MOORHEAD, Minn. -- MSU Moorhead volleyball begins a busy part of their NSIC conference schedule this week. They begin by traveling to Aberdeen, S.D. and taking on the 23rd-ranked Wolves of Northern State on Thursday at 6 p.m. Then the Dragons come home to host the Mary Marauders in a Saturday afternoon contest that begins at 2 p.m. On Tuesday next week, MSUM welcomes the Minot State Beavers for a 6 p.m. showdown. 

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

The Dragons (7-8, 2-5 NSIC), came close to grabbing a win on the road last week, however, they fell just short. In their match against Winona State the Dragons took a 2-1 set lead, and then the Warriors took the last two sets to win in five sets. The Dragons were then topped by 13th-ranked Concordia-St Paul in three sets. In their match against Winona State, MSUM tallied 55 kills compared to the Warriors' 71, and they were also bested in the digs category 87-82 by the Warriors. The Dragons equaled the Warriors in blocks with each team tallying five. Freshman middle blocker Mya Pfeifer led the Dragons with three blocks. Freshman outside hitter Brielle Riess had a great match, hitting 16 kills at a .317 hitting percentage. Senior middle blocker Abby Thompson also had a good match, notching 14 kills at a .333 mark.

Sophomore outside hitter Emily Ramsay led the team in digs tallying 23, while also adding two service aces and nine kills to the mix. In their match against the Golden Bears, sophomore middle blocker Raiah Mandell was the kill leader with nine. The Dragons did not have their best day offensively, hitting at a .122 clip compared to the Golden Bears' .449 mark.

The Dragons' marks for the season as a team are as follows: 678 kills (12.3 per set), .212 hitting percentage, 630 assists (11.5 assists per set), 85 service aces, 878 digs (16.0 per set), 101 blocks (1.8 per set).

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

• Freshman outside hitter Brielle Riess – 157 kills, .188 hitting percentage, 23 service aces
• Sophomore outside hitter Emily Ramsay – 134 kills, 14 service aces, 136 digs
• Senior middle blocker Abby Thompson – 44 blocks, 124 kills, .327 hitting percentage
• Senior outside hitter Halle Erickson – 92 kills, 31 blocks, .236 hitting percentage
• Sophomore middle blocker Raiah Mandell – 76 kills, 26 blocks
• Freshman middle blocker Mya Pfeifer – 39 blocks, 59 kills
• Sophomore libero Kiara Olesch – 246 digs, 4.47 digs per set, 14 service aces
• Freshman setter Annalise Wilson – 305 assists, 5.55 assists per set, 133 digs

 
Scouting Northern State

The #23 Wolves (11-4, 3-4 NSIC), have taken two conference losses this past week against Concordia-St Paul as well as Winona State, much like the Dragons. They also got swept in three sets by the Golden Bears and battled against Winona State, but fell in four sets. Over their first 15 games this season, Northern State's season stats are as follows: 719 kills (13.1 kills per set), .236 hitting percentage, 670 assists (12.2 assists per set), 96 service aces, 1009 digs (18.3 digs per set), and 130 blocks (2.4 blocks per set).

A player to watch for on the Wolves would be graduate setter Keri Walker. She has totaled 586 set assists so far this season with a great mark of 10.65 assists per set.

The Wolves are led by 14th-year head coach Brent Aldridge.
 
Scouting U-Mary

The Marauders (2-14, 0-8 NSIC), haven't had a great conference slate this season as they are still looking for their first conference victory. Last week they fell in straight sets against Southwest Minnesota State before being bested by Minnesota State, 3-1. The Marauders' season stats are as follows: 604 kills (10.6 kills per set), .145 hitting percentage, 575 assists (10.1 assists per set), 72 service aces, 810 digs (14.2 digs per set), 89.5 blocks (1.6 blocks per set).

A player on the Marauders who can be dangerous is junior middle blocker Gabby Caskey. She is second on her team in blocks with 32, and she also is second in kills with a count of 131.

The Marauders are led by fourth-year head coach Abby Pollart.
 
Scouting Minot State

The Beavers (1-14, 0-8 NSIC), are also still looking for their first conference victory as well this season. They have fallen in straight sets in all eight of their conference matches this season. This past week saw them drop matches to Minnesota State and Southwest Minnesota State. The Beavers' season stats are as follows: 438 kills (9.1 kills per set), .092 hitting percentage, 393 assists (8.2 assists per set), 36 service aces, 702 digs (14.6 digs per set), 79.5 blocks, (1.7 blocks per set). 
Junior outside hitter Paulina Kowalska is a player to watch for on the Beavers. She leads her team in kills with a total of 117 and she also adds 31 blocks. 

The Beavers are led by interim head coach Alex Courtney.