MOORHEAD, Minn. -- MSU Moorhead volleyball will see two conference opponents on the road this weekend. They travel first to Minnesota Crookston for a Friday showdown that begins at 5 p.m. Next, the Dragons head to Bemidji State on Saturday for a match that is scheduled for 4 p.m.

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

The Dragons (8-12, 3-9 NSIC), will be looking to get back in the win column this week in a couple of road matches. MSUM dropped two matches last week to nationally-ranked teams Minnesota Duluth and St. Cloud State, each in three sets. In their match against Minnesota Duluth, sophomore outside hitter Emily Ramsey had a solid match with six kills and four digs. Sophomore middle blocker Ruby Bones also contributed with two kills and two solo blocks. In their next match, the Dragons competed well with St. Cloud State, but were bested in three sets. MSUM hit for a .198 percentage against the third-ranked team in the country, and they also had four blocks to the Huskies five. Senior middle blocker Abby Thompson had a great game, adding up 11 kills and three blocks as both of those marks led the Dragons. Freshman setter Annalise Wilson tallied 15 assists as well.

The Dragon tallies for the season are as follows: 882 kills (12.3 per set), .210 hitting percentage, 809 assists (11.2 per set), 106 aces, 1103 digs (15.3 per set) and 121 blocks (1.7 per set).

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

• Freshman outside hitter Brielle Riess – 200 kills, .180 hitting percentage, 25 service aces
• Sophomore outside hitter Emily Ramsay – 182 kills, 18 service aces, 166 digs
• Senior middle blocker Abby Thompson – 55 blocks, 163 kills, .349 hitting percentage
• Senior outside hitter Halle Erickson – 111 kills, 33 blocks, .212 hitting percentage
• Sophomore middle blocker Raiah Mandell – 102 kills, 26 blocks
• Freshman middle blocker Mya Pfeifer – 45 blocks, 75 kills
• Sophomore libero Kiara Olesch – 285 digs, 3.96 digs per set, 21 service aces
• Freshman setter Annalise Wilson – 386 assists, 5.36 assists per set, 154 digs

 
About Minnesota Crookston

The Golden Eagles (6-13, 3-8 NSIC), are coming off back-to-back road conference victories. They took down U-Mary and Minot State each in a four-set match. Against U-Mary the Golden Eagles had a lower hitting percentage than the Marauders, .141 compared to .151, however they overwhelmed them with volume and had 58 kills compared to 43 for the Marauders. Against Minot State, the Golden Eagles were great from behind the line and notched seven service aces. 
 
A player to watch on the Golden Eagles is freshman setter Baily Teveldal. She has racked up an impressive 621 assists during the 2024 season as well as a team leading 24 service aces. Through their 19 matches this season, here are the statistics: 782 kills (11.5 per set), .151 hitting percentage, 717 assists (10.5 per set), 102 aces, 1196 digs (17.6 per set) and 85 blocks (1.3 per set).

The Golden Eagles are led by fourth-year head coach Nick Meseck.
 
Scouting Bemidji State

The Beavers (7-12, 2-9 NSIC), also are also coming off of back-to-back road wins over U-Mary and Minot State, identical to Minnesota Crookston. Oddly enough, they also won both games in four sets just like the Golden Eagles did. Against Minot State, Bemidji State bested them in every category except for blocks. Against the Marauders, the Beavers hit for a good percentage (.275), totaling 66 kills to U-Mary's 53 kills.

A player to watch for on the Beavers is senior outside hitter Ashley Crowl. She has a team-best 215 kills and an incredible 32 service aces. The statistics for the Beavers this season are as follows: 831 kills (11.4 per set), .166 hitting percentage, 734 assists (10.1 per set), 116 service aces, 1073 digs (14.7 per set) and 124 blocks (1.7 per set).

The Beavers head coach Kevin Ulmer passed away this fall from a three-year long battle with cancer. Fans can donate to help the Ulmer family here.