THIS WEEK: Minot State continues its road trip, finishing up a four-game swing with games at Minnesota State Friday and Concordia St. Paul Saturday. The Beavers also continue to play ranked or receiving votes teams MSU is in a stretch of four straight against teams in the national poll.

RECORDS: Minot State (3-11, 0-7) went 0-2 last week in games against St. Cloud State and No. 1 Minnesota Duluth. Minnesota State (10-5, 4-3) split its games last week with a loss against No. 11 Wayne State and a victory over No. 19 Augustana. Concordia St. Paul (11-3, 6-1) won both of its games against the same opponents Minnesota State played.

COACHES CORNER: Minot State head coach Ben Kaszeta is in his first season at the front of the Beaver volleyball program. Kaszeta worked previously as an assistant for Terry Gamble at Jacksonville State in 2014 and McNeese State in 2013. Prior to his work under Gamble, Kaszeta was the head coach at NCAA Division II Lake Superior State from 2010-2012. He has been coaching since 2007 when he started his coaching career at Mott Community College. Lori Rittenhouse-Wollmuth is in her first season as the head coach at Minnesota State. Rittenhouse-Wollmuth began her coaching career at Minnesota State as a graduate assistant in 2005. She was promoted to an assistant coach in 2007 and again to associate head coach in 2013. In her time coaching with Minnesota State the Mavericks have a 181-110 record including four 20-win seasons and five appearances in the NCAA tournament. As a player for the University of Wisconsin Rittenhouse-Wollmuth made a NCAA Division I Final Four and Elite Eight appearance before playing professionally in Spain and Croatia in 2003 and 2004. Brady Starkey in in his 13th season with Concordia, St. Paul. Starkey has led his team to a 401-39 record and his winning percentage of .911 is the highest of any active coach in Division I, II or III volleyball. From 2007-13 he coached the Golden Bears to seven NCAA Championship victories. Starkey is a three-time AVCA National Coach of the year, a five-time NSIC Coach of the Year and an eight-time Region Coach of the Year.

RANKINGS: Concordia, St. Paul was voted the No. 3 team in the October 5 American Volleyball Coaches' Association Poll while Minnesota State received votes. Minot State did not received any votes.

SERIES HISTORY: The Beavers have a short history with both Minnesota State and Concordia, St. Paul with both series beginning in 2012. Minot State has a 1-3 record against Minnesota State with its lone win 3-0 win in 2013 in Minot, N.D. Concordia is a perfect 4-0 against Minot State.

LAST TIME OUT: Minot State was able to take Minnesota State to five sets in its first match of the year and was swept in its second. Errors hurt the Beavers as they committed 18 errors compared to the Minnesota State's nine. With only four more kills than Minot State the Mavericks were able to win in three sets. In the two matches against Concordia, St. Paul the Beavers once again fell victim to their own errors committing six more in each of the matches the Golden Bears were able to take in three sets.

NOTING THE BEAVERS: Minot State continues its tough road stretch against conference opponents. Last weekend the Beavers were swept in both matches against St. Cloud State and No. 1 Minnesota Duluth. Coach Ben Kaszeta did see something from his team that he liked in their 25-18 loss in the first set against Minnesota Duluth saying his team showed potential and showed what they are capable.

NOTING THE MAVERICKS: In both matches played last week Minnesota State went to four sets. The first match, a loss to No. 11 Wayne State, the Mavericks had their second lowest attack percentage of the season with a mark of .161. The next day Minnesota State was able to rebound against No. 19 Augustana and hit a mark of .271. The Mavericks average this season has been .240 including a highs of .436 and .435 and a low of .121.

NOTING THE GOLDEN BEARS: Concordia, St. Paul was able to sneak out a home victory against No. 19 Augustana in five sets despite being outhit 65 kills to 62. In their next game against No. 11 Wayne State the Golden Bears were able to win in four sets. In both matches played last week Concordia was unable to win its first set, but was able to win the match.

TOUGH ROAD AHEAD: Traveling this week to the No. 3 ranked team in the country and another team that is receiving votes in the rankings is just the beginning of the tough matchups ahead for Minot State. Seven of the Beavers final 13 games come against ranked opponents or teams receiving votes in the national polls, including four teams in the top ten. Minot State also played the No. 1 team in the country last week in Minnesota Duluth.

SOLO SOPHOMORE: Rachel Fagerburg (OH, Tempe, Ariz.) is the lone sophomore on the Minot State roster. With 99 kills she has the second most kills on the team. She is also second on the team with 14 served aces, third in digs with 141 and fourth in blocks with 18. With two seniors and two graduating juniors Fagerburg will be the most veteran Beaver entering the 2016 season as a junior.

FRESH LEGS: Freshman Alison Fuata (OH, Hilo, Hawaii) had only played in eight sets before her playing time picked up in the last four matches. With appearances in each of the last four matches Fuata has played in six sets moving her season total to 14 sets played. Fuata has recorded 15 kills, one assist, one dig, and four blocks so far in her debut season.

BY THE NUMBERS

9: Digs from defensive specialist Hailey Richards (R-Fr., Humbolt, Saskatchewan) in three sets against St. Cloud State last weekend. That is the third time this season Richards has been able to dig nine or more balls in a match. Her season high in digs came in five sets against South Dakota Mines.

52: Kills in two matches played last week. That marks a season low of kills in two back-to-back matches. The Beavers hit a season low 22 kills against No. 1 Minnesota Duluth.

251: Attack percentage from junior Shaunessy Dauwalder (MH, Stanley, N.D.). It is also the number of attacks attempted making her the only Beaver with an attack percentage above 20 percent with at least 250 attempts.