Women's Volleyball | 10/22/2026 10:14:00 AM

#TIDBITS

Golden Eagle volleyball is back at home for the final time in October (crazy, I know) as they host Augustana Friday and No. 2 Wayne State College on Saturday. The match with the Wildcats on Saturday will be the fourth straight weekend that they have faced a ranked opponent, which is also crazy to think about. However, as it stands right now, the Wildcats will be the last ranked opponent that the Golden Eagles will see, but they won't be the last quality opponent the Golden Eagles will face.

·   1,000 DIGS. Madison Carsten will go down as one of the better do-it-all players in Golden Eagle history. Carsten has played in every rotation since she stepped foot on campus and she recently achieved 1,000 digs in her illustrious career with her six digs against the University of Sioux Falls. Carsten became just the sixth player in program history to hit that fantastic watermark, joining her classmate Kailee Waasdorp. Carsten is awfully close to becoming just the second Golden Eagles to finish their career with 1,000 digs and 1,000 kills. Carsten also played in her 100th career match on Friday night in Sioux Falls and her 101st on Saturday. Her next start will be the 100th career start in the maroon and gold for the senior.

·   SUPPORT THE GOLDEN EAGLES. October is both Breast Cancer Awareness Month and Mental Health Awareness Month and Minnesota Crookston volleyball, alongside the Minnesota Crookston Student Athlete Advisory Committee will be supporting both causes this weekend against the Vikings and Golden Eagles. On Friday, Minnesota Crookston is hosting their annual Green Bandana game with a free will donation and on Saturday will be their annual Cancer Awareness match against the Wildcats.

·   FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING. Friday night would be a great night for something that has never happened. The Golden Eagles have never beaten Augustana in 27 tries in NSIC play and have lost three out of the last four matches dating back to 2023, with three of those matches coming inside Lysaker Gymnasium. The Golden Eagles will look for some history on Friday night.

·  SCRAP UNTIL YOU CAN'T. The stats are what they are, but one thing that won't show up in the stats is the Golden Eagles ability to make it tough on opponents. Minnesota Crookston tries to make it tough on opponents to find the floor and for the most part, they do a great job of doing just that. Against two quality offenses this weekend, that scrappiness will have to show up every single rally on Friday and Saturday.

• STAY THE COURSE. Freshman Brooklyn Gysbers is having a nice season in her first year in the maroon and gold. Her season has sort of flown under the radar, but when she has gotten in the rotation, she has been solid. The White Bear Lake, Minn., native has 78 kills on the year and is the only Golden Eagle with more than 100 total attacks to have an attacking percentage of above .200. Gysbers has nine matches this season with four or more kills, including 10 in a loss to Cal State San Marcos earlier this year.

·   LAST TIME MEETING THE SOUTH. Unlike basketball, volleyball doesn't have divisions in the conference. Still, the Golden Eagles will play their fourth straight weekend with NSIC 'South' opponents, if we look at it from a basketball division standpoint. Playing the Southern schools have meant playing more ranked opponents. This weekend will be the final matches with the Southern schools before Minnesota Crookston plays three matches next week against schools closer in proximity in the NSIC.

• SWING=POINT. Lexi Scharold has had a fantastic junior season in the maroon and gold. The lone junior on the roster, Scharold has proven to be a consistent offensive attacker for Minnesota Crookston, including last weekend. In both matches against Southwest Minnesota State and Sioux Falls, Scharold hit above .290 and hit .364 against USF with just two attacking errors. Scharold has two double-digit kill matches on the year and will look to finish the year strong in her third season.

• M & M. Carizma Muth and Emma Malek have played in a ton of matches as the Golden Eagles in their career and as their career winds down, they will look to finish strong. Malek wears No. 19, Muth wears No. 20. Both are from the midwest and play a number of rotations. Oh yeah, their last name starts with the same letter. There is a lot of similarities with the two who came onto campus together and has their career comes to a close in the next few weeks, another similarity will show up as well; They (along with the other group of seniors) will leave the program in a much better spot than when they first arrived in 2023. 

Series Quick Look vs the opponents
Augustana has never lost to Minnesota Crookston, leading 27-0
Wayne State College leads the all-time series, 37-2

How to Follow

Augustana @ Minnesota Crookston
Friday, Oct. 23
6 PM
Crookston, Minn. / Lysaker Gymnasium
Live Stats -- https://goldeneaglesports.com/sidearmstats/wvball/media
Watch Live -- https://midcosportsplus.com/?school=university-of-minnesota-crookston

No. 2 Wayne State College @ Minnesota Crookston
Saturday, Oct. 24
2 PM
Crookston, Minn. / Lysaker Gymnasium
Live Stats -- https://goldeneaglesports.com/sidearmstats/wvball/media
Watch Live -- https://midcosportsplus.com/?school=university-of-minnesota-crookston

#OPPONENTOUTLOOK

AUGUSTANA. The Vikings have put together a nice season as they hold a record of 13-8. Augustana currently sits 8th in the NSIC standings with a 7-6 conference record. The Vikings are coming off a hot weekend, sweeping then #17 Minnesota Duluth, and winning 3-1 against Bemidji State.

AUTOMATIC. The Vikings have proven to be a tough team to slow down, with their presence at the net leading the conference. Augustana ranks first in the NSIC in two major offensive categories, totaling 1115 kills and 1054 assists. The numbers show how effectively the Vikings can turn opportunities into points.

BALANCE ATTACK. Augustana is showing its depth on both sides of the ball, with five players recording triple-digit kills and five reaching triple-digit digs. This highlights the Vikings ability to spread out their offensive production while keeping rallies alive in the backrow. The Vikings have the balance it takes to compete at a high level in the powerful NSIC.

THE JANSEN FILES. Reagan Jansen, the 6'1" outside hitter commands both the offense and defense for the Vikings. The senior from Sioux Center, Iowa has 251 digs, and powers the offense with 236 kills. The Vikings will look to Jansen's leadership as they compete for a spot in the NSIC tournament.

WAYNE STATE COLLEGE. The outstanding Wildcats will come into Crookston holding the #2 ranking in the nation. The Wildcats have a record of 22-1 on the season, and a perfect conference record of 13-0 which is good for first place. Wayne State's only loss came to then #5 Ferris State (Mich.).

MILLER POWER. The reigning NSIC Freshman of the Year Delaney Miller leads the Wildcats in kills with 251. The 2025 AVCA All-American Third Team recipient averages 3.30 kills/set as she will try to lead Wayne State to another deep postseason run. Miller ranks among the top ten in the NSIC in kills/set with 3.32.  
 
RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE. Junior middle hitter Chloe Hanel was named Wayne State's player to watch in the 2026 preseason NSIC coaches poll, as she has contributed to the Wildcats' continued success over the years. Hanel has been a key player in the Wildcats' strength in the 2026 season as she totals 218 kills and has a .361 hitting percentage.

BUILT TO DOMINATE. Wayne State has established itself as one of the most consistent programs in NCAA Division II volleyball. Under head coach Scott Kneifl, the Wildcats have recorded 20 winning seasons of at least 20 victories, made 14 NCAA tournament appearances and captured three NSIC regular season titles since 2022. With a program built on lasting success, Wayne State continues to set a high standard in one of the toughest conferences in Division II volleyball.