THE MATCHES AT A GLANCE

Date: Friday, October 9 vs. Sioux Falls Location: Sioux Falls, S.D. – Stewart Center

Start Time: 6 p.m. Head Coach: Dan Mathews

 

Date: Saturday, October 10 vs. #12 Southwest Minn. State Location: Marshall, Minn. – PE Gym

Start Time: 2 p.m. Head Coach: Tyler Boddy

 
FAN INFORMATION & GAME COVERAGE
Live Stats: https://usfcougars.com/sidearmstats/wvball/summary & https://smsumustangs.com/sidearmstats/wvball/summary  
Live Video [$]: https://www.midcosportsplus.com/?school=northern-state-university  
Tickets: https://university-of-sioux-falls-gk2j.vivenushop.com/ & https://gofan.co/event/6640182?schoolId=MN100471   
 
NORTHERN STATE STORYLINES

• Northern State hits the road to face Sioux Falls and Southwest Missouri State; the Wolves are coming off a 2-1 week with sweeps over Minot State and Augustana and a loss to No. 2 Wayne State
• NSU is 12-5 and is fifth in the conference, tied with SMSU and CSP with a 7-2 NSIC record
• As a team, NSU is averaging 14.2 kills, 13.3 assists, 15.3 digs, 1.6 blocks, and 1.7 aces per set this season; Northern has 148 more kills, 143 more assists, and 110 more digs than their opponents
• The offense is hitting .298, while the defense is holding their opponents to a .213 attack percentage; in their sweep against the Beavers, the defense set a season-best opponent hitting percentage, holding Minot to -.064
• Linnea Nesheim and Katelyn Schroeder lead not just the team, but the conference in total kills and kills per set with 245 and 3.95 (Nesheim) and 240 and 3.87 (Schroeder)
• Ava Nilsson has 729 assists and 26 aces on the year to lead all Wolves; she is first in the nation in assists per ser (11.84) and third in the country in total assists
• Ashley Yost has the most digs for Northern with 267, averaging 4.31 per set (fourth in the conference)
• Leading the team at the net with 45 total blocks is Lydia Nelson
• Victoria Persha is sixth in the Northern Sun with a .368 hitting percentage while Nilsson is sixth in aces per set with .42
• Northern State is top-5 in the NSIC in six major stat categories and first in the league in hitting percentage (.298)

 
 
SIOUX FALLS STORYLINES

• The Cougars are 6-11 on the year and 2-7 in conference action, falling at 12 in the NSIC standings
• USF swept their last two competitors in UMary and Minot State, both on the road
• These were their first two league wins of the season, snapping a nine-match losing streak; their last win was back on September 4 against Black Hills State
• The team averages 12.2 kills per set and a .216 attack percentage; they also average 11.6 assists, 13.8 digs, and 2.5 blocks per set
• Leading the way for the Cougars are Ella Walker in kills (169) and blocks (77), Hollie Peterson in assists (436) and aces (18), and Maci Lerseth in digs (273); Haley Wolfe is close behind in blocks at 76
• Walker and Wolfe are first and second in the NSIC in average blocks with 1.18 and 1.17 respectively; Walker is also third in the Northern Sun in attack percentage (.380)
• The team ranks first in the conference in blocks with 2.54 per set and 165 overall; USF is also third in the NSIC in opponent digs (13.15/set)
• They are in the bottom half of 10 other statistical categories including last in service aces averaging 1.11 per set

 
THE WOLVES AND COUGARS HISTORY

• The last meeting between the two teams took place on November 8, 2025, where Sioux Falls came away with a 3-0 win over Northern
• The Wolves are currently 8-2 in the last 10 matches vs the Cougars dating back to October 6, 2017
• The all-time record between the two programs is NSU – 21, USF – 6

 
#12 SOUTHWEST MINN. STATE STORYLINES

• The Mustangs are 13-3 on the year (7-2 NSIC) and are tied with Northern State and Concordia-St. Paul at third in the conference standings
• Southwest Minn. State has spent the whole season in the AVCA top-25, reaching as high as 10 in week one, and currently at 12
• Their losses have been to then No. 2 Wayne State (0-3), No. 5 Concordia-St. Paul (1-3), and No. 11 Missouri Western St. (1-3); their only ranked win has come against then No. 10 St. Cloud State
• 10 of their 13 wins this season, including four NSIC matches, have been 3-0 sweeps
• The team averages 14.6 kills, 13.8 assists, 17.5 digs, and 2.0 blocks and aces per set while hitting .266; defensively, their opponents hold a .170 attack percentage
• This season's leaders are Leah Jones in kills (164), Tatem Schmidt in assists (357), Ashlynn Schroeder in digs (228), and Natalie Pilney in blocks (55)
• There are no individuals in the top-5 of the conference for any statistical category for Southwest Minn. State
• SMSU is top-5 in the league in 10 major stat categories; the Mustangs are first in the country in assists per set at 13.83

 
 
THE WOLVES AND MUSTANGS HISTORY

• The last meeting between the two teams took place on November 7, 2025, where Southwest Minn. State came away with a 3-1 win over Northern
• The Wolves are currently 2-8 in the last 10 matches vs the Mustangs dating back to November 9, 2018

• The all-time record between the two programs is SMSU – 65, NSU – 12