MOORHEAD, Minn. -- MSU Moorhead volleyball will be on the road for Homecoming weekend to take on challenges from two conference foes. On Friday the Dragons go to Winona State to challenge the Warriors in what shapes up to be a great match that begins at 6 p.m. MSUM heads to Concordia, St. Paul for a Saturday skirmish against the Golden Bears at 2 p.m.

Live stats and video are available at msumdragons.com.
 
Dragons at a Glance

The Dragons (7-6, 2-3 NSIC), are coming into this week on fire, as they won both of their matchups last week. They bested Minnesota State 3-1 and then swept Bemidji State in straight sets 3-0. In their match against the Mavericks the first three sets all ended in a score of 25-22 with the Dragons taking two of those sets, and the Mavericks one. MSUM put the Mavs away in the fourth set handily 25-19 and the Dragons bested Minnesota State in all categories but digs. In the kills department the Dragons had 62 to the Mavericks 56, and the Dragons were also more efficient which was key. The Dragons had a hitting percentage of .299 while the Mavericks managed .205. Emily Ramsay was the standout of this match, tallying a staggering 17 kills at a .286 clip. In their showdown with Bemidji State, the Dragons won the key first set in come-from-behind fashion 25-23, and then cruised in the second and third sets. MSUM's serving was great in this match, putting up seven aces and only one service error. Raiah Mandell and Brielle Riess stood out in this match for MSUM. Mandell was spiking balls with authority for 12 kills, and Riess was right with her, tallying 10 kills of her own.

As a team the Dragons have less kills than their opponents over the course of the season (595-609), however, they are more efficient with a .218 hitting percentage compared to their opponents' .196. The Dragons through 11 matches average 12.7 kills per set, 11.7 assists per set, 16.3 digs per set and a very impressive 2.0 blocks per set.

The Dragons are led by second-year head coach Kari Thompson.
 
Top Dragons

• Freshman outside hitter Brielle Riess – 140 kills, .188 hitting percentage, 23 service aces
• Sophomore outside hitter Emily Ramsay – 121 kills, 12 service aces, 107 digs
• Senior middle blocker Abby Thompson – 43 blocks, 104 kills, .321 hitting percentage
• Senior outside hitter Halle Erickson – 85 kills, 29 blocks, 1.81 kills per set
• Sophomore middle blocker Raiah Mandell – 61 kills, 25 blocks
• Freshman middle blocker Mya Pfeifer – 36 blocks, 54 kills
• Sophomore libero Kiara Olesch – 218 digs, 4.64 digs per set, 13 service aces
• Freshman setter Annalise Wilson – 272 assists, 5.79 assists per set, 122 digs

 
Scouting Winona State

The Warriors (10-8, 3-4 NSIC), had a tough task in their last match, as it was against nationally-ranked Wayne State. They battled tough though and managed to take one set from them in a 3-1 loss. They picked up a victory in their other conference match last week against Minot State in a 3-0 sweep. Overall, the Warriors have more kills than their opponents (841-797), but also significantly more errors which leads to their lower hitting percentage (.177) compared to their rival (.192). Winona State has averaged 12.4 kills per set, 11.7 assists per set, 16.5 digs per set and 1.9 blocks per set. They have also been rock solid on serves, tallying 105 service aces so far this season. Watch out for sophomore outside hitter Kenna Kornely who has put down 153 kills on the season, she is the Warriors best offensive weapon.

The Warriors are guided by head coach Joe Getzin.
 
Scouting Concordia-St Paul

The 13th-ranked Golden Bears (11-4, 6-1 NSIC), have had a good start to the season, especially in conference play. The Golden Bears have rattled off five straight conference wins, their last two coming against UMary and Sioux Falls, both in 3-0 sweeps. They have been dominate in almost all statistical categories, but what stands out the most is their kills per set mark (14.6) and their .254 hitting percentage. They are tough defensively as well, averaging 2.2 blocks per set, and 14.8 digs per set. What makes them so tough is they have five players over the century mark in kills. Senior outside hitter Sophia Andersen leads the team with 160 kills on the season, but watch out for others also making a big impact as well.

The Golden Bears are led by 21st-year head coach Brady Starkey.