Game Notes

Match Info
Opponent: University of Mary
Date: Sept. 14, 7 p.m.
Location: Bismarck, N.D.
Arena: McDowell Activity Center (2,000 capacity)
Opponent: Minot State University
Live Stats: http://216.235.170.75/livestats/volleyball/xlive.htm
Date: Sept. 15, 7 p.m.
Location: Minot, N.D.
Arena: MSU Dome (10,000 capacity)
Live Stats: http://www.sidearmstats.com/minotstate/wvball/scoreboard.aspx
Twitter: UMCAthletics
Facebook: Golden Eagle Sports

• Serving It Up
    The Golden Eagles currently rank second in the league in service aces with 54 this season. Brittany Looker (So., OH, Rochester, Minn.) has been a huge part of that success as she currently leads in the entire NSIC in service aces with 16. Alexandra Skeeter (Jr., OH, Milwaukee, Wis.) has 11 service aces this season while Paige Mitchell (R-Jr., S, West Palm Beach, Fla.) has eight.

• Leave It To Looker
    Through seven games, Brittany Looker (So., OH, Rochester, Minn.) already has three double-doubles this season. She has 10 kills and 16 digs versus Shippensburg, 16 kills and 15 digs against Ferris State and 12 kills and 11 digs against Northern Michigan. In addition, Looker was named to the all-tournament team for the second week in a row earning the honor at the UMD Classic.

• Sharing The Setter Role
    Through seven matches, Lindsey Rees (R-Jr., S, Bronson, Mich.) and Paige Mitchell (R-Jr., S, West Palm Beach, Fla.) has shared the setter role and have each done a pretty good job. Rees is averaging 4.17 assists per set while Mitchell is averaing 4.38 assists per set. As a team, UMC is hitting .164 on the season

• Skeeter Stepping Up
    Alexandra Skeeter (Jr., OH, Milwaukee, Wis.) has took an added role with the squad this season. After starting only five games in 2011 and accumulating 86 kills and averaging 1.41 kills per set, Skeeter is already second on the team with 51 kills and is averaging 2.22 kills per set through seven games so far this season. She has started six of seven matches this season.

• Wiesner and Looker Named All-Tournament
    University of Minnesota, Crookston volleyball players Chelsea Wiesner (Jr., Lib., Rochester, Minn.) and Brittany Looker (So., OH, Rochester, Minn.) were among 13 players selected to the Ferris State Invitational All-Tournament team following a strong showing by the Golden Eagles at the tournament. Wiesner accumulated 56 digs for an average of 4.00 digs per set for the Golden Eagles on the weekend while Looker had 32 kills for an average of 2.67 kills per set. Looker also had 10 service aces and 30 digs for an average of 2.50 digs per set.

• Wiesner Surpasses 1,000 Digs
    In two seasons, Chelsea Wiesner (Jr., Lib., Rochester, Minn.), has accumulated  1,045 digs. Wiesner is just 466 digs away from Jaclyn Slepicka's school record at the University of Minnesota, Crookston. Wiesner has two seasons to meet the mark after picking up 562 digs as a sophomore last season. Wiesner is one of just three players in school history with over 1,000 digs joining Slepicka and Joan Ebnet.

•  Turning It Around
    The Golden Eagles had a major turnaround last season after going 12-16 following an 0-28 season in 2010. UMC will continue to look to build on last season's improvement as they return a strong core from last season's group and add in several new components that look to help the program take the next step.

• Top-Notch Competition
    UMC will once again go up against the top NCAA Division II competition in the nation as the NSIC boasts six teams in the AVCA Top 25 poll including Concordia-St. Paul, the five-time consecutive NCAA National Champion returns four AVCA All-American picks to the team heading into 2012. In addition, Southwest Minnesota State and Minnesota Duluth are ranked in the top 10.

The Scoop

Minnesota, Crookston

    The University of Minnesota, Crookston have come out of the first two weekends of play with a 4-3 overall mark on the season as they have wins against Shippensburg University, Clarion University, Alderson-Broaddus College and Glenville State University. UMC's losses have come to No. 4 University of Minnesota Duluth, No. 19 Ferris State University and Northern Michigan University.

    The Golden Eagles have been led this season by Brittany Looker (So., OH, Rochester, Minn.), who is coming off of a All-NSIC Honorable Mention pick as a freshman. Looker has picked up three double-doubles already this year and leads the team in kills with 59 and service aces with 16. She is second on the team in digs with 64. On the offensive side, Alexandra Skeeter (Jr., OH, Milwaukee, Wis.) has stepped it up so far this year and is second on the team in kills with 51 and is averaging 2.22 kills per set. Defensively, Skeeter is third on the squad in digs with 59.

    At setter, Paige Mitchell (R-Jr., S, West Palm Beach, Fla.) and Lindsey Rees (R-Jr., S, Bronson, Mich.) have shared the duties with Mitchell averaging 4.38 assists per set and Rees averaging 4.17 assists per set.

