THIS WEEK: Minot State opens the Travis Ward era with a pair of matches both Friday and Saturday at the University of Sioux Falls Active Ankle Volleyball Invitational. MSU plays Bemidji State (4 p.m.) and the host Sioux Falls (8 p.m.) on Friday before taking on Waldorf College (noon) and Fort Hays State (2 p.m.) on Saturday.

TRADITION IN TRANSITION: Minot State is in its third season of a four-year transition from NAIA to NCAA Division II. MSU advanced to Year Three Provisional status in July and is expected to complete the transition in July 2012. Minot State was selected to join the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference in 2012-13.

RECORDS: This marks the season opening weekend for all teams involved in the tournament except for Waldorf College, which fell to 0-7 after 0-4 at the Mount Mercy Tournament last week.

COACHES CORNER: The Beavers open the season with first-year head coach Travis Ward. Bemidji State is led by Wayne Chadwick, who is 12-16 overall in his second season. Sioux Falls head coach is first-year coach Joel McCartney. Kurt Kohler is the head coach at Fort Hays State and carries a 103-95 overall record and record of 14-52 with FHSU into this third season.

ON THE AIR: The tournament does not have any live radio or stats, but there will be live video for the MSU vs. Sioux Falls match (http://www.usfcougars.com/component/videoplayer/?tmpl=component&event=76). Please logon to (www.msubeavers.com) for full reports as soon as possible following each match.

RANKINGS: Minot State was not ranked in the latest CBS College Sports Network/AVCA Division II Top 25 Preseason poll conducted Aug. 16. None of MSU's competitors this week were ranked as well.

RECENT HISTORY: This is the first game of the season for all teams.

OVERALL SERIES: The Beavers are 0-5 against Bemidji State, dating back to 1977.Minot State is 1-1 against Sioux Falls, going back to 2002. MSU has not played Waldorf College or Fort Hays in its volleyball history.

NOTING THE BSU BEAVERS: Bemidji State has been in a rebuilding mode as last season's 16 wins were the most wins by the program since 2003… Bemidji State has 10 newcomers on the roaster… Senior middle blocker Nicole Olson was named Honorable Mention All-Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference last season… Senior Brie Groskreutz is just nine digs shy of the Beavers all-time mark.

NOTING THE COUGARS: The University of Sioux Falls is in a transition from NAIA to NCAA Division and will join the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference the same year Minot State does… The Cougars play host to two tournaments in which Minot State is a participant this season… USF has big holes to fill as three multi-year starters graduated from last year's team… Alyssa Chambers was second in the Great Plains Athletic Conference last season in blocks.

NOTING THE WARRIORS: Waldorf College has struggled to start the season dropping all four matches at the Mount Mercy Tournament last week to fall to 0-7. Over the past two seasons, WC has lost 14 straight matches, losing its last seven of 2010… Ashley Lutrick leads the team with 46 kills so far this season.

NOTING THE TIGERS: Fort Hays State has four sophomores that the team is built around, centered by All-MIAA honorable mention Madison Schwartz. Schwartz finished with 220 kills in 2010… Junior setter Kayla Zoglman is a junior college transfer from Butler Community College where she was the school's second all-time leader in assists… Zoglman is joined by former BCC teammate Megan Glandon, who finished with 350 kills in two seasons at the junior college level.

WARD COUNTRY: MSU hired Travis Ward in April to revive a volleyball team that was not above .500 overall since going 19-9 in 2000. Ward previously helped Laramie County Community College go from an eight win team into a nationally recognized program in three seasons. LCCC was 31-8 in 2009 and reached as high as No. 7 in 2010.

UP-SETTING SITUATION: Minot State will start the season with four setters listed on the roster and a total of three players who saw time at setter last year. Senior BrieAnne Engel (Balgonie, Saskatchewan) and junior Abbey Aide (Bottineau, N.D.) are sidelined with injuries. Engel and Aide split time early in the season in 2010 before Engel was injured in a car accident. Aide, who was named the 2010 Setter of the Year in the Dakota Athletic Conference, was injured during the track season and off-season surgery.MSU brought in two new setters, Emily Byrne (Fr., Reno, Nev.) and Chauncee Axelson (Williston, N.D.) to vie for the starting spot. A fifth option is Libero Jenna Moffatt (So., Brandon, Manitoba) who set for the Beavers last year during a match and a half while Aide recovered from an in-season injury.

JEN AGAIN: Minot State does not have a lot of experience on the 2011 team as only six players saw action with MSU last season. Three returners Jennifer Yausie (Jr., OH, Colonsay, Saskatchewan), Jen Dixon (So., OH, Brandon, Manitoba) and Jenna Moffatt have by far the most matches combined in an MSU jersey. Yausie has played extensively over the past two seasons, while Dixon and Moffatt gained valuable experience last season.