The University of Minnesota Crookston Volleyball team is set for another three match week, starting this week with a Tuesday match at No. 19 Minnesota Duluth, followed by a weekend trip to No. 8 Wayne State College and Augustana. The Golden Eagles went 1-2 last weekend, sweeping Minot State in three sets on the road. After falling in three sets to nationally-ranked Minnesota Duluth, it's back on the road this weekend for another ranked opponent, No. 8 Wayne State College and Augustana.

• DIG CRAZY. Earlier this season, Minnesota Crookston wasn't letting anything hit the floor. The Golden Eagles had a three-match stretch where they collected 50 or more digs against Rollins College, CSU Pueblo and Minot State, a stretch where they went 1-2. Defense is the key to any volleyball match and if the Golden Eagles can have that number of digs in matches, they will give themselves an excellent chance to win.

• ACE ACE, IN YOUR FACE. Minnesota Crookston ranks 11th in the NSIC with 31 service aces in 24 sets played, which averages out to 1.29 per set. The trio of Natalie Koke, Lauren Wallace and freshman Layne Whaley have combined for 24 total service aces this season, while Koke leads the way with ten, which is good for eighth in the conference. Service aces can be a huge swing of momentum and the Golden Eagles are already on pace to surpass the 2019 team total of 110.

• EXPERIENCE WINS. Through eight matches, redshirt senior Lauren Wallace leads the Golden Eagles in almost every attacking category, including kills (70), kills per set (2.59), points (80.0), points per set (2.96), total attacks (249) and attacking percentage (.161). Wallace has been a consistent figure in the lineup for almost four seasons and that has continued so far in 2021.

• HOW DO YOU PRONOUNCE LIBERO? No matter how one pronounces the position, it seems that freshman Layne Whaley knows how to play that position just fine. In two games since she started wearing the different colored jersey two matches ago, Whaley has played well. In those two matches, she has combined for 18 digs, including 12 against No. 5 Southwest Minnesota State, which is just two behind her career-high of 14 in her first match against Fort Hays State in late August. Head Coach Sarah Morgan and the Golden Eagles have a fixture in the back row for the next four years in Whaley.

• 10 YEARS IN THE MAKING? 2021 seems like a good year to beat a ranked opponent. The last time the Golden Eagles defeated a ranked opponent? Sept. 30, 2011 at home when they swept No. 13 Minnesota State Mankato. Since then, the Golden Eagles have come awfully close to knocking off a ranked opponent, especially on the first day of November in 2014 when they took No. 8 Southwest Minnesota State to five-sets. That match was also at home. The Golden Eagles can end the 10 year winless streak over ranked opponents with a win over No. 8 Wayne State College this weekend in Rice Auditorium.

• RANKED OPPONENTS UPCOMING. Starting with their match Tuesday against the Bulldogs, there is a decent enough chance that the Golden Eagles will see seven straight ranked opponents. Following their quick match with UMD, the Golden Eagles will travel to Wayne State College and Augustana this weekend, followed by two home matches with Winona State and Upper Iowa. The following weekend, they then travel to Minnesota State Mankato and Concordia-St. Paul. There is a solid chance that every single opponent on the schedule the next three weekends for the Golden Eagles could be ranked by the time they meet. The NSIC is extremely daunting, but there are plenty of chances for the Golden Eagles to 'slay the dragon' as some people might say.


Minnesota Crookston Golden Eagles
Head Coach: Sarah Morgan
Record at UMC: 16-77

No. 8 Wayne State College Wildcats
Head Coach: Scott Kneifl (17th Season)
Record at Wayne State: 376-134

Augustana Vikings
Head Coach: Jennifer Jacobs
Record at Augustana- 59-42

How to Follow
Minnesota Crookston @ No. 8 Wayne State College
Date: Friday, Sept. 24
Time: 6 P.M.
Rice Auditorium
NSIC Match
Video: https://nsicnetwork.com/wscwildcats/
Live Stats: https://nsicnetwork.com/wscwildcats/

Minnesota Crookston @ Augustana
Date: Saturday, Sept. 25
Time: 6 P.M.
Elmen Center
NSIC Match
Video: https://nsicnetwork.com/goaugie/
Live Stats: https://goaugie.com/sidearmstats/wvball/summary


Opponents Outlook
WAYNE STATE COLLEGE. Boy, what a start the Wildcats are off to in 2021. WSC is 8-3 and has played one of the toughest schedules in the nation. Wayne State has seven wins this season, with four of them already being over ranked opponents, including three ranked in the top ten with wins over then No. 5 Lewis (Ill.), No. 9 Western Washington and No. 2 Angelo State, as well as a win over No. 19 Minnesota Duluth. The Wildcats are 4-2 in six matches against ranked opponents, with losses to No. 3 MSU Denver and No. 20 St. Cloud State. The Wildcats are legit National Championship contenders.

JAZ HANDS. Jazlin De Haan has been the most consistent hitter so far for the Wildcats through 10 matches. The native of Orange City, Iowa is the only Wildcat with over 100 kills (102) and has been in double-digit kills in every match except three. She collected a season and career high of 17 kills in a loss to MSU Denver. Oh yeah, she's only a freshman.

WIDE MARGIN. Attacking percentage is such an important part of any match. Normally, when a team has a solid attacking percentage, it's going to be a successful team. Case in point with the Wildcats. A large part of their strong start through 10 matches has been they have been attacking at a .255 clip, which ranks 23rd in the entire nation and fifth in the NSIC. On the flip side, WSC holds their opponents to a .189 attacking percentage.

AUGUSTANA. So far, the Vikings are doing what their professional football team namesake can't: win (Yes, I am a diehard Vikings fan). The collegiate Vikings are 6-5 through their first 11 matches, including a win over nationally-ranked St. Cloud State in four sets a weekend ago. As is common in the NSIC, it looks like Augustana is legit.

MEET IN THE MIDDLE. As a team, the Vikings have a deadly blocking attack. Currently, Augie is second in the NSIC with blocks at 97.0, which totals out to about 2.42 blocks per set. Callie Hohenhaus, Jolie Stecher and Avery Thorson have been the driving force, as each have 28.0 blocks or more on the season. Augie has been one of the best at the net in the NSIC this season.

WILL YOU ACCEPT THIS ROSE? Payton Rosendahl doesn't lead the Vikings in kills, but she might be the most consistent attacker Augie has. Rosendahl has just 36 errors in 256 total attacks and leads her team with a .285 hitting percentage. The senior from Creston, Neb., had a career-high 22 kills in a win of South Dakota School of Mines earlier this season.