Aberdeen, S.D. – The Northern State University volleyball team heads south this Friday and Saturday for a pair of top-25 match-ups against No. 21 Wayne State and No. 18 Augustana. First serve is schedule for 6 p.m. on Friday in Wayne, and 5 p.m. on Saturday in Sioux Falls.
 
Northern opened the week moving up four spots, and breaking into the top-10 of the AVCA Poll with a No. 9 ranking. The Wolves are coming off a fresh win over then No. 1 Southwest Minnesota State last Saturday. It was the third time in school history, and in the last three seasons that the Wolves downed the top team in the nation. NSU is currently 15-2 overall and 8-1 in NSIC competition as they vie for the top spot in the league. The Wolves are currently hitting .296 as a team, while averaging 13.6 kills, 12.7 assists, 16.0 digs, 2.0 blocks, and 1.6 service aces per set. Hailey Busch returned to the court for the Wolves a weekend ago and took over the team lead with 152 kills this season. Laura Snyder is second on the team with 150 kills, while hitting a team leading .382. In her second season on the court, Ashley Rozell has tallied 657 total assists, averaging 11.53 per set. She also leads the team and the NSIC with 37 service aces. Jaiden Langlie and Jenna Reiff lead the defense effort with 228 digs and 57 blocks respectively. As a team Northern sits second in hitting percentage (.296), first in opponent hitting percentage (.157), first in opponent blocks (1.25), and first in opponent service aces (0.72) in the NSIC.
 
About Wayne State
- The Wildcats enter the weekend with a 12-6 record overall and 6-3 mark in NSIC play
- Wayne State is hitting .195 this season, while averaging 11.3 kills, 10.4 assists, 15.8 digs, 2.5 blocks, and 1.4 service aces per set
- Erin Gross leads the offense with 204 kills, while Jaci Brahmer is hitting a team leading .286
- Megan Gebhardt has 638 total assists this season, averaging just under ten per set
- Haley Kauth leads the team with 283 digs, averaging 4.04 per set, while Brahmer is leading the team at the net with 79 blocks, averaging 1.16 per set
- WSC is led by head coach Scott Kneifl in his 13^th season with the program where he has tallied a career record of 303-103
 
A Season Ago
- The two teams faced off twice in 2016, with the Wolves going 1-1 notching a home victory
- In the 3-1 win Holly Vancura led the team with 16 kills, while Jaiden Langlie notched 27 digs
- Vancura and Langlie again led the team in the road loss with 17 kills and 24 digs respectively
- Northern is 11-26 all-time against the Wildcats
 
About Augustana
- The Vikings enter the weekend with a 14-5 record overall and 5-4 mark in league action
- AU is hitting .231 this season, while averaging 13.8 kills, 12.7 assists, 16.7 digs, 2.1 blocks, and 1.7 service aces per set
- Courtney Place leads the team with 256 kills, averaging 3.71 per set
- Ashley Williams leads the team hitting .326 on the year, and has a team third best 180 kills
- Setter Alex Banker has tallied 786 assists, averaging 11.23 per set
- Tahlyr Banks leads the defensive attack with 338 digs, while Bailey Koch and Wilson have 64 and 53 blocks respectively
- Augie is led by head coach Jennifer Jacobs in her first season at the helm
 
A Season Ago
- The Wolves fell to the Vikings twice in 2016 with scores of 3-1 and 3-2
- Jenna Reiff led the team in the first match-up with 20 kills, while Vancura notched 13 kills and a team leading 29 digs
- Northern out-hit Augustana in the match .194-to-.174
- Vancura led the team on the road with 24 kills, while Reiff followed with 15
- Langlie added a team leading 27 digs, with Reiff notching 18
- NSU is 5-13 all-time against Augustana with the last win coming in 2015