. UMD has lost the last two matches in Aberdeen, S.D., with the last road victory coming on Oct. 23,2021.

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: One week after freshman outside hitter Xada Johnson made her collegiate debut, freshman middle blocker Elyse Karrels was the third freshman to make her debut. Karrels played all three sets against Minnesota Crookston and registered three kills, three digs and a team-high six blocks. Her six blocks on Saturday was the most by a Bulldog in a three-set match this season and one shy of tying the season high total for a single match this season. Then, on Tuesday, Karrels tallied four aces versus Bemidji State.

REACHING NEW HEIGHTS: Graduate outside hitter Cianna Selbitschka is climbing the charts among active leaders in the Division II landscape. For her career, Selbitschka is 21st in kills (1,288), and 63rd in digs (1,206).

 (SPEAKING OF) 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 1,288 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 week with three matches on the docket, Selbitschka could knock off Anene Anderson (1991-95) and Sarah Kelly (2015-18).
 

NAME	KILLS	HOW FAR AWAY
9 Sarah Kelly	1,309	21
10 Anene Anderson	1,292	4
11 Cianna Selbitschka	1,288	--

CLIMBING THE RANKS II: That's not all, graduate outside hitter Cianna Selbitschka is attempting to become the lone Bulldog in program history to fortify herself in the top 10 in kills and digs among some of the Bulldog greats. That feat was previously held by Callie Zwettler (2001-04) until she was knocked from her No. 10 ranking in digs earlier this season. Selbitschka has accumulated 1,206 digs and needs 115 digs to share a tie with former teammate Sydney Lanoue (2018-22) for 10th.
 

NAME	DIGS	HOW FAR AWAY
10 Sydney Lanoue	1,321	115
Cianna Selbitschka	1,206	--

CAN YOU DIG IT: Graduate defensive specialist Kaylyn Madison is 30th among active Division II players with 1,444 digs. She ranks second among active players in just the NSIC trailing only Kaia Sueker who has 1,658 digs.

CLIMBING THE RANKS III: Graduate defensive specialist Kaylyn Madison has amassed 1,444 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 career digs this season passing Callie Zwettler (2001-04), former teammate Sydney Lanoue (2018-22), Krista Naughton (1992, 94-96), and most recently Julie Bubar (1990-93) as of Tuesday's match. Madison currently ranks seventh all-time in program history and is chasing down a pair of Bulldogs -- Chelsea Meirotto (2003-06) and Keena Seiffert (2012-15) -- that could see her climb as high as fifth with the conclusion of this week's action. 
 

NAME	DIGS	HOW FAR AWAY
5 Keena Seiffert	1,482	38
6 Chelsea Meirotto	1,480	36
7 Kaylyn Madison	1,444	--

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 565 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 on Nov. 2-3 for the final home weekend series of the season hosting Minot State University and the University of Mary.