Aberdeen, S.D. – The No. 1 Northern State University volleyball team hits the road this weekend, traveling south to Sioux Falls and Southwest Minnesota State. Northern will face off against the Cougars at 6 p.m. on Friday, and the No. 16 Mustangs at 2 p.m. on Saturday.
 
Quick Hits on the Wolves
                • The Northern State volleyball team jumped back into the No. 1 spot in the AVCA Top-25 Poll after a 3-0 week versus MSUM, WSC, and AU. The Wolves garnered 1166 total points and 39 first place votes.
                • NSU is hitting a national high .316 on the year, averaging 14.7 kills, 13.9 assists, 17.4 digs, 1.7 aces, and 1.7 blocks per set thus far.
                • The Wolves sit top-5 nationally in kills and assists per set, and top-3 in the NSIC in games against league opponents in hitting percentage (.284), opponent hitting percentage (.158), total assists (712), total kills (743), total digs (957), and digs per set (18.40).
                • Northern and Concordia-St. Paul are tied for the NSIC lead with a 13-1 conference record, however Minnesota Duluth knocks on the door sitting at 12-2.
                • Hailey Busch is leading the team this season with 308 kills, averaging 4.00 per set, followed by Laura Snyder with 228 kills, averaging 3.08 per set.
                • Jenna Reiff leads the team, and ranks 12th in the nation, with a .402 hitting percentage, with Snyder and Morgan Baufield close behind at .386 and .393.
                • Ashley Rozell is nearing the 1,000 assist mark for the season with 977, averaging a national third best 12.69 per set. She also leads the team with 48 service aces, which ranks fourth in the nation.
                • Jaiden Langlie has earned back-to-back NSIC Defensive Player of the Week honors, and currently has 369 digs, averaging 4.79 per set. She is averaging 6.37 digs per set in the last five matches.
                • Reiff also leads the team at the net with 65 total blocks, averaging 0.68 per set.
 
About Sioux Falls
                • The Cougars are 15-7 on the year and 10-4 in league action, sitting tied for fourth in the NSIC.
                • Sioux Falls is hitting .282, averaging 13.8 kills, 13.0 assists, 13.5 digs, 2.1 blocks, and 1.7 aces per set this season.
                • Bria Barfnecht leads the team with 262 total kills, averaging 3.20 per set, with a .358 attack percentage.
                • Lexi Scott is hitting a team high .394 on the year, with a team second best 234 total kills, averaging 2.89 per set.
                • Krista Goerger has 728 total assists, averaging 10.11 per set on the year, with a team high 28 aces.
                • Kasandra Springer leads the defense with 253 digs, averaging 3.16 per set, while Scott leads the team at the net with 84 total blocks, averaging 1.04 per set.
                • Joel McCartney leads the Cougars in his eighth season with the program.
 
Last Match-up
                • The Wolves defeated Sioux Falls 3-0 from Wachs Arena a season ago.
                • Hailey Busch led the team with 13 kills, while Lexi Boesl tallied 13 digs.
                • Ashley Rozell dished out 35 assists, and tallied a match high six service aces.
                • NSU hit .246 in the win and forced 17 attack errors by the Cougars.
                • Northern is 16-5 all-time versus the Cougars and 5-3 in the Aldridge-era.
 
About Southwest Minnesota State
                • The No. 16 Mustangs are 15-7 overall on the year and 10-4 in league action.
                • After a loss to Sioux Falls in mid-week action, SMSU dropped from No. 11 to No. 16 in the AVCA Top-25 Poll.
                • The Mustangs are hitting .266 on the year, averaging 14.2 kills, 13.5 assists, 17.9 digs, 1.9 blocks, and 1.3 aces per set.
                • Taylor Reiss leads the team and the league with 460 kills, averaging 5.68 per set. She is also hitting a team high .314.
                • Emma Thomssen has dished out 902 total assists, averaging 12.03 per set.
                • Kaylee Burmeister leads the defense with 330 digs, averaging 4.07 per set, while Meg Schmidt leads the team at the net with 48 blocks.
                • Southwest is led by head coach Terry Culhane in his 15th season at the helm.
 
Last Match-up
                • Northern defeated then-No. 1 Southwest Minnesota State 3-1 from Wachs Arena.
                • Busch and Jenna Reiff led the team with 20 and 13 kills, while Ashley Rozell tallied 48 assists.
                • Jaiden Langlie led the defense with 29 digs, followed by Busch with 20.
                • The Wolves are 9-55 all-time against Southwest Minnesota State, with the 2017 win snapping a 19-game losing streak versus the Mustangs.