BISMARCK, ND - The University of Mary Volleyball team will look to put on a show in the McDowell Activity Center this weekend and into next week. The Marauders are hungry for their first wins in the NSIC and will look for them Friday at 6 p.m. against Minnesota State University Mankato, Saturday at 2 p.m. against Southwest Minnesota State University, and Tuesday at 6 p.m. against Northern State University.
COMPLIMENTARY TICKETS
Friday night's match against Minnesota State will be sponsored by US Bank. Complimentary tickets will be available for fans to claim while they last at US Bank, located at 200 N Third St in downtown Bismarck.
THE RECORDS
After a solid start in their non-conference schedule, the Marauders are hungry for their first wins in NSIC competition as they'll enter the weekend 4-8 overall and 0-4 in conference play.
Minnesota State enters the weekend 5-7 overall and 0-4 in the NSIC, while SMSU is currently ranked 8th nationally by the AVCA and is 9-2 overall, 2-1 in conference play. Northern State currently stands 10-2 overall, 3-1 in the NSIC, and are receiving votes for the top 25 rankings in the AVCA.
LAST TIME OUT
The Marauders showed resiliency in a pair of conference defeats last time out in northern Minnesota on September 22-23. Comeback attempts in set two and three fell short in a 0-3 defeat to Bemidji State last Friday night. The Marauders then got off to a hot start Saturday against Minnesota Crookston, but ended up falling in a thrilling 2-3 match to finish the road weekend.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Nehkyah Ellis is coming off a solid last outing against Crookston where she led with 16 kills and also had 17 digs for a double-double last Saturday. The senior from Central Point, OR is second on the team in kills (103), aces (10), and also has 114 digs.
Ally Gruber once again enters the weekend as the leading attacker for the Marauders with 115 kills. The senior from Belgrade, MN is also second on the team in digs with 125.
Maddie Cooper and
Reyna Isenbart are currently tied for third on the team in kills with 73 each. Cooper is also the leading blocker with 35.0 total blocks, while Isenbart and
Alexandria Harper are right behind her with 31.0 total blocks.
Kaia Sueker is the current leader in digs with 163, and has an impressive 4.53 digs per set average.
Kameron Selvig paces the Marauders attack as the leading setter with 321 assists. She is also tied for second in service aces with 10.
ABOUT THE MAVERICKS
Minnesota State enters the weekend 5-7 overall and 0-4 in the Northern Sun. Like the Marauders, the Mavericks will be trying to snap a five-game losing streak on Friday.
Sophie Tietz leads the attack with 108 kills and also leads with 21 service aces. The Mavericks look formidable at the net with three players over 40 total blocks, Kiya Durant (47.0), Emily Kern (43.0), and Sophie Tietz (43.0).
ABOUT THE MUSTANGS
Ranked no. 8 in the nation, the Mustangs are enjoying another solid start to their volleyball season. 9-2 overall, the Mustangs last played no. 1 ranked Wayne State to a thrilling five-set defeat.
Behind Leah Jones' 109 kills, the Mustangs have a very well-balanced attack with five players garnering over 80 kills each thus far. Alisa Bengen plays a big part in their attack with 401 assists. Defensively, McKenzie Tolk looks impressive with 182 digs, averaging a whopping 5.06 per set.
ABOUT THE WOLVES
With five NSIC teams ranked inside the AVCA top 10, Northern State is beginning to garner attention with a 10-2 overall record, 3-1 in NSIC play, and is now receiving votes just outside the AVCA top 25 national rankings this week.
Morissen Samuels is making an immediate impact for the Wolves as the true freshman has swung for a team-high 126 kills, while three other players also have over 90 kills. Keri Walker paces the Wolves formidable attack with 450 assists.
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.
FOLLOW ALONG
Both games this weekend will have links to live stats and live video streams which can be found at
goumary.com/coverage.
Complimentary tickets at US Bank 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.
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