    Defensively, Chelsea Wiesner (Jr., Lib., Rochester, Minn.) leads the team and is currently sixth in the conference averaging 4.42 digs per set. Alyssa Schneider (Jr., MH, Racine, Wis.) currently leads the team averaging 0.75 blocks per set.

    The Golden Eagles have overall been competitive in tough matches this year but have let one set put the tone entire match in their losses this season. Against UMD, after an okay first set, UMC hit -.088 in the second set and lost 25-12. Versus Ferris State, the Golden Eagles hit -.103 in the first set but bounced back to be competitive in set two and dominate set three before losing set four. Against Northern Michigan, UMC played a pretty balanced overall match.

U-Mary

    U-Mary comes into the weekend with an overall mark of 0-7. The Marauders competed at the Black Hills State Tournament last weekend and suffered losses to Colorado Christian University, Augustana College (S.D.), Chadron State College and Black Hills State University. Steve Novacek is in his third season as the head coach of the Marauders.

    U-Mary is struggling this season on offense as they are only hitting .064 on the season and allowing the opposition to hit .215. Offensively, the squad has been led by the 2.78 kills per set from 6-0 outside hitter  Alexis Jacobs. Setter Emily Turkowski comes in averaging 7.83 assists per set.

    Defensively, the Marauders are led by Valerie Lesu's 4.08 digs per set while Allison Adams, 1 6-0 middle blocker, comes in averaging 0.91 blocks per set.

Minot State
   
    Minot State University enters the weekend with a record of 3-6. The Beavers' three wins came against Black Hills State University, Valley City State University and Chadron State College. Minot State is coached by second-year head coach Travis Ward and are entering their first weekend as members of the NSIC as they face Bemidji State and Minnesota, Crookston this weekend.

    The Beavers come into the weekend hitting .117 as a team and allowing their foes to hit .216. On offense, Minot State is led by 6-0 freshman outside hitter Mallory Sall, who is averaging 3.35 kills per set. Setter Emily Byrne comes in averaging 8.00 assists per set.

    Defensively, the Beavers are paced by the 3.29 digs per set by Ashley Heavenor and the 0.60 blocks per set by Erin Davis.

The Rundown

10 Kill Performances
16, Brittany Looker vs. Ferris State University (Sept. 7, 2012)
13, Amanda Swann vs. Ferris State University (Sept. 7, 2012)
12, Brittany Looker vs. Northern Michigan University (Aug. 31, 2012)
12, Alexandra Skeeter vs. Shippensburg University (Sept. 8, 2012)
11, Alexandra Skeeter vs. Clarion University (Sept. 1, 2012)
11, Morgan VanGerpen vs. Shippensburg University (Sept. 8, 2012)
10, Brittany Looker vs. Shippensburg University (Sept. 8, 2012)

30 Assists Performances
32, Lindsey Rees vs. Ferris State University (Sept. 7, 2012)

20 Assists Performances
20, Paige Mitchell vs. Clarion University (Sept. 1, 2012)
20, Paige Mitchell vs. Shippensburg University (Sept. 8, 2012)

20 Dig Performances
21, Chelsea Wiesner vs. Ferris State University (Sept. 7, 2012)
20, Chelsea Wiesner vs. Northern Michigan University (Aug. 31, 2012)

Double-Doubles
16 kills and 15 digs, Brittany Looker vs. Ferris State University (Sept. 7, 2012)
13 kills and 14 digs, Amanda Swann vs. Ferris State University (Sept. 7, 2012)
12 kills and 14 digs, Alexandra Skeeter vs. Shippensburg University (Sept. 8, 2012)
12 kills and 11 digs, Brittany Looker vs. Northern Michigan University (Aug. 31, 2012)
10 kills and 16 digs, Brittany Looker vs. Shippensburg University (Sept. 8, 2012)

Top Kills On Season
16, Brittany Looker vs. Ferris State University (Sept. 7, 2012)
13, Amanda Swann vs. Ferris State University (Sept. 7, 2012)
12, Brittany Looker vs. Northern Michigan University (Aug. 31, 2012)
12, Alexandra Skeeter vs. Shippensburg University (Sept. 8, 2012)

Top Assists On Season
32, Lindsey Rees vs. Ferris State University (Sept. 7, 2012)
20, Paige Mitchell vs. Clarion University (Sept. 1, 2012)
20, Paige Mitchell vs. Shippensburg University (Sept. 8, 2012)

Top Digs On Season
21, Chelsea Wiesner vs. Ferris State University (Sept. 7, 2012)
20, Chelsea Wiesner vs. Northern Michigan University (Aug. 31, 2012)

Top Blocks On Season
5, Alyssa Schneider vs. Clarion University (Sept. 1, 2012)
5, Morgan VanGerpen vs. University of Minnesota Duluth (Sept. 8, 2012)