Volleyball | 10/11/2017 12:22:00 PM

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Live Stats at Augustana
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Live Stats at Wayne State
Live Video at Wayne State
MOORHEAD, Minn. -- The Minnesota State University Moorhead volleyball team is now 7-10, 2-7 NSIC. Last weekend, the Dragons fell No. 1-ranked Southwest Minnesota State University, 3-0. MSUM pushed University of Sioux Falls to four sets, but fell 3-1. This week the Dragons are back on the road to take on No. 18 Augustana University, Friday at 6 p.m. and  No. 21-ranked Wayne State College, Saturday at 2 p.m.

Scouting the Opposition...
No. 18 Augustana University
Augustana is 14-5 overall and 5-4 in the NSIC. Last week, the Vikings picked up two 3-0 wins over Minot State and U-Mary. Augie is hitting .231, compared to its opponents at .168. The Vikings are second in the NSIC in service aces, averaging 1.66 per set, as a team. Courtney Place leads the offense with 256 kills, averaging 3.71 per set. Lauren Waite has 193 kills, while Ashley Wilson isn't far behind with 180. Senior setter Alex Banker has 786 assists, averaging 11.23 per set, ranking fifth in the conference. Bailey Koch leads Augie in blocks with 64, while Ashley Wilson has 63. Libero Tahlyr Banks leads the back row defense with 338 digs this season, averaging 4.83 per set. The Vikings are under the direction of first-year head coach Jennifer Jacobs. Augustana leads the all-time series against the Dragons, 7-20. Last time the two teams met, the Vikings won, 3-0.

No. 21 Wayne State College
Wayne State is 12-6, 6-3 NSIC. Last week, the Wildcats picked up victories over Minot State (3-0) and U-Mary (3-1). Wayne State is hitting .195 this season, compared to .169 for its opponents. As a team, the Wildcats lead the conference in blocks with a total of 171, averaging 2.51 per set. Erin Gross leads Wayne State in kills with 204, averaging 3.00 per set. Jaci Brahmer has 153 kills, while Katie Stephens has 148. Brahmer also leads in blocks with 79, while Gross has 62. Setter Megan Gebhardt has 638 set assists, averaging 9.25 assists per set. Maddie Duffy has 26 service aces for the Wildcats, averaging .38 per set. Haley Kauth leads the back row defense with 283 digs, while Stephens has 184 and Alyssa Ballenger has 172. The Wildcats are led by head coach, Scott Kneifl, who's in his 13th season. Wayne State leads the all-time series against the Dragons, 17-26. Last time the teams met, the Wildcats won, 3-2.

More about MSUM...
Vega Keeps Digging
Monica Vega added 35 more digs this past weekend with 16 vs. Southwest Minnesota State and 19 vs. Sioux Falls. Vega is ranked fourth in the NSIC with a total of 328 digs this season, averaging 5.29 per set. Vega is 98 digs away from reaching the 10th place all-time leader for MSUM at 1,282 digs.

Freshman Contributors
With such a young roster this year several freshmen have made a big impact on the team. Setter Ellie Hoyt has racked up 473 set assists, averaging 7.52 per set. Lauren Kiewiet leads the team in service aces with 17, second in assists (113) and is third in kills (105) and blocks (40). Kylie Kanwischer leads the team and is fifth best in the NSIC with 65 total blocks, averaging 1.05 per set. Sarah Petrbok has also made a noteworthy performance with 81 kills, 13 service aces and second on the team in digs with 175.

Dragons to Face Tough Slate This Season
MSUM's 28-game 2017 schedule features seven matches against teams ranked in the AVCA Preseason Top-25, five of which are in the top-10. The Dragons play No. 1 Concordia - St. Paul, No. 2 Southwest Minnesota State, No. 5 Winona State, No. 7 Minnesota Duluth, No. 10 Augustana, No. 13 Winona State and No. 24 Northern State.

Blake Braces for 23rd Season
Head coach Tammy Blake enters her 23rd season as head coach of the Minnesota State University Moorhead volleyball program. Since taking over in Moorhead, Blake has lead MSUM to three NSIC championships and three NCAA appearances. Bob Jones and Madison Halterman are both in their second season as assistant coaches.

On the Road Again
Up next, the Dragons remain on the road as they trave to take on Minnesota Crookston, Friday Oct. 20 and Bemidji State, Saturday Oct. 21.