Match Notes (.pdf) | Watch Live (Saturday) | Listen Live | Live Stats

The Northern State volleyball team will close-out the regular season with a pair of pivotal home matches this weekend. The Wolves host Minnesota State Friday at 7 p.m., and Concordia-St. Paul in a 5 p.m. match Saturday.

Friday's match will be played at Aberdeen Central High School and admission will be free. Saturday's match will be back in Wachs Arena for Senior Night. Admission to Saturday's contest is free with a football game ticket. Friday's match against MSU will also be broadcast live on ESPN Radio Aberdeen.

The Wolves enter the weekend with an 18-8 record overall and 11-7 mark in the NSIC. NSU is coming off a split last weekend, losing to Winona State in three and beating Upper Iowa in a tough, five-set match. Setter Drew Smith recorded a school record 70 assists in the win over the Peacocks and is currently third in the nation in assists per set averaging 12.73 per.

The Wolves are currently seventh in the NSIC standings and are a game behind Minnesota State for sixth-place and one game ahead of Sioux Falls for the eighth position.
The Mavericks are led by a pair of hitters with more than 300 kills on the season. Krista Hassing leads the squad with 349 kills (3.67 set) and Chandra Honebrink has tallied 329 (3.58). Setter Ellie Van De Steeg is fourth in the NSIC averaging 11.8 assists per set.

MSU defeated the Wolves in four sets earlier this season in Mankato. Cari McGarvie had 13 kills and hit .619 for NSU in the loss.

Concordia enters the weekend with a 23-4 record overall and is 16-2 in league play. The seven-time defending National Champions are led by Anna Schlaak, who's 3.66 kills per set rank ninth in the league. Riley Hanson is second on the team with 311 kills on the year and is tops in the NSIC in hitting percentage at .415. Setter Kasey Williams is third in the conference averaging 12.23 assists per set.

The Golden Bears registered a come-from-behind, five-set win over Northern the last time the two teams met in St. Paul earlier this season. Kelsey Chambers had 23 kills and hit .444 for the Wolves in the match.

Seniors Macey Finizio and Morgan Richardson will be playing their final home matches for the Wolves this weekend.