NDSU Volleyball Release.pdf (9-19-18)

North Dakota State (2-9) is scheduled to open Summit League play at home this weekend in the Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse ... NDSU will entertain South Dakota (6-6) at 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 21 ... Friday is a Gold Rush, fans are asked to wear gold Bison gear ... NDSU will recognize over 40 alumni back for Homecoming including 2018 Bison Athletic Hall of Fame inductee, former head coach, assistant and player  Zaundra Bina ... The Bison will his host Omaha (5-7) at 1 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 23 ... It's a Family Fortnite ... Visit GoBison.com for the $20 Family 4 Package ... There's also a Youth Volleyball Clinic following ... Register at GoBison.com/Camps.

COMING SOON: North Dakota State has a three-match week coming up with a trip to Grand Forks to play North Dakota (8-7) at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 26 ... Then NDSU hosts South Dakota State (3-10) at 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 28, and Denver (11-1) at 1 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 30.

THE FRIENDLY CONFINES: North Dakota State is 1-0 in the Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse this season, averaging 845 spectators per match ... The Bison have compiled a 381-84 record good for a .819 winning percentage since 1978.

THE SERIES: This will be the 64th meeting between North Dakota State and South Dakota ... The Bison lead the series 50-13 ... The teams split the season series last year, each winning on the other's court ... The series is tied 42-42 between NDSU and Omaha in the 85th meeting between the two schools ... The Bison won all  three meetings last season.

BISON NOTEBOOK: Ten of the first 11 matches were away from the Friendly Confines ... Freshman libero/defensive specialist Kaylee Hanger was named to the Ball State Active Ankle Classic all-tournament team after averaging 3.60 digs per set with seven assists ... Junior libero/defensive specialist Abbi Klos was named to Minnesota's Diet Coke Classic all-tournament  team after averaging 3.70 digs per set with five assists and three aces in thee matches and 10 sets ... Sophomore right side hitter Alexis Bachmeier earned Buffalo Blue & White Classic all-tournament honors during the first weekend ... Career bests were all-around for Bachmeier, who hit . 254 (24-6-71) with 38 digs, six blocks, five aces and five assists.

DOUBLE VISION: North Dakota State has recorded 7 'double-doubles' in 2018 ... Sophomore outside hitter Alexis Bachmeier has three 'double-doubles' including 15 kills and 17 digs against Western Carolina (9-2-18) ... Freshman setter Kalli Hegerle ollows with three 'double-doubles' including 33 assists and 15 digs vs. Indiana (9-7-18) ... Senior outside hitter  McKenzie Burke collected 15 kills and 12 digs vs. Seton Hall (8-24-18) and has four overall.

BISON KILL TRACKER
PLAYER (DF 2018/Career)    10+    15+    20+    25+    
Allie Mauch (6/7)        6    --    --    --
McKenzie Burke (3/16)        3    2    1    --
Alexis Bachmeier (3/3)        3    1    --    --
Emily Halverson (1/2)        1    --    --    --
Bella Lien (--/3)        --    --    --    --
Alex Erickson (--/2)        --    --    --    --

BISON DIG TRACKER
PLAYER (DF 2018/Career)    10+    15+    20+    25+    30+
Kaylee Hanger (7/7)        7    3    --    --    --    
Abbi Klos (6/21)        6    2    -- (1)    -- (1)    -- (1)
Alexis Bachmeier (6/6)        6    2    1 (1)    --    --    
Kalli Hegerle (3/3)        3    1    --    --    --
McKenzie Burke (1/9)        1    --    --    --    --
Alex Erickson (1/1)        1    --    --    --    --
Maggie Steffen (1/1)        1    --    --    --    --

BISON DOUBLE-DOUBLE TRACKER
PLAYER (2018/Career)    Kills/Digs    Assists/Digs
Kalli Hegerle (3/3)    --    3
Alexis Bachmeier (3/3)    3    --
McKenzie Burke (1/4)    1    --

BINA BOUND FOR BISON ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME: Former North Dakota State head coach Zaundra Bina is scheduled to be inducted into the Bison Athletic Hall of Fame on Friday, Sept. 21.

