The University of Minnesota Crookston Volleyball team is back at home for one game on Thursday against Bemidji State and then hit the road for a Saturday match with the Huskies of St. Cloud State. The Golden Eagles will look to end a 13 match losing streak this Thursday against the Beavers, who picked up their first win of the season last Saturday against Minot State. Including this weekend, the Golden Eagles have just four home matches left in the regular season.

• HIGHWAY-2 RIVALS. The Golden Eagles and Beavers have created a nice little rivalry in the NSIC in a number of sports. It could be the fact that these two teams are less than two hours away from each other. The Beavers currently sit just a game ahead of the Golden Eagles in the NSIC, so the rivalry might have a little more meaning this time around when the two meet this Thursday at Gary Senske Court at Lysaker Gymnasium.

• STRONG LIKE SCHAEFER. Freshman Bailey Schaefer had her best weekend as a Golden Eagle against the Beavers and Marauders. The Brandon, Minn., native collected a career-high 13 kills on 31 total attacks with just seven errors. Her .194 attacking percentage was the second highest of her young career. Schaefer then followed up that 13 kill performance with an 11 kill output against Marauders in Saturday afternoon's loss to UMary. The Golden Eagles looked to the freshman a ton, as Schaefer had 33 total attacks, which was also a career-high. It was a career weekend for Schaefer, who is just 18 matches into her Golden Eagle career.

• NO DIGGING THAT. As a team, the Golden Eagles had a really nice showing attacking-wise on Saturday at the MAC against UMary. Minnesota Crookston collected 36 kills, helped by the team high 11 from Schaefer. That output was the fourth-highest for the Golden Eagles as a team, who had a stretch against Rollins College, Colorado State University, Pueblo and Minot State where they collected 43, 40 and 41 kills, respectively. The Golden Eagles will look for a lot of that same success offensively this weekend against the Beavers and Huskies.

• HIGH VOLUME ATTACKS. Almost every time, the more total attacks you get, the more total kills you get. That has been the case this season for the Golden Eagles. Out of the five times the Golden Eagles have gotten more than 100 total attacks, they have collected 35 or more kills in four of those matches. All but two of those matches with 100 or more attacks have gone more than three sets and the Golden Eagles are 1-4 in those matches. The Golden Eagles will look to be on the attack a lot this weekend.

• CAN WE GET A BREAK? In terms of the Golden Eagle schedule, they have not gotten one break at all. With their game against St. Cloud State this Saturday, the Golden Eagles will have played a whopping ten teams that are or have been in the AVCA Coaches Poll at one time this season. The highest ranked team the Golden Eagles have played is Concordia-St. Paul, who is ranked seventh in this weeks' poll. The NSIC is undoubtedly the best volleyball conference in all of Division II.

• HALLOWEEN MATCH. The schedule always seems to work out where the Golden Eagles and Beavers always play on or around Halloween. This Thursday at home, it is Minnesota Crookston's annual costume game. Show up to Lysaker wearing your favorite, best or worst Halloween costume!


Minnesota Crookston Golden Eagles
Head Coach: Sarah Morgan (5th Season)
Record at UMC: 16-83

Bemidji State University Beavers
Head Coach: Kevin Ulmer (6th Season)
Record at BSU: 24-108

St. Cloud State Huskies
Head Coach: Chad Braegelman (7th Season)
Record at SCSU: 90-76

How to Follow
Bemidji State @ Minnesota Crookston
Date: Thursday, Oct. 28
Time: 6 P.M.
Gary Senske Court at Lysaker Gymnasium
Autograph's to follow the match
Officials: Sara Bowman and Tom Stokke
NSIC Match
Video: https://nsicnetwork.com/goldeneaglesports/
Live Stats: https://goldeneaglesports.com/sidearmstats/wvball/media

Minnesota Crookston @ St. Cloud State
Date: Saturday, Oct. 30
Time: 2 P.M.
Halenbeck Hall
Officials: Jeff Krause and Andrea Cervena
NSIC Match
Video: https://nsicnetwork.com/scsuhuskies/
Live Stats: https://scsuhuskies.com/sidearmstats/wvball/summary


Opponents Outlook
BEMIDJI STATE UNIVERSITY BEAVERS. This past weekend, the Beavers were able to pick up their first win of the season over Minot State on Saturday in the Minot Dome. BSU swept the Beavers in three sets to jump over the Golden Eagles in the NSIC and pick up their first win in the conference. The Beavers will look for their second win three days before Halloween in Crookston.

SHE WENT KAMPING. If teams can stop fifth-year senior Anna Averkamp, there is a really good chance that they are going to win the match. Sometimes, the problem is stopping the Germantown, Wis., native. Averkamp leads the team with 179 kills, 2.59 kills per set and has a .133 hitting percentage. When the experienced Averkamp goes, so do the Beavers

LEADING THE WADE. Emily Wade hasn't had to travel very far to make an impact collegiately. The freshman from Bemidji leads the team with 517 assists and has been the primary setter in her first season for her hometown team. It's a bright future for the former Bemidji high school star.

ST. CLOUD STATE UNIVERSITY HUSKIES. The Huskies are one of the top teams in the NSIC. SCSU comes into this Saturday's game with the Golden Eagles 17-4 overall and 12-1 in the NSIC. The Huskies have three wins over top-ten teams this season and will be in the conversation for not only the NSIC Championship, but potentially the National Championship as well.

SO MANY WEAPONS. Kenzie Foley leads the Huskies with 296 kills, but she leads a team that has offensive forces up and down their lineup. Rachel Linsey is second on the team with 255 kills, a number that would lead most teams through this part of the season. Foley and Linsey lead the Huskies in kills who have five players with 100 or more kills on the season. That balance is what makes the Huskies such a tough team to beat.

HALENBECK HEAVEN.  Whether it is Basketball or Volleyball, Halenbeck Hall is a tough place to play. The Huskies have proven that to be the case this year as well. SCSU is 5-1 in the friendly confines of their own home, with their only blemish being a loss to No. 7 Concordia-St. Paul. Defeating St. Cloud State in St. Cloud is one tough wall to knock down.