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Aberdeen, S.D. - The Northern State University volleyball team is set to travel to Upper Iowa and Winona State this Friday and Saturday. The No. 8 Wolves will match-up with the Peacocks at 7 p.m. Friday, and then travel to face the No. 24 Warriors at 4 p.m. on Saturday.
 
The Wolves enter the weekend 15-0 overall and 7-0 in league action, while sitting atop the NSIC overall standings. Kelsey Chambers led the team with 27 kills a weekend ago followed by Cari McGarvie and Mandy Kurosky with 16 apiece. The Wolves lead the league in hitting percentage (.373), assists per set (14.21), and kills per set (14.98). Kellie Schmit and Cari McGarvie sit first and second in the league in hitting percentage with marks of .544 and .464.  Drew Smith leads the league in assists per set with a 13.26 average. Drew Smith leads the nation in assists per set, while Cari McGarvie (2) and Kelsey Chambers (6) sit in the top ten in hitting percentage.
 
About the Peacocks
 
Upper Iowa enters the weekend 8-8 overall and 2-5 in Northern Sun Conference play, with wins over Winona State and University of Sioux Falls. The Peacocks have faced nationally ranked opponents in five of their seven NSIC match-ups thus far. Jennifer Mundt leads the Peacock offense with 253 kills this season. She also has tallied a team second 138 digs and 24 blocks. Jenna Hermsen is leading the UIU setting effort with 395 this season, averaging 6.81 per set, followed by Malissa LeClaire with 183 assists, averaging 4.57 per set. Taylor Williams has tallied a team leading 268 digs in 2015, averaging 4.54 per set. The Peacocks are hitting .171 this season and averaging 12.0 kills, 11.3 assists, and 16.3 digs per set. Upper Iowa is led by Aaron Nelson in his fourth year with the program.
 
A Season Ago
 
Northern took the 2014 contest 3-1 at home. The Peacocks went down 2-0, however fought back in the third set to prolong the match. Kelsey Chambers and Cari McGarvie led the team with 14 kills each, while Drew Smith notched 56 assists and 17 digs. Annika van Oosbree was third on the team with 16 digs. Mundt led the UIU offense with 13 kills, as they hit .071 in the match. The Wolves led the Peacocks in points, kills, aces, blocks, assists, and digs in the win.
 
The Peacocks were out for redemption in the second match-up of the year, however ultimately fell 3-2 at home. Mandy Kurosky led the Wolves in the outing with 18 kills, followed by Chambers with 15. Smith recorded 70 assists, averaging 14 per set. UIU out-hit NSU .218-to-.209 in the loss. Northern tallied eight more kills to secure the victory.
 
About the Warriors

No. 24 Winona State enters the weekend 8-6 overall and 2-5 in NSIC action with wins over Concordia-St. Paul and Sioux Falls. Much like the Peacocks, WSU has faced more nationally ranked opponents than not this season in conference play. Taylor Goar leads the team with 185 kills, followed by Danielle Rampart and Lauren Kudronowicz with 126 and 122 respectively. Setter McKenna Larsen has 488 assists this season, while averaging 10.17 per set, while Jamie Cairncross leads the Warrior defense with 209 digs, averaging 4.10 per set. WSU is hitting .234 this season, while holding their opponents to a .199 mark. The Warriors are led by second year head coach Joe Getzin who led WSU to a 19-8 record in 2014.
 
A Season Ago
 
Northern took match one of the season 3-0 in 2014. As a team the Wolves hit .286, and held the Warriors to a .133 mark. Statistically the two teams played evenly throughout, however the Wolves pulled away with only 13 hitting errors to Winona's 26 on the night.
 
Match two of the season, went the way of the Warriors with a 3-0 victory at home. Rampart led WSU with 17 kills. The Wolves struggled to get things going offensively with only 24 kills. Drew Smith and Renee Hoffman led the team with 11 assists each, while no one tallied double-digit kills.