BISMARCK, ND – After playing seven of their last nine games against teams recognized in the national rankings, the University of Mary volleyball team is getting ready to play three straight home games against teams similarly situated in the Northern Sun standings as the Marauders.
 
Coming off a four-game road trip, UMary hosts Bemidji State University at 6 pm on Friday, Oct. 27, at 6 pm and the University of Minnesota Crookston at 2 pm on Saturday, Oct. 28. Both weekend games are part of the Marauders Dig Pink Weekend.
 
The three-game home stretch concludes for the Marauders when Minot State University visits on Halloween, Tuesday, Oct. 31, at 6 pm. In addition to it being Campers Night and Halloween Costume Night, BEK Broadcasting will air the game live across the state.
 
The Marauders are 5-17 overall and 1-12 in the NSIC for 14^th place in the nation's toughest concert. The BSU Beavers are 3-19 and 0-13, the UMC Golden Eagles are 5-16 and 2-11 and the MSU Beavers are 4-18 and 0-13. UMC is 13^th in the standings and MSU and BSU are tied for 15^th.
 
One of the biggest offensive weapons in the Northern Sun, Lauren Randall continued her strong play last weekend. The senior outside hitter cracked 21 kills at St. Cloud State and added another eight against 5^th ranked Minnesota Duluth. The Burnsville, MN, native now has 1,256 career kills, an NCAA-era record for the Marauders.
 
Six times this season Randall has terminated at least 20 balls in a match. She also has 12 double doubles. Entering this weekend she is second in the NSIC in kills/set with 4.41.
 
On the back row, libero/defensive specialist Geovana Almeida ranks 20^th in the NSIC with 3.19 digs/set. She had a season-high 19 digs against the SCSU.
 
Junior Amanda Lopes is 10^th in the NSIC in assists/game at 9.1. The Marauders setter posted 40 assists, three kills and 13 digs in the marathon match with the Huskies.
 
Another UMary player with a big game in the Huskies match was freshman Natalia Cruz, who recorded her second-biggest totals in kills and digs this season with 12 and 16.
 
Underclassmen Anna Nietfeld and Morgan Schnabel rank 2-3 on the Marauders this season in Kills. A sophomore, Nietfeld averages 2.02 kills/set. Schnabel, a freshman, checks in at 1.92 kills/set.
 
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