BISON ON TELEVISION: Four North Dakota State women's volleyball matches will be televised by the BEK Broadcasting Network @BEKSports ... Next broadcast is 1 p.m. Sunday, Sept.23, vs. Omaha ... Corey Brooks and Noah Reed will describe the action ... More information can be found at https://www.bektel.com/bbn/.

VOLLEYBALL ON BISON 1660 AM: Five North Dakota State University women's volleyball matches will be broadcast on Bison 1660 AM/92.7 FM this season ... Next broadcast will be 1 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 30, when NDSU takes on Denver ... Keith Brake @The_Brakedown is in his third year handling the play-by-play ... Brake is joined by former all-Summit League middle hitter Emily Miron ... Fans can hear updates coach Jennifer Lopez weekly on "The BrakeDown" on Bison 1660 AM during the season.

NDSU HEAD COACH JENNIFER LOPEZ ONE OF AVCA's "Top Thirty under 30": North Dakota State head volleyball coach Jennifer Lopez was one of the American Volleyball Coaches Association's 2018 "Thirty Under 30" award recipients ... "I feel honored to be receiving this award and to be given the opportunity every day to do what I love," said Lopez, 27, who is headed into her second season as head coach at her alma mater ... "When I think of what it means to be a Bison, I think of Jennifer as an outstanding example," said Brianna Rasmusson, who was a senior setter on the 2017 NDSU volleyball team.

BURKE, LIEN TABBED AS SUMMIT LEAGUE PRESEASON WATCH LIST: North Dakota State outside hitter McKenzie Burke and middle hitter Bella Lien were named to the Summit League's preseason "Players to Watch List" released Aug. 16 ... Burke, a 5-foot-11 senior from Osceola, Wis., averaged 2.72 kills and 2.36 digs per set last season, while adding 26 aces and 23 blocks ... Burke was named to the 2017 Summit League all-tournament team ... Lien, a 6-2 sophomore from Rogers, Minn., finished third in the league in blocks per set (1.01 bps) ... Lien finished with 149 kills, 101 blocks and 29 digs.

NDSU TIES FOR SIXTH IN SUMMIT LEAGUE PRESEASON COACHES POLL: North Dakota State was tied for sixth in the Summit League volleyball preseason coaches' poll released Aug. 16 ... The Bison were tied with Purdue Fort Wayne with 31 points ... Defending champion Denver (23-6, 12-2 SL) was picked to repeat ... The Pioneers received 7 of 9 first place votes and 63 points overall ... Newcomer North Dakota (30-8, 12-4 Big Sky) was second, receiving the remaining two first place votes and 55 points ... Omaha was third, South Dakota ranked fourth and Oral Roberts came in fifth ... NDSU, Purdue Fort Wayne, South Dakota State and Western Illinois round out the poll.

MAKING THE GRADE: The North Dakota State University volleyball team was honored with the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Team Academic Award for the 2017-18 season ... The award, which was initiated in the 1992-93 academic year, honors collegiate and high school volleyball teams that displayed excellence in the classroom by maintaining at least a 3.30 cumulative team G.P.A. on a 4.0 scale ... NDSU received the award for the sixth consecutive year and 18th time overall.

PROUD HISTORY: North Dakota State won four straight Summit League regular-season titles from 2008-11 ... NDSU won outright titles with a 16-0 record in 2008 and an 18-0 mark in 2009 ... The Bison have appeared in three of the last nine NCAA Tournaments.

THE COACH: Jennifer Lopez (North Dakota State, 2014) has a 21-18 record including 9-5 in the Summit League in her first season as head coach at North Dakota State ... After joining the Bison as an assistant coach in 2015, she was named interim head coach in May 2017 and officially named head coach Oct. 23, 2017 ... Lopez was the Summit League Setter of the Year, Player of the Year and Tournament MVP in 2011 as a senior for North Dakota State.