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Last TIME OUT
- The Mustangs posted a .386 hitting percentage with 48 kills to earn a 25-11, 25-17, 25-8 win over Minot State in front of over 1,000 fans in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference volleyball on Saturday afternoon at the SMSU PE Gym.
- Emma VanHeel and Leah Jones tallied nine kills apiece to lead the SMSU offense. VanHeel supported the attack with a pair of aces and four block assists. Jones added three digs and a pair of block assists.
- Freshman Natalie Pilney swung for a career-high eight kills on .636 hitting and nabbed three block assists in the win.
- Sydney Thein recorded 39 set assists in support of the attack while holding it down defensively with five digs.
- McKenzie Tolk led the back line with 19 digs and Mya Krystosek followed behind with 10 digs.
- SMSU posted 50 kills on a season-high .396 hitting percentage with seven total blocks, while UMary was limited to 35 kills on .211 hitting.
MUSTANG MACHINES
- SMSU ranks first in NSIC play in assists per set (14.97) and kills per set (15.74), second in team hitting pct. (.294) and third in digs per set (18.74).
- Senior outside hitter Saari Kuehl leads SMSU in hitting with 220 kills (3.49 per set), followed by sophomore outside hitter Leah Jones with 194 kills (3.08 per set). Senior middle blocker Emma VanHeel comes in third with 168 kills while sophomore right side hitter Ashley Peltier adds 165 kills.
- VanHeel also leads the Mustang blockers with 70 blocks.
- Redshirt freshman setter Sydney Thein anchors the offense with 751 assists (11.92 per set) while supporting the attack with 54 kills on .362 hitting. Thein adds 209 digs and 17 service aces.
- Junior libero McKenzie Tolkleads the defense with 343 digs (5.44 per set) while supporting the offense with 63 assists.
SMSU IN THE NATIONAL RANKS
- The Mustangs currently hold multiple team and individual placements amongst the weekly NCAA statistical leader boards.
- SMSU ranks first in the nation in assists per set (14.46) and kills per set (15.22), and second in Division II in digs per set (19.37).
- The Mustangs sit at No. 4 in total assists (911), No. 8 in total kills (959), and No. 18 in total digs (1,220).
- Sydney Thein comes in at No. 5 in assists per set (11.92) and total assists (751), while McKenzie Tolk ranks No. 18 in digs per set (5.44) and No. 16 in total digs (343).
SERIES HISTORY
- Today will be the 106th meeting between SMSU and WSU, with the Mustangs leading the series 71-33-1.
- The Mustangs defeated the Warriors twice a season ago, sweeping WSU in both matches.
- Seven of the last 10 meetings have went the way of the Mustangs.
- SMSU is 29-13 all-time at home against WSU.
SMSU in "red out" matches
MORE ON winona STATE
- Winona State is 12-8 on the season and last played on Oct. 12 earning a 3-1 win over then-No. 21 Northern State at home. The Warriors are 5-3 on the road this season.
- Sidney Paulson leads the Warriors offense with 3.00 kills per set and a team-high 228 kills, and adds 28 blocks and 211 digs on defense.
- Kenna Kornely follows behind with 156 kills, while Lydia Lange is third with 147 kills.
- Kylie Welch leads the team on the back line with 390 digs while supporting the offense with 85 assists and 21 service aces.
- Jaci Winchell leads WSU with 419 assists while supporting the attack with 18 kills and 18 service aces.
- WSU is averaging 12.7 kills per set on 18.8 percent hitting while opponents average 11.9 kills on 19.7 percent hitting.