Golden Eagle Quick Notes

• After seeing two teams who should make the NSIC Tournament a weekend ago, things don't get any easier this weekend as the Golden Eagles are back on the road at Augustana and oh yeah, the number one team in the nation, Wayne State College. With five teams in the top-nine ranked nationally a week ago, it is no doubt the toughest conference in all of Division II and the Golden Eagles will get a test of that this weekend, playing two programs who are or have been ranked at one point this season.

 

• It was undoubtedly a tough weekend last weekend for the Golden Eagles, but Audrey Cariveau continues to be the go-to attacker for her team. The Kentucky native had six kills against Southwest Minnesota State and another four against Sioux Falls, leading the maroon and gold in kills on Friday. It was the fifth time in 14 matches this season that Cariveau has led her team in kills. Cariveau had a little bit of a tougher time this past weekend, but she will look to continue her strong season this Friday and Saturday against two really good opponents.

 

• To say Augustana has had the number of the Golden Eagles would be a massive understatement. Ever since the Vikings entered the NSIC in 2003, the Golden Eagles have never beaten their conference foe from Sioux Falls. Augustana won the first match way back in 2003 and then the next season, they defeated Minnesota Crookston in five sets. These two programs have played five-sets three different times. The Vikings have not lost a set to the Golden Eagles since 2014. 2022 seems like a good time for the Golden Eagles first win in this series.

 

• Wayne State College seems almost unbeatable. The Wildcats are No. 1 in the nation for the second time in program history and are undefeated on the season, winning 16 straight matches to open 2022. It's going to take a heroic effort to pull off the monumental upset over the Wildcats, but the Golden Eagles will look to do something it has never done in program history: Knock off a top-ranked opponent.

 

• The Golden Eagles were solid from behind the service line this past weekend, especially on Friday night. Against the Mustangs, Minnesota Crookston finished the match with five service aces, compared to just two service errors against the nationally-ranked Mustangs. Kora Norland led the way with two service aces on back-to-back serves in the final set. The Golden Eagles currently have 66 service aces on the season and will need to serve well this weekend to give themselves a chance against the Vikings and Wildcats.

 

• Speaking of the service line, the Golden Eagles have won that battle all year long. As a team, the maroon and gold have had just 80 service errors this season, compared to 109 for their opponents. Should that hold serve, the Golden Eagles would win the service line battle for the second time in three full seasons.

 

• The Golden Eagles need Bailey Schaefer to play well. This past weekend, Schaefer finished the weekend with 11 kills, including six kills against SMSU. The sophomore from Brandon, Minn., has five matches this season with 10 or more kills. Schaefer has also proven to be valuable in the back row as well, gathering double-digit kills in seven matches this season, including 24 against Upper Iowa and 22 against UMary, both of which were five-set losses.

How to Follow
Minnesota Crookston @ Augustana
Friday, September 30
6 PM
Elmen Center / Sioux Falls, S.D.
Live Stats - https://goaugie.com/sidearmstats/wvball/summary
Watch Live - https://nsicnetwork.com/goaugie/

Minnesota Crookston @ No. 1 Wayne State
Sat., Oct. 1
1 PM
Rice Auditorium / Wayne, Neb.
Live Stats - https://wscwildcats.com/sidearmstats/wvball/summary
Watch Live - https://nsicnetwork.com/wscwildcats/


Minnesota Crookston
Interim Head Coach: Nick Meseck (1st Season)
Record at Minnesota Crookston: 2-12

Augustana University
Head Coach: Jennifer Jacobs (6th Season)
Record at Augustana: 82-52

Wayne State College
Head Coach: Scott Kneifl (18th Season)
Record at WSC: 406-139

#OPPONENTOUTLOOK

AUGUSTANA. The Vikings are trying to sneak their way into the 'perennial' power status in the NSIC. Early on, the Vikings were looking like they were well on their way to that status. Augustana won their first nine matches, losing just seven sets in those nine matches. Since winning nine in a row and the first NSIC match of the season against Minnesota State, the Vikings have lost their last four out of five matches, including their last three all on the road at Winona State, Minnesota Duluth and St. Cloud State.

THREE-HEADED MONSTER. Much like the Minnesota Vikings, who play on Sundays on the gridiron, the college-level Vikings, who play on Friday and Saturday's also have a three-person attack that will put fear into every opponent. Kate Reimman, Maddy Guetter and Kia Krienereach have over 140 kills on the season, led by Reimann, who has 166 kills, including four-straight matches with over 10 kills. The Vikings have a number of dangerous attackers, but these three are the straw that stirs the drink for the Vikings.

ASSISTS FROM AVERY. Another great setter in the NSIC is on tap for the Golden Eagles. Senior Avery Thorson has seen a lot of good volleyball and has played outstanding this season. The Sioux Falls native, who didn't have to go very far to play her collegiate volleyball, is currently seventh in the NSIC in assists per set and has over 500 assists on the season. Thorson has 3,749 career assists and is just over 200 more assists from 4,000 in her career.

SET IN THE BACK WITH BUTE. The Vikings are obviously solid at the net, but they are also very good in the back, led by senior defensive specialist Erika Bute. The Alden, Minn., native leads her team and the NSIC in digs and digs per set and she has yet to have a match this season with less than ten digs. That is a remarkable stat and a huge reason as to why the Vikings are where they are so far in 2022.

WAYNE STATE. The Wildcats are a legitimate National Championship contender. After missing the NCAA Tournament a season ago, the only NSIC school in Nebraska are leaving no doubt that they will make the tourney this year. In fact, they will be one of the favorites to win their first title in program history. WSC is 16-0 on the season and they are coming off a dominant weekend, knocking off a pair of top-ten teams in St. Cloud State and Minnesota on the road. They were so dominant, they swept both the Huskies and Bulldogs a weekend ago.

NEBRASKAN DUO. When you've been as dominant as the Wildcats have been this season, it is almost guaranteed that the Wildcats will have dominant forces at the net. That is exactly what they have in a pair of Nebraska natives in Kelsie Cada and Taya Beller. The duo have combined for 998 total attacks on the season and more than 400 total kills on the season. When the Wildcats need a point, there is a great chance that they will look to either Beller and Cada to get them a point and stop the opponent's momentum.

EFFICIENT OFFENSE. Helped by the duo of Cada and Beller, WSC has one of the most efficient and strong offensive attacks in the entire nation. WSC hits .292 as a team, which ranks them third in the nation behind another NSIC school, St. Cloud State and Alaska-Anchorage. The Wildcats have been outhit as a team just once this season when West Texas A & M, a team who made the Elite Eight a season ago. The Wildcats are one of the most dangerous teams in the entire nation, because they do so many things really well.

THE BALL DOESN'T HIT THE GROUND. Last week, when the Golden Eagles played Southwest Minnesota State, another ranked team, it seemed like the ball never touched the floor when it was on their side. That might be the case again when the Golden Eagles make the long trek to Wayne this weekend. The number one team in the nation has five players with more than 100 digs on the season, led by senior Jessie Brandl and her 235 digs in 2022. The Stanton, Neb., native might be on her way to All-NSIC honors. Their defense is a giant reason why they have lost just five sets on the season and why they have swept 12 out of the possible 16 opponents. WSC has beaten five ranked opponents this season, including four inside the top ten.