Women's Volleyball 9/14/2016 3:54:00 PM Shawn Smith, Sports Information Director

Golden Eagle Volleyball Set to Open Conference Slate Against No. 3 Minnesota Duluth and St. Cloud State

#3 Minnesota Duluth at Minnesota Crookston
6 p.m. – Lysaker Gymnasium – Crookston, Minn. - Thurs., Sept. 14
Live Stats - http://www.sidearmstats.com/umcrookston/wvball/
Live Video - https://portal.stretchinternet.com/crk/#liveEventsTab
Radio – 1260 KROX AM/105.7 FM (Matt Bishop, Play by Play)

Minnesota Crookston at St. Cloud State
6 p.m. – Halenbeck Hall – St. Cloud, Minn. – Sat., Sept. 16
Live Stats - http://www.sidearmstats.com/stcloudstate/wvball/
Live Video - https://portal.stretchinternet.com/scsu/

CROOKSTON, Minn. – The University of Minnesota Crookston volleyball team will open up Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) play with matches Thurs., Sept. 15 and Sat., Sept. 17. The Golden Eagles will take on No. 3 University of Minnesota Duluth Thursday at Lysaker Gymnasium at 6 p.m.. They will then take on St. Cloud State University at Halenbeck Hall in St. Cloud, Minn., at 6 p.m.

Minnesota Crookston enters conference play with a 4-4 mark overall. The Golden Eagles went 2-2 in both of their non-conference tournaments in Big Rapids, Mich., and Sioux Falls, S.D.

Minnesota Crookston has a balanced attack so far on the 2016 season. The Golden Eagles are averaging 11.96 kills per set on the season. In addition, they are hitting .177 on the season. UMC is led by outside hitter Maggie Perrel (R-Jr., OH/RS, New Germany, Minn.), who is hitting .117, while averaging 3.15 kills per set. Perrel is averaging 2.42 digs per set. In addition to Perrel, Callie Schapekahm is averaging 2.16 kills and 0.68 blocks per set from her middle hitter position. Also in the middle, Kelci Green (R-Jr., MH, Anoka, Minn.) is averaging 2.09 kills per set and 0.78 blocks per set. To round out the attack, Kassi Green (R-Jr., OH/RS, Anoka, Minn.) is tallying 2.00 kills per set.

At setter, Sierra Trost has been a consistent piece of the Golden Eagle rotation for her four years in Crookston. Trost is averaging 9.12 assists per set on the season, while also averaging 2.92 digs per set.

Defensively, Minnesota Crookston is limiting opponents to a .163 hitting percentage, while averaging just 10.50 kills per set. The Golden Eagles are led by redshirt freshman Ali Schueler (R-Fr., DS/Lib., Howards Grove, Wis.) is tallying 3.12 digs per set, while Perrel is averaging 2.42 digs per set.

On the block, UMC is averaging 1.79 blocks per set on the year led by Kelci Green's 0.78 blocks per set, while Schapekahm is averaging 0.68 blocks per set.

Minnesota Duluth Preview
Perennial NCAA Division II power University of Minnesota Duluth comes in with an 8-0 mark on the season and a No. 3 national ranking. The Bulldogs made it to the second rounds of the NCAA Tournament last season before losing to Concordia University, St. Paul.

The Bulldogs are averaging 13.85 kills per set on the season with a .257 hitting percentage on the year. UMD also has a balanced attack with five players averaging over 2.00 kills per set. The Bulldogs are paced by the play of outside hitter Makenzie Morgen, a Division I transfer from University of Maryland-Baltimore County. Morgen is tallying 2.93 kills per set. In addition to Morgan, right side Sarah Kelly is averaging 2.78 kills per set. Middle blocker Allison Olley, a 6-2 force inside, is averaging 2.70 kills per set. Outside hitter Taylor Wissbroecker and middle Sydnie Mauch are also tallying over two kills per game.

At setter, redshirt freshman Emily Torve has had a strong debut so far for the Bulldogs, as she is averaging 11.30 assists per set.

Defensively, sophomore Erin Schindler leads the way with 4.30 digs per set. She leads a defense that is limiting opponents to just 8.85 kills per set and a .079 hitting percentage. Schindler is joined by Morgen, who is averaging 2.63 digs per set.

The Minnesota Duluth block looks to the play of Olley with 1.07 blocks per set and Mach with 0.70 blocks per set.

St. Cloud State Preview
St. Cloud State enters the weekend with an identical 4-4 mark to Minnesota Crookston. The Huskies are in their second season under Chad Braegelmann. St. Cloud State is averaging 16.07 kills per set, while hitting .199 on the season.

The Huskies are paced by the play of right side Macy Weller, who is averaging 3.41 kills per set. She is joined by Taylor Rollo's 2.77 kills per set and Krista Kuglin's 2.50 kills per set.

At setter, St. Cloud State looks to Marissa Kline's 10.04 assists per set.

Defensively, the Huskies are allowing opponents to have 15.04 kills per set and to hit .214 on the season. St. Cloud State is led defensively by Clara Krenz's 2.96 digs per set, while Shannon Klink is tallying 2.82 digs per set.

The block for the Huskies is paced by Micah Nier's 0.86 locks per set, while Rollo is tallying 0.73 blocks per set.