Aberdeen, S.D. – The No. 5 Northern State University volleyball team will open the NSIC Tournament tomorrow from Wachs Arena. The Wolves will face off at 6 p.m. versus seventh seeded Minnesota State. Due to conference regulations, all Wolves Club season ticket holders are required to purchase a ticket at the door, with all gate revenue belonging to the NSIC. Tickets are $10 for adults, $2 for students, and children 5 and under will be admitted free. In addition, Northern State students will be admitted free to the game with their student ID card.
Quick Hits on the Wolves
• The No. 5 Northern State University volleyball team enters the first round of the NSIC Conference Tournament after winning their first conference championship in program history.
• The Wolves finished the regular season tying the single season wins record with 25 on the year, and earned in the second seed in the NSIC Tournament (per tiebreaker rules).
•
Ashley Rozell,
Hailey Busch,
Jenna Reiff, and
Laura Snyder were named to the NSIC All-Conference first team, while
Jaiden Langlie earned second team honors a week ago.
• Northern State head coach
Brent Aldridge was also named the NSIC Coach of the Year, for the third time in his eight seasons with the Wolves.
• NSU concludes the regular season hitting .309 and averaging 14.5 kills, 13.7 assists, 16.8 digs, 1.8 blocks, and 1.5 aces per set.
• The Wolves ended the regular season sitting top-5 in the NSIC in hitting percentage, opponent hitting percentage, assists, assists per set, kills, kills per set, and digs in matches against league opponents.
• NSU also ranks top-10 nationally in assists per set, while leading the country in attack percentage.
•
Hailey Busch and
Laura Snyder lead the team with 373 and 301 kills respectively, each averaging over three per set.
• Snyder is hitting a team leading .397 on the year, followed by
Jenna Reiff and
Morgan Baufield at .386 and .385.
•
Ashley Rozell has accumulated 1221 total assists, averaging 12.46 per set which sit her fourth in the nation. She also leads the team with 55 service aces, and ranks sixth nationally averaging 0.56 per set.
•
Jaiden Langlie leads the Wolves defense with 445 total digs, averaging 4.54 per set, while Reiff and Baufield led the team at the net with 82 and 73 blocks apiece.
• Snyder also ranks in the top-10 in the nation, sitting ninth, in season hitting percentage.
About Minnesota State
• Minnesota State enters the post-season after an 18-10 year and seventh place finish in the NSIC with a record of 11-9.
• The Mavericks are hitting .246 on the year, averaging 13.5 kills, 13.0 assists, 14.9 digs, 2.0 blocks, and 1.4 aces per set.
• Morgan Olson leads the team with 450 kills, averaging 4.37 per set, while hitting a team high .397.
• Micayla Porter and Lauren Lowry share the setting duties, notching 680 and 534 assists respectively.
• Mara Quam leads the team with 529 digs, averaging 5.14 per set, and finished the season atop the league charts.
• Anissa Janzig and Ashton Lee led the team at the net with 82 and 79 blocks each.
• Minnesota State is led by head coach Lori Rittenhouse-Wollmuth in her fourth season at the helm.
Last Match-up
• The Wolves defeated the Mavericks 3-1 from Wachs Arena in late September.
• NSU hit .257 in the win, recording a match high 56 kills, 67 digs, and five aces.
•
Hailey Busch led the team with 18 kills, while
Sally Gaul and
Laura Snyder each recorded ten.
•
Ashley Rozell dished out 49 assists, averaging 12.25 per set, and led the NSU defense with 14 digs.
• Morgan Olson led the Mavericks with a match high 21 kills, hitting .341 on the night.
• Northern is 11-14 all-time against Minnesota State, winning the last four meetings.
