THE OPENING SERVE: The University of Minnesota Duluth concludes the regular season road schedule this weekend. The Bulldogs have their last two Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference road matches against No. 8 Concordia University, St. Paul and Minnesota State University, Mankato. UMD heads to Concordia-St. Paul to take on the Golden Bears Friday at the Gangelhoff Center at 6:00 p.m. The Bulldogs road finale includes a battle against MSU Mankato to square off against the Mavericks at the Taylor Center Saturday afternoon at 3:00 p.m.

SCOUTING REPORT ON CONCORDIA-ST. PAUL: The Golden Bears are 18-4 overall and 13-1 in the NSIC, which is second behind St. Cloud State University. They knocked off Wayne State College in four sets at home last Saturday to extend their winning streak to 13 in a row. The Golden Bears have not lost at home so far this season, having gone 7-0 at the Gangelhoff Center. Concordia-St. Paul ranks third in the NSIC in hitting percentage (.258), third in kills/set (14.65), second in assists/set (13.85), second in aces/set (1.91), 10th in digs/set (15.28), and seventh in blocks/set (2.05). It is 18th in the nation in terms of its hitting percentage, sixth in kills/set and fourth in assists/set.

Sophia Andersen is leading the Golden Bears with 3.29 kills/set. Emma Schmidt is second averaging 2.86 kills/set and Makenna Nold is close behind at 2.82 kills/set. Teagen Starkey boasts a 12.74 assists/set, which is first in all of NCAA Division II. Cassie Sieling leads the team with 0.40 aces/set and 4.42 digs/set. Claudia Stahlke leads the NSIC with 1.33 blocks/set. 

SCOUTING REPORT ON MINNESOTA STATE: The Mavericks are 16-6 overall and 8-6 in the NSIC, good for a sixth place in the standings with Winona State University. They have won three straight matches including defeating the aforementioned Warriors on the road in four sets Saturday. The Mavericks are 10-1 at home this season at the Taylor Center. Minnesota State ranks eighth in the NSIC in hitting percentage (.220), eighth in kills/set (12.99), seventh in assists/set (12.05), fifth in aces/set (1.74), fourth in digs/set (17.59), and fourth in blocks/set (2.29).

The Mavericks are led by Toryn Richards offensively, averaging 2.84 kills/set. Emma Loveall is second at 2.71 kills/set. Brooke Bolwerk directs the offense with 7.53 assists/set after overtaking the main setter role. Ellie Kline leads the team with 3.73 digs/set. Jadyn Lester leads the team and the NSIC with 0.46 aces/set. Kiya Durant paces the club averaging 1.01 blocks/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. Concordia-St. Paul	28-34	L, 2-3 (Sept. 21, 2024)
vs. Minnesota State	69-23	L, 0-3 (Oct. 8, 2024)

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	14-9	7-8 (Ninth)	RV
CSP	18-4	13-1 (Second)	8th
MSU	16-6	8-6 (T-Sixth)	RV

LAST SIDE OUT: The Bulldogs went undefeated last weekend beating Minot State University on Friday and the University of Mary on Saturday at home. 

UMD grabbed its 16th sweep over the Beavers and continued to assert its dominance having not dropped a single set in the all-time series dating back to the first meeting in 2012. Graduate libero Kaylyn Madison gathered a match-high 16 digs and graduate outside hitter Cianna Selbitschka pounded home a match-high 11 kills. Senior outside hitter Payton Addink tied her career outing, amassing four service aces to lead all players on Friday and sophomore middle blocker Paige Decker compiled six blocks, a match-high.

Saturday featured much of the same, as the Bulldogs trounced the Marauders to extend the all-time series to 22-0. UMD finished with 56 kills, the most in a three-set match, and attacked at a .394 clip, the third highest attack percentage this year by the Bulldogs. Senior right side hitter Samantha Paulsen led all players with 18 kills and Selbitschka romped 13 kills in the match. Addink had her best outing in the back row tallying a season-high 16 digs. Madison was second among all players with 14 digs and senior setter Maddi Kealy posted her fifth double-double of the year registering 28 assists and 11 digs.

