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RECORDS: Minot State is currently 6-8 overall and 2-3 in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference. University of Sioux Falls currently sits at 8-5 overall but just 1-4 in the NSIC while Southwest Minnesota State University is 10-3 overall and a perfect 5-0 in conference play.

COACHES CORNER: Minot State head coach Travis Ward is in his third season at the front of the Beaver volleyball program. Ward has a career record of 30-48 during his tenure at Minot State. In 2013, Ward has already lead to the Beavers to as many wins as he collected in all of 2012. University of Sioux Falls is coached by Joel McCartney. McCartney is in his third season with the Cougars and has a record of 36-47 during his tenure at USF. Prior to joining the USF staff, McCartney spent four seasons as head coach of the NCAA Division I Georgia Bulldogs. During his time in Athens, Ga., McCartney helped the Bulldogs to a 62-55 overall record. Southwest Minnesota State University is coached by tenth-year man Terry Culhane. Culhane has a record of 246-66 during his time with the Mustangs. He was named NSIC Coach of the Year in 2012, 2007, and 2005 and has coached nine NCAA Division II All-Americans.

RANKINGS: Minot State and University of Sioux Falls were not ranked in the Sept. 30  American Volleyball Coaches Association Division II Poll. However, SMSU was in the top 10 as they received the No. 7 position in the poll. The NSIC is the most well represented conference in the AVCA poll as four Northern Sun teams are ranked in the top 10 including No. 1 Concordia University, St. Paul and No. 2 University of Minnesota Duluth.

RECENT HISTORY: The Beavers encountered one of the toughest road trips in all of NCAA Division II volleyball as they traveled to Wayne State College and Augustana College last weekend. The trip did not go well for Minot State as they dropped both matches while only winning one set on the trip. MISU will now need a win Friday night to avoid tying their season-long losing streak of three matches. After a 7-1 start to the 2013 season, the Cougars have cooled off as they have lost four of their last five matches. However, USF nearly pulled off the upset over SMSU on Sept. 24, but lost in five matches on their home floor. Last weekend, the Cougars lost matches to both Northern State and MSU-Moorhead. The Mustangs won 18 matches in NSIC in 2012 and it appears they will do the same this year as they have won five straight to open conference play. SMSU swept both Northern State and MSU-Moorhead last weekend as they are now 12-1 in their last 13 home matches.

NOTING THE COUGARS: The 2013 and 2012 seasons are earely similar for the University of Sioux Falls volleyball squad. The non-conference schedule get the Cougars off to a hot start, but the grueling schedule of the Northern Sun breaks down USF. During the last two seasons, Sioux Falls is 15-2 in non-conference action but 6-19 during their NSIC matches. The Cougars are outperforming their opponents in nearly every statistical category this season, especially in hitting percentage. As a team, USF is hitting .256 while holding opponents to .199 from the floor. The Cougars also lead the NSIC in services aces with 1.86 aces per set. Emily Johnson leads USF with 170 kills and has also chipped in with 81 digs. Libero Andrea Odbert has been a digging machine as she by far leads the squad with 208 digs on the season.

NOTING THE MUSTANGS: For the last ten years, Southwest Minnesota State University volleyball has been towards the top of the Northern Sun. Since 2004, the Mustangs have never finished worse than No. 4 in the conference and in the last three years they have finished with 18 wins, 17 wins, and 18 wins in NSIC play. SMSU is led by sophomore setter Emilee Gutzmer who was named National Freshman of the Year in 2012 while also earning American Volleyball Coaches Association All-America Second Team honors. This season Gutzmer ranks fourth in the NSIC with 11.8 assists per set. The Mustangs have a variety of hitters, but the group is led by Abbey Thissen who has 194 kills so far in 2013. Whitney Burmeister and Claire Sames also help the SMSU attack with 140+ kills each. Libero Rachel Westby is the leader of the defense as she has 259 digs on the year, ranking her first in the NSIC.

SETTING UP FOR SUCCESS: Setter Emily Byrne (Jr., Reno, Nev.) has spread the ball around this season and currently ranks No. 5 in the NSIC in overall assists in 2013. Byrne has dished out 473 assists this season, 109 assists behind Marissa Johnson of Augustana College who leads the NCAA Division II in assists.  

DOUBLE-DOUBLE, NO TROUBLE: Through 14 matches this season, Jen Dixon (Jr., OH, Brandon, Manitoba) has record double digit kills and double digit digs seven times. Dixon even averages a double-double with 12.4 kills per match and 11.8 digs per match.

SUPER SALL: For the first time in the 2013 season, Mallory Sall (So., OH, Port Coquitlam, British Columbia) recorded 20 kills in a match. Sall hit .333 and notched 20 kills in a 1-3 loss to Augustana College on Sept. 28. As a freshman, where she had 399 kills on the year, Sall had five matches where she hit 20 or more kills.

NO SOPHOMORE SLUMP: As a freshman Tarah Dabovich (So., MH, Phoenix, Ariz.) played the middle well for the Beavers, collecting 159 kills (5.3 kills per match) and led the team with 76 blocks (2.5 blocks per match). She has improved those numbers dramatically in 2013 as she is averaging 7.5 kills per match and 3.1 blocks per match.

BY THE NUMBERS
.107: In Minot State's three NSIC losses this season, the Beavers have combined to hit just a .107 hitting percentage. In the two NSIC wins for MISU, the team hit a combined .225 hitting percentage.

3.79: The University of Sioux Falls ranks No. 4 in the NSIC in blocks per set with 3.79 (assisted and solo combined. Jordan Calef leads the Cougars with 42 blocks on the season.

.198: Southwest Minnesota State is a perfect 5-0 in Northern Sun play despite hitting just .198 from the floor. That mark ranks the Mustangs No. 11 in the NSIC, three spots behind Minot State with a .212 hitting percentage.