Complete NDSU Notes
Watch  |  Live Stats
 
This Week: The North Dakota State volleyball team (8-4 overall, 6-4 Summit) will host the Omaha Mavericks (9-5 overall, 8-4 Summit) on Friday, Mar. 12, and Saturday, Mar. 13, inside the Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse. Friday's match starts at 7 p.m., and Saturday is scheduled for 5 p.m.
 
Where to Watch:  Both matches will be streamed at GoBison.com/AllAccess.
 
What's at Stake: This weekend's matches between the Bison and Mavericks are critical in the race to qualify for the Summit League Tournament. The league tourney, scheduled for Apr. 2-3 at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, has been reduced from six teams to four this season. Omaha currently stands fourth in the league standings at 8-4, and the Bison are fifth at 6-4.
 
The Series vs. Omaha: The Mavericks lead the all-time series with NDSU, 48-42. The two schools have met in the Summit League Tournament for three straight years, with the Bison winning in 2017 and 2018, and Omaha winning in 2019.
 
Home Sweet Home: The Bison are 8-0 at home this season, with set scores totaling 24-5.
 
A Cool Grand: Sophomore setter Kelley Johnson surpassed 1,000 career assists last weekend vs. Western Illinois. She is averaging 10.95 assists per set this season.
 
Keep it Up: The Bison rank 34th in the NCAA this season with an average of 17.55 digs per set.
 
Point, Ali: Freshman Ali Hinze leads The Summit League with an average of 4.70 points per set in conference play.
 
Lockdown Defense: The Bison limited Western Illinois to .051 hitting on Mar. 6, which was the lowest percentage for a Bison opponent since NDSU held Savannah State to .014 in a 3-0 sweep on Sept. 16, 2017.
 
Four Near the Top: Four different Bison rank near the league lead in statistical categories. Sophomore Kelley Johnson leads the league with 10.78 assists per set, freshman Ali Hinze is third in kills per set (4.08), junior Kirstin Tidd is third in attack percentage (.348), and senior Bella Lien is fourth in blocks per set (1.05).
 
Hinze Named Player of the Week: Freshman outside hitter Ali Hinze was named the Summit League Offensive Player of the Week following NDSU's pair of victories over Oral Roberts on Feb. 14-15. Hinze led the Bison with 43 kills, 4.30 kills per set, five service aces and a .252 hitting percentage in the wins. Her 24 kills against Oral Roberts on Feb. 14 tied the most by a Bison in a match since 2015.