Crookston, Minn. – The University of Minnesota Crookston Volleyball team will wrap-up the regular season this Friday and Saturday with matches against No. 17 Southwest Minnesota State and the University of Sioux Falls. Minnesota Crookston will look to avenge losses to both the Cougars and Mustangs earlier this season in Crookston.
 
Minnesota Crookston will look to finish the season strong and pick up their first conference win in the ultra-competitive NSIC. It won't be easy however, as both the Mustangs and Cougars are heading into the final week of the regular season fighting for their conference tournament lives. It is a huge weekend for both teams.
 
Quick Serve
 
·       THE WAY OF WALLACE. Lauren Wallace is far and away the most experienced Golden Eagle. The fifth-year senior has been a staple for the Golden Eagles and has been with Head Coach Sarah Morgan every step of the way. This past weekend, Minnesota Crookston honored the Bloomington, Minn., native on senior weekend, where Wallace collected 14 kills in two matches against Augustana and Wayne State College. Her six kills against the Wildcats was enough for 400 in her career. Golden Eagle fans will miss No. 15 next season.
 
·       REPEAT PERFORMANCE? The last time the Golden Eagles and Sioux Falls met, Natalie Koke had a heck of a match. Koke collected four kills, 15 assists and four digs as well. Those four kills were just one behind her season-high of five that she had in the match last Tuesday against Minnesota Duluth. The redshirt junior will look to continue her success against the Cougars this Saturday to close out the regular season.
 
·       TIME FLIES. It seems like just yesterday that the Golden Eagles were on a plane heading out to Pueblo, Colo., for their first matches of the season. Fast forward 25 matches and the Golden Eagles have two matches left in the 2021 season. Minnesota Crookston will look to end their season on a high note.
 
·       LOCAL TALENT. Another player that the Golden Eagles recognized last weekend was Bailey Mulcahy, a third year senior. It's not every day that a program has a player that is available to graduate in three years, so that is a testament to both Mulcahy and the Golden Eagle program and the culture. Mulcahy, a native of Fertile, Minn., will graduate with a degree in Communications later in the year.
 
·       GROWING UP RIGHT BEFORE OUR EYES. Yet another freshman making an impact and coming into her own as a Golden Eagle. Like Layne Whaley and her four-straight games with a quality number digs, Bailey Schaefer has done the same, except it is in the kills' category. Schaefer collected a career-high 13 kills in a loss three Fridays ago against Minot State and has followed that up with 11 kills in three matches in a row. Schaefer has also hit above .200 in two straight matches, which is something she hasn't done since the first two matches of the season against Fort Hays State and Chadron State. Schaefer has also played really well against quality opponents, collecting 35 kills against the likes of Northern State, St. Cloud State, Minnesota Duluth and Wayne State College. It's been a nice season for the freshman from Brandon, Minn., who should play a big part in the future for the Golden Eagles.
 
How to Follow
Minnesota Crookston @ No. 17 Southwest Minnesota State
Date: Friday, Nov. 12
Time: 6 P.M.
PE Gymnasium
Officials: Hali Stredde and Laurie Thompson
NSIC Match
Live Stats: https://smsumustangs.com/sidearmstats/wvball/summary
Watch Live: https://nsicnetwork.com/smsumustangs/
Listen Live: https://marshallradio.net/
 
Minnesota Crookston @ Sioux Falls
Date: Saturday, Nov. 13
Time: 4 P.M.
Stewart Center
Officials: John Becker and Eloise Heimke
NSIC Match
Live Stats: https://usfcougars.com/sidearmstats/wvball/summary
Watch Live: https://www.nsicnetwork.com/usfcougars/
 
 
University of Minnesota Crookston
Head Coach: Sarah Morgan (Fifth Season)
Record at UMC: 16-88
 
 
Southwest Minnesota State
Head Coach: Terry Culhane (18^th Season)
Record at SMSU: 429-123
 
 
University of Sioux Falls
Head Coach: Dan Matthews (1^st Season)
Record at USF: 15-11
 
 
Opponents Outlook
 
·       ABOUT THE MUSTANGS. The Mustangs have matched a win for a loss in their last six matches, going 3-3 in that stretch. Last weekend, the Mustangs split with Minnesota Duluth and St. Cloud State, sweeping the Bulldogs and falling to the Huskies in four sets. This is a giant weekend for the Mustangs, who head into this weekend at 11-7 in the conference, which is good for eighth. They are one game ahead of the Bulldogs, so they control their own destiny to make the conference tournament.
 
·       A LEGEND STEPPING DOWN. Terry Culhane, who has been the Head Coach of the Mustangs for 18 seasons, announced that he is retiring at the end of the season. Culhane began the 2021 season as the 14^th winningest coach in Division II history and is the program's all-time leader in wins with 429. The Mustangs would like to extend Culhane's career well into December and the national tournament.
 
·       ABOUT THE COO. The Cougars will look to get back on the right track after losing three out of their last four matches, including getting swept on the road at St. Cloud State and Minnesota Duluth. The Cougars are in a battle for the eighth spot in the NSIC tournament, but are currently on the outside looking in, so they are hoping for either a Minnesota Crookston or Bemidji State upset over SMSU, while also sweeping this weekend.
 
·       AUTOMATIC AVEREY. The last time these two teams met to kick off the NSIC schedule was in September in Crookston. That day, almost every swing that Averey Yaksich had seemed to hit the ground. Yaksich gathered 17 kills on 32 swings and hit .438 in the match, which she followed up by hitting over .600 the next match against Bemidji State. The Cougars will look to the redshirt senior from Omaha for some more offense this weekend.