Game Notes

Live Video (SCSU)
Live Video (UMD)

Match Info

Opponent: St. Cloud State University
Date: Nov. 1, 7 p.m.
Location: St. Cloud, Minn.
Arena: Halenbeck Hall
Live Stats: http://www.sidearmstats.com/stcloudstate/wvball/scoreboard.aspx
Opponent: (5) University of Minnesota Duluth
Date: Nov. 3, 2 p.m.
Location: Crookston, Minn.
Arena: Lysaker Gymnasium
Live Stats: https://netfiles.umn.edu/users/smithsd/livestats/xlive.htm
Twitter: UMCAthletics
Facebook: Golden Eagle Sports

Quick Hits
• Swann Song
    Amanda Swann (Sr., OH, Rochester Hills, Mich.) has put up a very strong senior season as she looks to wrap up her career at UMC over the next four games. Swann is currently second on the team with 213 kills and is averaging 2.70 kills per set. Swann has accumulated 836 kills in her four years. Swann is averaging 12.1 kills per set in the team's seven victories in conference this season. In the team's nine conference losses Swann has been held to nine kills per set. Swann had a great “Senior Day” performance last Saturday as she had 16 kills, her second-best kills performance of the season, against U-Mary. Swann's final home game of her career will take place Saturday against No. 5 University of Minnesota Duluth.

• Crucial Times
    The Golden Eagles are currently two games behind eighth place in the conference standings. The top eight teams go to the NSIC Tournament this season. Upper Iowa and Northern State are currently tied for eighth with records of 9-7 in league play. UMC is currently in 10th place with a 7-9 mark. The Golden Eagles have four matches to try to catch Northern State and Upper Iowa and punch a ticket to the tournament. They have matches left against St. Cloud State, UMD, MSU Moorhead and Northern State.


• VanGerpen Picking It Up
    Morgan VanGerpen (So., MH, Overland Park, Kan.) tallied 18 kills last weekend in the Golden Eagles' two wins over U-Mary and Minot State for an average of 2.57 kills per set. VanGerpen is averaging 1.43 kills per set. VanGerpen tallied a team-high 10 kills against Minot State.

• One More Win
    One more win and the Golden Eagles will surpass their highest overall win total during the Lee Anderson era which they set last season at 12. UMC is currently three wins shy of the program's best win total of the team's 14 years in the NSIC. The Golden Eagles won 14 matches in 2004. UMC's win versus U-Mary last Saturday gave them seven wins in the league which surpasses the program's high of six during the 14 years of the school in the NSIC. The team had six conference wins in both 2004 and 2011.

• Chart Climber
    Chelsea Wiesner (Jr., Lib., Rochester, Minn.) has 383 digs in her three years at UMC. Wiesner is getting closer and closer to becoming the team's all-time leader for digs. She currently needs just 150 digs to surpass Jaclyn Slepicka's mark of 1,471. Wiesner has 1,322 digs in her career. She tallied over 20 digs for the seventh time this season with 23 digs against University of Mary Saturday.

• Acing It!
    The University of Minnesota, Crookston is currently the top team in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference in service aces with 137 so far this year. Brittany Looker (So., OH, Rochester, Minn.) leads the team with 31 and is also fourth in the conference. The Golden Eagles are ranked 60th nationally for aces per set. In the conference, Alexandra Skeeter (Jr., OH, Milwaukee, Wis.), Paige Mitchell (R-Jr., S, West Palm Beach, Fla.) and Chelsea Wiesner (Jr., Lib., Rochester, Minn.) are also ranked in the top 10.

• The Roaring 20's
    20 has been a key number for UMC this season. The Golden Eagles are 25-6 this season in sets where they reach 20 before their opponents. The only six set losses came in the first match of the season against Northern Michigan University, in a set versus Ferris State University, against Augustana College, against Upper Iowa and Winona State. In addition, UMC has come back and won eight sets in which the opponent reached 20 first, including the third set against Minot State.

• Doubling Up
    Brittany Looker has been one of UMC's strongest players offensively and defensively this season. It has shown in the matches this season as Looker has 11 double-doubles this season. Looker had 12 kills and 13 digs versus U-Mary last Saturday.

The Scoop

Previewing the Golden Eagles

    The University of Minnesota, Crookston Golden Eagles are one win away from surpassing their win total from a season ago of 12 as they come into the week with an 11-12 (7-9 NSIC) mark. UMC already has more total wins and more conference victories then they have in the previous six years with Lee Anderson at the helm. Before they face University of Minnesota Duluth Saturday, they will play St. Cloud State on the road Thursday.
   
    UMC is led offensively on the season by the duo of Brittany Looker (So., OH, Rochester, Minn.) and Amanda Swann (Sr., OH, Rochester Hills, Mich.). Looker comes into the weekend leading the squad with 2.83 kills per set while Swann is just behind her with 2.70 kills per set. UMC had an added boost last weekend from middle hitter Morgan VanGerpen (So., Overland Park, Kan.), who had 18 kills in two wins for the Golden Eagles. VanGerpen is averaging 1.43 kills per set on the year. At setter, the Golden Eagles continue to go with a two setter rotation as Paige Mitchell (R-Jr., S, West Palm Beach, Fla.) comes in leading the team with 5.12 assists per set while Lindsey Rees (R-Jr., S, Bronson, Mich.) is averaging 4.18 assists per set.

    Defensively, UMC is led the by Chelsea Wiesner (Jr., Lib., Rochester, Minn.), who is averaging the third-most digs per set in the league with 4.85. The Golden Eagle block is paced by VanGerpen who is leading the team averaging 0.84 blocks per set.

Previewing the Huskies

    The St. Cloud State University Huskies enter the weekend with a record of 6-18 overall and 2-14 in NSIC play. The Huskies went 0-2 last weekend falling to Northern State University and Minnesota State University, Moorhead.

    St. Cloud State is 16th in the league in team hitting percentage and 14th in kills as they have struggled overall defensively. The Huskies are led by Rachel Burke's 2.43 kills per set and Ellie Dietzen's 2.33 kills per set. At setter, St. Cloud State is paced by Erin Ohlemann's 7.89 assists per set.

    Defensively, St. Cloud State is led by freshman Brianne Stamer's 4.56 digs per set. Stamer is fifth in the league for digs per set. On the block, the Huskies are paced by Jordan Hansen's 0.42 blocks per set.

Previewing the Bulldogs

    The University of Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs come in brandishing a No. 5 ranking and a 23-2 (15-2 NSIC) mark. The Bulldogs continue to be one of the volleyball powers of the NSIC as their only two losses on the season came to current No. 1 Southwest Minnesota State University and from Augustana College (S.D.). The Bulldogs face Bemidji State Thursday at home before heading to face the Golden Eagles in Crookston. UMD is coming off a sweep of Minnesota State University, Moorhead and Northern State University on the road last weekend.

    The Bulldogs are paced offensively by 2011 AVCA First Team All-America pick Kate Lange, who comes in averaging 4.90 kills per set, which is second in the nation. Lange is hitting .269 for the season. Along with Lange, two other players are averaging over two kills per set as both Monica Turner and Kalli Lochner come in averaging 2.69 kills per set. Freshman setter Ashley Hinsch comes into the weekend averaging 12.09 assists per set.

    Defensively, UMD is led by 4.91 digs per set from libero Julie Rainey, who is second in the NSIC for digs per set behind Katy Ness of MSU Moorhead and right in front of UMC's Wiesner. UMD's block is led by freshman Turner's 1.01 blocks per set.