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Live VideoAberdeen, S.D. – The No. 19 Northern State Wolves volleyball team continues conference play at home this weekend. NSU is set to face off against No. 1 Minnesota Duluth, Friday, and St. Cloud State, Saturday. Both matched are scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. from Wachs Arena. This weekend is also the annual Gypsy Days celebration for Northern State University. Wolves' fans with a valid NSU football game ticket will be admitted free to the volleyball match on Saturday.
The Wolves are 11-0 overall and 3-0 in conference play heading into the weekend. Senior
Kelsey Chambers leads the team with 148 kills followed by fellow senior
Cari McGarvie with 121 kills. The duo is hitting .418 and .466 this season.
Mandy Kurosky has tallied 92 kills, while
Tori Biach and
Kellie Schmit sit with 79 apiece.
Drew Smith has been the rock of the NSU offense tallying 458 assists for a 13.09 assists per set average. Northern's final senior,
Renee Hoffman sits atop the team with 146 digs, followed by Chambers with 98. The Wolves are playing well as a unit hitting a league leading .381 and holding their opponents to a league leading .106 mark. Chambers and Smith were named NSIC Players of the Week for the efforts in Northern's two wins over U-Mary and Minot State.
About the Bulldogs No. 1 Minnesota Duluth heads to Aberdeen with a 10-1 record overall and 3-0 mark in NSIC play. The Wolves and the Bulldogs will match-up as the only two unbeaten teams in the conference season. The Bulldogs are led by head coach Jim Boos in his 13
th season with the program. Boos has compiled a career record of 364-63, reaching the NCAA Tournament each of his 13 seasons. Mariah Scharf leads UMD with 161 kills this season, while setter Ashley Hinsch has tallied 496 assists. Duluth is hitting .294 this season and averaging 14.56 kills and 13.90 digs per set.
Last Season UMD took the game 3-0 in 2014 defeating NSU 25-17, 26-24, and 25-21.
Kelsey Chambers led the Wolves with 11 kills, while
Drew Smith tallied 28 assists and
Renee Hoffman notched 17 digs. The Bulldogs out-hit the Wolves .180-.109, however tallied four more attack errors. Prior to the loss, the Wolves were on a three game win streak.
About the Huskies St. Cloud State is 5-6 overall and 1-2 in NSIC play heading into the weekend. The Huskies are hitting .211 as a team and averaging 12.6 kills, 11.80 assists, and 16.2 digs per set. Rachel Burke leads the team with 103 kills on the year, while Allison Butler has tallied a team leading 248 assists. Brianne Stamer is SCSU's leading defensive player with 238 digs, averaging 5.80 digs per set. St. Cloud State is led by first year head coach Chad Braegelmann.
Last Season Northern defeated St. Cloud 3-1 a season ago, led by
Mandy Kurosky with 14 kills. The Wolves hit .336 in the win, while holding the Huskies to a .168 mark.
Drew Smith tallied 53 assists, while
Renee Hoffman led the team with 14 digs. NSU took the win with set scores
