BISMARCK, ND - It will be an exciting weekend ahead when sports officially come back up the hill for the first time in the 2023-24 season. The University of Mary Volleyball team is preparing for their first home games of the season when they host national powers #7 Minnesota Duluth Friday night at 6 P.M. and #6 St. Cloud State Saturday at 2 P.M.
The September 15-16 matchups will also mark the start of the Northern Sun season for each of the teams as well as the first official matches on the newly redesigned Al Bortke Court.
THE RECORDS
UMary Volleyball finished their non-conference schedule 4-4 overall, enjoying competitive play and numerous big contributions from the athletes that led to some thrilling victories. Most notably, the Marauders achieved five-set victories over Black Hills State and MSU Billings last weekend at the 2023 Yellow Jacket Classic in Spearfish, SD. The Marauders were trailing one set to two in both matchups.
Minnesota Duluth enters the weekend 7-1 overall and is nationally ranked 7th in this week's AVCA/TARAFLEX Division II Volleyball poll. St. Cloud State sits one spot ahead of Duluth ranked 6th nationally and also has a 7-1 record thus far.
COMPLIMENTARY TICKETS
Friday's home opener will be sponsored by Centennial Collision and Paint. Complimentary tickets will be available for fans to claim while they last at Centennial Collision and Paint, located at 3513 French St in the northeast area of Bismarck.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Ally Gruber is off to a remarkable start in 2023. After earning the first NDPF Female Athlete of the Week for UMary Athletics, Gruber had arguably an even better performance in week two. The senior outside hitter from Belgrade, MN hit for at least 14 kills in three of the matches in Spearfish, including a career-high 22 in Saturday's win over MSU Billings. Gruber leads the team with 96 kills and has also been fundamental in the passing game, sitting second on the team with 102 digs (3.40 per set).
Reyna Isenbart is coming off a weekend where she earned All-Tournament honors at the Yellow Jacket Classic. Isenbart played a big role in both of the Marauders victories with 10 kills against Black Hills State and then 11 against MSU Billings. The senior from Stratton, CO currently has 55 kills on the season and is tied for second on the team with 20.0 total blocks.
Kaia Sueker, only a junior from Marshall, MN, has already eclipsed 1,000 career digs, doing so during her 27-dig performance against MSU Billings. Sueker stands as the team leader in digs with 108, averaging an impressive 4.91 per set.
Kameron Selvig also achieved a milestone last weekend with 1,000 career assists. Selvig has been key to the Marauders attack in the early goings of the season, currently leading with 236 assists. The senior setter from Jamestown, ND also has recorded 75 digs and 7 ace serves.
Chloe Lieser has been another key back-row player for the Marauders with 90 digs. She's also proving herself to be a lethal server currently with 13 aces, which is tied for the fifth-highest total in the NSIC.
Nehkyah Ellis has also been a standout for the Marauders attack. The senior from Central Point, OR stands second on the team with 72 kills, third in digs with 71, and has served up 7 aces.
Maddie Cooper also enjoyed a solid start to her junior year in the middle. She stands third on the team with 63 kills and once again leads in blocks with 25.0 total.
ABOUT THE BULLDOGS
Minnesota Duluth enters as one of the five top 25 nationally-ranked teams in the NSIC, standing 7th on a 7-1 record. The Bulldogs were a perfect 4-0 at the Ferris State Invitational September 1-2, and went 3-1 when they hosted the Up North Preseason Tournament, dropping a 0-3 contest to #13 Central Washington.
The Bulldogs are led by senior outside hitter Cianna Selbitschka, currently one of the top attackers in the NSIC with 92 kills (3.41 per set). Not far behind her is junior right-side hitter Samantha Paulsen with 83 kills (3.07 per set). Paulsen is also one of the most efficient hitters in the league with a 0.344 hitting percentage.
Madison Gordon paces the Duluth offense, setting them up for 295 assists and conference-fourth ranking 10.93 per set average. Madison Kaylyn is a top passer for the Bulldogs with a 5.37 dig per set average (2nd in the NSIC).
ABOUT THE HUSKIES
St. Cloud State enters ranked 6th in the nation on a 7-1 record. The Huskies were a perfect 4-0 at the Seawolf Invitational September 1-2, and went 3-1 at the Up North Preseason Tournament, also falling to #13 Central Washington.
The Huskies are excited to have Kenzie Foley back leading the charge as the senior outside hitter won NSIC Offensive Volleyball Player of the Week honors on Monday. Foley currently leads all hitters in the conference with an astounding 137 kills (4.89 per set).
Hannah Bruskiewicz, Sam Zimmerman, and Shelby Kimm also are strong at the net with at least 60 kills for each of them.
THE STAFF
Abby Pollart returns for her third season as the head coach of Marauders Volleyball. Joining Pollart also for her third season in the program is Assistant Coach
Bree Spenner, as well as
Thalianette Garcia in her first season as a Graduate Assistant Coach.
TICKET INFORMATION
Complimentary tickets at Centennial Collision and Paint are first come first serve until all have been claimed. Otherwise, tickets can be purchased at www.UMaryTickets.com.
• Adults | $10 + fees online and $15 (CASH ONLY) at the gate
• Seniors (65+) and youth 13-18 | $5 + fees online and $10 (CASH ONLY) at the gate
• Children 12 and under accompanied by an adult | Free
• Children 12 and under with no adult present | $5
• UMary students, faculty, and staff with their MCard and youth 12 and younger are admitted free.
Please note that ticket sales at the gate are CASH ONLY purchases. Fans receive a discounted rate on tickets when purchased online at www.umarytickets.com rather than at the gate. Fans are also able to purchase tickets using credit and debit cards when ordering online while sales at the ticket booth are cash only.
FOLLOW ALONG
Both games this weekend will have links to live stats and live video streams which can be found at goumary.com/coverage.
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