Aberdeen, S.D. – The Northern State University volleyball team will play their final preseason tournament this Thursday through Saturday at Black Hills State. The Wolves will take on the Yellow Jackets, as well as Montana State Billings, Texas A&M Kingsville, and South Dakota Mines from Spearfish. Match start times are set for 8 p.m. (CT) on Thursday (BHSU), 11 a.m. (MSUB) and 5 p.m. (TAMK) on Friday, and 12 p.m. (CT) on Saturday (MINES).  
 
GAME & FAN INFORMATION

• Live video and stat links are available above or on the full schedule on nsuwolves.com
• Visit the tournament central page HERE

 
NORTHERN STATE STORYLINES

• The Wolves head into the weekend with a 3-1 record following a trip to Arkansas to kick off 2023
• Northern is hitting .215 through four matches, averaging 12.1 kills, 11.2 assists, 18.6 digs, 2.4 blocks, and 1.8 aces per set
• The NSU defense held their opponents to a .072 attack percentage a weekend ago, averaging under ten kills and assists per set
• Morissen Samuels opened her freshman campaign leading the team with 46 kills, while Abby Brooks hit a team high .410 and led the net defense with 12.0 blocks
• Keri Walker dished out 138 assists, averaging 9.86 per set
• Abby Meister led the defense with 82 digs, averaging 5.86 per set

 
BLACK HILLS STATE STORYLINES

• BHSU opened 2023 with a 3-1 record over their own, notching wins over Southeastern Oklahoma (3-1), Minot State (3-1), and the University of Mary (3-0)
• Black Hills is hitting .209 this season, averaging 12.6 kills, 11.5 assists, 14.9 digs, 1.6 blocks, and 2.4 aces per set
• Abigail Renner leads the offense with 62 kills, while Audry Brgoch is hitting a team best .239
• Hannah Lamon has 181 assists on the year, averaging 10.65 per set
• The defense is led by Haedyn Rhoades with 95 digs, averaging 5.59 per set, and Randi Wellhoefer with 12.0 blocks
• The Yellow Jackets are led by head coach Bree Davis in her third season at the helm

 
LAST MATCH-UP

• The last match-up between the two programs came in the fall of 2015, with Northern grabbing a 3-0 win
• NSU is 11-11 all-time against BHSU and currently on a 4-match win streak

 
MONTANA STATE - BILLINGS STORYLINES

• MSUB heads to Spearfish with a 2-2 record overall, opening the season with wins over Minot State (3-2) and Southeastern Oklahoma (3-1)
• The Yellowjackets are hitting .160, averaging 11.7 kills, 10.9 assists, 18.2 digs, 2.7 blocks, and 1.8 aces per set
• Julia Gordon leads the offense with 56 total kills and a .323 attack percentage
• Hailey Carroll paces that offense with 168 assists on the year, averaging 9.33 per set
• The defense is led by Christine Funk with 108 digs, averaging 6.00 per set, and Paiten Langston with 26.0 blocks, averaging 1.44 set
• Billings is led by head coach Casey Bonner in her eighth season at the helm

 
LAST MATCH-UP

• Northern and MSU Billings last faced off in the fall of 2009 with the Wolves recording a 3-2 victory
• NSU is 4-0 all time against MSUB

 
TEXAS A&M - KINGSVILLE STORYLINES

• The Javelinas opened the year with four wins over Ouachita Baptist (3-0), CSU Pueblo (3-1), New Mexico Highlands (3-0), and (RV) Quincy (3-2)
• Kingsville is hitting .293, averaging 12.7 kills, 11.9 assists, 13.6 digs, 2.5 blocks, and 1.7 aces per set
• TAMK has a balanced offensive attack with Jackie Alanis leading the team with 44 kills and a .412 attack percentage
• Elisa Carli and Rylan Pollard recorded 85 and 74 assists respectively
• Isabel Neu leads the defense with 58 digs, while Ayanna Jackson has a team leading 20.0 blocks
• TAMK is led by head coach Tanya Allen-Gonzalez in her 13^th season at the helm

 
LAST MATCH-UP

• Friday will be the first meeting between the two programs

 
SOUTH DAKOTA MINES STORYLINES

• The Hardrockers hold a 3-1 record with wins over York (3-0), Chadron State (3-1), and MSU Moorhead (3-0)
• MINES is hitting .208 on the year, averaging 14.2 kills, 13.1 assists, 17.7 digs, 1.7 blocks, and 2.5 aces per set
• Alessandra Meoni leads the offense with 54 kills and a .379 attack percentage, while Kiley Metzger paces the team averaging 9.87 assists per set with 148 total
• Hannah Benes leads the defensive effort with 81 digs, averaging 5.40 per set and Kiera Walsh leads the team at the net with 14.0 blocks
• SD Mines is led by head coach Lauren Torvi Prochazka in her sixth season at the helm

 
LAST MATCH-UP

• Northern took the 2022 match with a score of 3-0 from Sioux Falls
• NSU hit .367 in the win, recording a match high 43 kills, 41. Assists, 40 digs, 11 aces, and ten blocks
• The Wolves are 14-7 all-time against the Hardrockers