NDSU Volleyball Release (9-5-18).pdf

North Dakota State (2-5) is scheduled to open with Indiana (4-1) at 11 a.m. Central Time Friday, Sept. 7, at the Ball State Active Ankle Classic in Worthen Arena  ... The Bison play the host Cardinals (4-2) at 6:30 p.m. CT and close out tournament play against Northern Iowa (2-4) at 1 p.m. CT Saturday, Sept. 8 ... The match with Ball State will be available at ESPN+ ... Live stats can be found at http://ballstatesports.com/sidearmstats/wvball.

Ball State Active Ankle Classic
Worthen Arena, Muncie, Ind.
Friday, Sept. 7
11 a.m. (CT) -- Bison vs. Indiana (4-1)
6:30 p.m. (CT) -- Bison at Ball State (4-2) / ESPN+
Saturday, Sept. 8
1 p.m. (CT) -- Bison vs. Northern Iowa (2-4)

COMING SOON: North Dakota State heads to ACC country, down  Tobacco Road and is scheduled to play at North Carolina (2-3) on Friday, Sept. 14, and at Duke on Saturday, Sept. 15 ... Eleven of the first 12 matches are away from the Friendly Confines.

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 first meeting with Indiana University, members of the Big Ten ... This will be the first meeting with Ball State, members of the Mid-American Conference ... This will be the 10th meeting between NDSU and Northern Iowa, members of the Missouri Valley Conference ... The Panthers lead the series 7-2 including a 3-0 win at the UNI Tournament on Sept. 18, 2016.

BISON NOTEBOOK:  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 Bachmeier, who hit . 254 (24-6-71) with 38 digs, six blocks, five aces and five assists.
DOUBLE VISION: North Dakota State has recorded 5 'double-doubles' in 2018 ... Sophomore outside hitter Alexis Bachmeier collected her first two collegiate 'double-doubles' including 15 kills and 17 digs against Western Carolina (9-2-18) ... Freshman setter Kalli Hegerle claimed a pair of 'double-doubles' during the first weekend including 35 assists and 11 digs vs. Niagara (8-24-18) ... 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+    
McKenzie Burke (3/16)        3    2    1    --
Allie Mauch (3/4)        3    --    --    --
Alexis Bachmeier (2/2)        2    1    --    --
Emily Halverson (1/2)        1    --    --    --
Bella Lien (--/3)        --    --    --    --
Alex Erickson (--/2)        --    --    --    --

BISON DIG TRACKER
PLAYER (DF 2018/Career)    10+    15+    20+    25+    30+
Abbi Klos (6/21)        6    2    -- (1)    -- (1)    -- (1)
Kalli Hegerle (2/2)
Alexis Bachmeier (4/4)        4    2    1 (1)    --    --    
Kaylee Hanger (4/4)        4    2    --    --    --    
McKenzie Burke (1/9)        1    --    --    --    --

BISON DOUBLE-DOUBLE TRACKER
PLAYER (2018/Career)    Kills/Digs    Assists/Digs
Kalli Hegerle (2/2)    --    2
Alexis Bachmeier (2/2)    2    --
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 21-14 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.