MOORHEAD, Minn. -- MSU Moorhead volleyball returns home for the final action of the 2024 campaign. The Dragons host 16th-ranked Southwest Minnesota State on Friday at 6 p.m. On senior day, the Dragons will battle Augustana on Saturday at 2 p.m. in the last game of the 2024 season.
Live stats and video are available at msumdragons.com
Dragons at a Glance
The Dragons (9-15, 4-12 NSIC), took two setbacks in last week's conference action. They were beaten in three sets against conference front-runner Wayne State, and then they fought tooth and nail against Sioux Falls, but were not able to come up with key points in tightly contested sets. The Dragons dropped the match in four sets, but each set was within three points as the Dragons showed their fight. Against the Cougars, the Dragons were great from behind the line, tallying 12 service aces.
Middle blockers
Abby Thompson and
Raiah Mandell led the Dragons on the stat sheet. Thompson put down a team-leading 14 kills, and she also had two blocks on the day. Mandell reached double digits in the kill column for the fourth time this season knocking down 10 kills. She led the team in blocks as well with three. Sophomore outside hitter
Maci Martini led the Dragons with 24 digs, a season-best for her.
Against Wayne State, freshman outside hitter
Brielle Riess and Thompson tied for the team lead in kills, each totaling seven in the match. The Dragon marks going into the final home games of the season are as follows: 1083 kills (12.3 per set), .204 hitting percentage, 990 assists (11.3 per set), 135 aces, 1382 digs (15.7 per set), and 143 blocks (1.6 per set).
The Dragons are led by second-year coach
Kari Thompson
Top Dragons
- Freshman outside hitter Brielle Riess – 235 kills, .150 hitting percentage, 29 service aces
- Sophomore outside hitter Emily Ramsay – 220 kills, 19 service aces, 207 digs
- Senior middle blocker Abby Thompson – 64 blocks, 203 kills, .361 hitting percentage
- Senior outside hitter Halle Erickson – 132 kills, 36 blocks, .204 hitting percentage
- Sophomore middle blocker Raiah Mandell – 142 kills, 33 blocks
- Freshman middle blocker Mya Pfeifer – 49 blocks, 86 kills
- Sophomore libero Kiara Olesch – 331 digs, 3.80 digs per set, 25 service aces
- Freshman setter Annalise Wilson – 474 assists, 5.39 assists per set, 188 digs
About Southwest Minnesota State
The 16th-ranked Mustangs (21-4, 12-4 NSIC), are currently on a three-game winning streak and are one of the best teams in the NSIC. In last week's action they swept Minnesota Crookston in three sets, and then they beat a scrappy Bemidji State team in four sets. In their match with the Golden Eagles, the Mustangs tallied 45 kills at a hitting percentage of .352, and they had a great day at the net, blocking 10 attacks from Minnesota Crookston. Against Bemidji State, the 15 service aces from the Mustangs jumps off the page.
A player to watch out for on the Mustangs is senior middle blocker Emma VanHeel. She has totaled 258 kills, and a team-leading 101 blocks this season. The Mustang statistics for the year are as follows: 1358 kills (14.6 per set), .240 hitting percentage, 1290 assists (13.9 per set), 155 aces, 1784 digs (19.2 per set), and 201 blocks (2.2 per set).
The Mustangs are led by third-year head coach Tyler Boddy.
About Augustana
The Vikings (12-14, 8-8 NSIC), snapped a four-game losing streak last week when they pulled off back-to-back victories against Minot State and UMary. Against Minot State, the Vikings won in four sets, finishing the deal with a 25-19 win in the fourth set. In their match against UMary, the Vikings also won in four sets, and they had a great day in the blocking department, tallying 17 blocks in just four sets.
A player to watch for on the Vikings is junior middle blocker Maya Wente. She leads her team in kills totaling 298 on the season at a .349 clip. The Vikings have totaled: 1260 kills (12.4 per set), .200 hitting percentage, 1184 assists (11.6 per set), 186 aces, 1652 digs (16.2 per set), and 248 blocks (2.4 per set).
The Vikings are led by eighth-year head coach Jennifer Jacobs.
