Aberdeen, S.D. – The No. 13 Northern State University volleyball team remains at home this weekend for a pair of matches against (RV) Sioux Falls and No. 1 Southwest Minnesota State. Game time is set for 6 p.m. on Friday against the Cougars, and 2 p.m. on Saturday versus the Mustangs.
 
The Wolves went 1-1 last weekend, suffering their first conference loss to No. 2 Concordia-St. Paul. Northern is now 13-2 overall and 6-1 in the NSIC. Last weekend, NSU hit .203 in the two matches, with 71 kills, 70 assists, 112 digs, 12.5 blocks, and six service aces. The Wolves out hit (.203-.176), out dug (112-97), and out blocked their opponents (12.5-10.0). Northern hit .304 against the Mavericks, and held them to a .067 attack percentage on defense. Holly Vancura led the team with 19 kills, followed by Jenna Reiff with 18. Reiff hit a team leading .361 through six sets. She also led the team with six blocks. Ashley Rozell tallied 64 assists, averaging 10.6 per set. Jaiden Langlie led the defense with 26 digs, averaging 4.33 per set.
 
Northern is currently hitting .309 as a team, while averaging 13.5 kills, 12.7 assists, 15.4 digs, 2.0 blocks, and 1.6 aces per set. Laura Snyder leads the team with 135 kills, while four Wolves have notched over 100 this season. She is also hitting a team leading .412, followed by Jenna Reiff with a .327 attack percentage. Ashley Rozell is averaging 11.48 assists per set with 574 total in 2017. She also holds a team leading 31 service aces, followed by Jaiden Langlie with 23. Langlie leads the team with 189 digs, averaging 3.78 per set, while Reiff leads the team at the net with 49 total blocks.
 
About Sioux Falls
- The Cougars enter the week with a 9-3 record overall and 4-3 mark in the NSIC.
- Sioux Falls is hitting .229 this season, while averaging 13.0 kills, 12.4 assists, 14.9 digs, 2.2 blocks, and 1.3 aces per set.
- Makenna Rockeman leads three hitters with 100 or more kills, tallying 162 thus far.
- Bria Barfnecht is second on the team with 140 kills, while hitting a team leading .365.
- Setter Megan Hamstad is averaging 10.43 assists per set, while 490 total this season.
- Janelle Lam leads the defense with 214 digs, averaging 4.55 per set, while Lexi Scott leads the team at the net with 56 blocks, averaging 1.19 per set.
- USF is led by head coach Joel McCartney in his seventh season with the program. McCartney began coaching in 1996 and holds a career record of 444-253.
 
A Season Ago
- The Wolves and Cougars faced off twice in 2016, with Northern falling 3-1 in both matches.
- Vancura led the team in the first match-up with 11 kills, while Reiff tallied 15 kills in the home loss.
- Langlie combined for 28 total digs averaging nearly four a set.
- Northern is 4-3 all-time against the Cougars.
 
About Southwest Minnesota State
- The top team in the nation currently, the Mustangs are 15-0 on the year and 7-0 in the NSIC.
- Southwest is hitting .281, while averaging 15.4 kills, 14.2 assists, 16.2 digs, 2.2 blocks, and 1.6 aces per set this season.
- Taylor Reiss has tallied a team leading 245 kills, averaging 4.62 per set, while three other players have tallied over 100 kills.
- Brooke Borchardt is leads the team hitting .448, and sits third with 156 kills.
- Setter Megan Larson is averaging 12.60 assists per set, with 668 total in 2017.
- Kaylee Burmeister leads the defense with 191 digs, while Sarina Smith has a team leading 49 blocks.
- SMSU is led by head coach Terry Culhane in his 14^th season with the program, where he holds a career record of 340-93.
 
A Season Ago
- The Wolves fell to the Mustangs, 3-0, twice in 2016.
- Holly Vancura notched 16 kills in the two games.
- Langlie added another 27 digs defensively.
- Northern is 7-29 all-time against SMSU, with their last victory coming in 2009.