UMary hit .083 in the contest, the fifth lowest attacking output this season by the Marauders. UMD corralled a season-best 12 blocks against the UMary attack, the most allowed by the Marauders during the 2024 campaign. Behind the stonewall defense was Decker, who rejected a career-high seven total blocks on the night. Sophomore right side hitter Madeline Guetzkow also notched a career high five blocks as well. 

NSIC PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONORS: A pair of Bulldogs -- senior right side hitter Samantha Paulsen and sophomore middle blocker Paige Decker -- have been honored by the NSIC with its weekly honors, the league announced on Monday. Paulsen was named the NSIC Offensive Player of Week while Decker was selected the NSIC Defensive Player of the Week. 

It is the first-ever accolade for both Paulsen and Decker. It is also the first weekly honor by a Bulldog since Grace Daak grabbed NSIC Defensive Player of the Week back on Oct. 16, 2023. Paulsen is also UMD's first NSIC Offensive Player of the Week recipient since Sydney Lanone took home the distinction on Oct. 24, 2022.

PARTY LIKE IT'S 2019: The Bulldogs last defeated the Golden Bears on Nov. 8, 2019 at home. UMD swept the regular season series by dumping CSP on its home floor in straight sets back in Sept. 27, 2019. The Bulldogs have lost nine straight contests including five of those in decisive fifth sets. During that span, they are 0-2 inside the Gangelhoff Center. 

GET STRONG STARTS: Getting out to early leads have pushed the odds in favor of the Bulldogs. UMD is 10-1 this year when leading after two sets (the lone loss against Concordia-St. Paul) and 5-2 when leading two sets to one after the third set of action.

THE MAGIC NUMBER IS 200: When UMD hits over .200 for a match it is 12-1 during the season. The only loss was a setback to Southwest Minnesota State when the Bulldogs walloped at an even .300 attack clip. The Bulldogs, defensively, sport a 12-4 record when holding the opposition to a hitting percentage below the Mendoza mark. UMD has held the last six opponents under a .200 attack percentage.

HIGH FIVE: Last Saturday against the University of Mary, the Bulldogs allowed five points in the second set in their sweep over the Marauders. The five points is the fewest points allowed in a single set by UMD dating back to Oct. 15, 2021 against Minot State when it won that second set by a score of 25-4.

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.

TWENTY FOURTH 1,000 KILL MEMBER: She has her work cut out for her but senior right side hitter Samantha Paulsen closed the gap considerably this past weekend amassing 28 kills. Paulsen has 925 career kills and needs 75 more to join an exclusive club and become the 24th Bulldog to reach 1,000 kills.

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 20th in kills (1,328), and 70th in digs (1,224).

 (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 each of the last two seasons and is racing up the charts for most kills in program history. The North Branch, Minn., native currently sits ninth with 1,328 kills. This season, she has passed April Hansen (2007-11), Kari Wolford (2004-07), Mariah Scharf (2012-15), Anene Anderson (1991-95) and, as of this past weekend, surpassed Sarah Kelly (2015-18) for the ninth-most terminations in Bulldog history. Selbitschka is hunting down Kate Berg (2017-21) for eighth, who had 1,419 kills.
 

NAME	KILLS	HOW FAR AWAY
7 Anne Sitek	1,434	106
8 Kate Berg	1,149	91
9 Cianna Selbitschka	1,328	--

CAN YOU DIG IT: Graduate defensive specialist Kaylyn Madison is 31st among active Division II players with 1,502 digs. She ranks second among active players in just the NSIC only trailing UMary's Kaia Sueker, who has 1,729 digs.

CLIMBING THE RANKS II: Graduate defensive specialist Kaylyn Madison has amassed 1,502 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), Julie Bubar (1990-93) and, most recently, Chelsea Meirotto (2003-06) and Keena Seiffert (2012-15) his past weekend. Madison currently ranks fifth all-time in program history and is within reach of chasing down Rhaya Tomberlin (1986-89) for fourth place all time with 1,549 career digs. Madison is 47 digs away from matching Tomberlin.
 

NAME	DIGS	HOW FAR AWAY
4 Rhaya Tombelin	1,549	47
5 Kaylyn Madison	1,502	--

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 568 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 end the regular season and close out their final home match with a NSIC slate against Winona State University. First serve of that contest will include senior day festivities at Romano Gymnasium starting at 4:00 p.m.