Thursday, October 20
Fargo, N.D.
7 p.m.
North Dakota State Athletics
vs
Western Illinois
Photo by: Benjamin Dishong
NDSU Volleyball Returns Home Against Western Illinois and St. Thomas
10/18/2022 4:10:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
THIS WEEK
The North Dakota State (13-7, 6-2 Summit) volleyball team returns home against Western Illinois (4-17, 0-9 Summit) on Thursday night at 7 p.m. The Bison will then wrap up the week hosting St. Thomas (3-18, 1-8 Summit) on Saturday. First serve is set for 1 p.m. at Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse.
MATCH COVERAGE
Both matches will be available on WDAY Xtra with Cullen Holt (play-by-play) and Hadley Steffen (analyst) on the call against Western Illinois, while Dom Izzo (play-by-play) and Hadley Steffen (analyst) will call the match against St. Thomas. Both contests will also be streamed and feature live statistics on GoBison.com.
TICKETS
General admission tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for youth ages 3-17, and reserved tickets are $10-12. Match day tickets are sold at the Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse and are also available at GoBison.com/tickets. Doors open one (1) hour prior to the match. Free parking is available in Visitors Lot E.
LAST TIME OUT
NDSU came up short at Omaha, 3-1, on the road on Saturday. Ali Hinze notched her ninth double-double of the season with 21 digs and 12 kills. Syra Tanchin connected on a team-high 14 kills, while Kelley Johnson also registered a double-double with a match-high 44 assists and 11 digs. Logan O'Brien led the way on the defensive side totaling a match-high 24 digs.
DEFENSIVE PEAK PERFORMER OF THE WEEK
Logan O'Brien was named the TicketSmarter Summit League Defensive Peak Performer of the Week for the first time in her career on Tuesday. She totaled a team-high 42 digs and averaged a team-best 6.00 digs per set last week. The Fort Myers, Fla., native helped NDSU to its first win at Denver since 2013 with a match-high 18 digs. She wrapped up the weekend with a match-high 24 digs at Omaha.
IN THE MIX
The Bison are positioned in third place in the Summit League standings behind South Dakota (18-2, 7-1 Summit) and Omaha (12-7, 7-2 Summit). NDSU started conference play with a 5-0 record for the first time since 2010 before falling short against North Dakota, 3-2.
HEAT CHECK
The Bison are slotted second in the Summit League in both hitting percentage (.257) and kills per set (13.85). NDSU is also positioned third in the conference in total kills with 1,039 . The Bison have connected on 60 or more kills in seven matches, including a season-high 70 against Chicago State, Central Michigan and Austin Peay.
THE DYNAMIC DUO
Syra Tanchin and Ali Hinze have both surpassed the 200-kill mark this season. Tanchin is slotted third in the Summit League with a team-high 282 kills, while Hinze is positioned sixth with 245.
BALL MOVEMENT
The Bison rank second in the Summit League and 32nd in the nation in total assists with 955. Kelley Johnson paces NDSU with a team-high 791 assists, which ranks second in the conference and 16th in the nation. She's distributed 50 or more assists in five matches this season, including a career-high 58 against Chicago State and Central Michigan.
JOHNSON HITS 2K ASSISTS
Kelley Johnson handed out a match-high 34 assists in the win over St. Thomas on Sept. 22 to reach the 2,000 career assists plateau. She has now amassed 2,305 assists over four seasons and ranks 11th on the all-time list. Johnson is one of five players to reach the mark in the NDSU Division I era.
TANCHIN JOINS THE 1,000 KILL CLUB
Syra Tanchin connected on 23 kills against North Dakota to surpass the 1,000 career kills mark. She has totaled 1,044 kills over four seasons and ranks 23rd on the all-time list. Tanchin is one of eight players to reach the mark the NDSU Division I era.
A FACTOR ON BOTH ENDS
Michelle Glover has registered a team-best .399 hitting percentage, which ranks first the Summit League and 18th in the nation. She is also positioned eighth in the Summit League in total blocks with 74.0.
SUMMIT LEAGUE PLAYERS TO WATCH
Syra Tanchin and Ali Hinze were named to the Summit League Players to Watch List. Hinze ranked fifth in the Summit League in kills with a career-high 370 and kills per set with 3.43 last season. On the defensive end, Hinze contributed a career-best 291 digs and averaged 2.67 digs per set. Tanchin also posted a career-high 370 kills last season and averaged 3.36 kills per set, which ranked seventh in the Summit League. The St. Michael, Minn., native added in a career-best 30 total blocks with 83 digs on the defensive side.
SUMMIT LEAGUE PRESEASON POLL
NDSU was picked to finish seventh in the Summit League Volleyball Preseason Coaches' Poll. Denver earned the top spot with 75 total points and six first place votes. South Dakota was picked second with 74 total points and Omaha rounded out the top three with 68 total points in third place.
THIS IS OUR HOUSE
The Bison have called Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse home since 1978 and have notched a 400-102 overall record at home during that span. NDSU picked up its 400th win at the BBF after sweeping Kansas City, 3-0, on Oct. 1, 2022.
TAKIN' CARE OF BUSINESS IN THE CLASSROOM
NDSU earned the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Team Academic Award for the 10th straight year in 2021-22. The Bison also earned a spot on the AVCA Team Academic Honor Roll with a team GPA in the top 20 percent of NCAA Division I. NDSU notched a 3.56 GPA in the spring semester and a 3.63 cumulative GPA last year.
NEW TO THE SQUAD
The Bison added five newcomers to the roster in 2022, including three freshman: Baily Randall, Nora Raasch and Ally Barth.
NDSU also added transfers Eke Denessen and Logan O'Brien. Denessen spent the last two seasons at South Florida and appeared in 24 matches with 13 starts in 2021. O'Brien appeared in 49 matches and totaled 201 digs over two seasons at North Florida.
PLENTY OF DEPTH IN THE LINEUP
NDSU enters 2022 with 10 players returning from last season, including four seniors: Syra Tanchin, Michelle Glover, Ava Schmoll and Kelley Johnson. The Bison also boast plenty of experience with four players having appeared in 60 or more career matches. Glover has played in the most career matches among active Bison players with 72, including two seasons (46 matches) at Illinois-Chicago.
THE SERIES VS. WESTERN ILLINOIS
This will be the 33rd matchup between NDSU and Western Illinois in a series that dates back to 2005. The Bison, who have won 17 of the last 18 meetings, lead the all-time series, 27-5. In their most recent meeting earlier this season, NDSU swept Western Illinois, 3-0, on the road. Taylor Quan paced the Bison with a season-high 20 digs.
THE SERIES VS. ST. THOMAS
This will be the sixth all-time meeting between NDSU and St. Thomas with the Bison leading the series that dates back to 1983, 5-0. In their most recent meeting earlier this season, the Bison topped the Tommies, 3-0, behind a match-high 34 assists from Kelley Johnson. Ali Hinze also contributed a double-double with a match-best 14 kills and 14 digs.
NEXT UP
NDSU will travel to Kansas City on Thursday, Oct. 27. First serve is set for 7 p.m.
The North Dakota State (13-7, 6-2 Summit) volleyball team returns home against Western Illinois (4-17, 0-9 Summit) on Thursday night at 7 p.m. The Bison will then wrap up the week hosting St. Thomas (3-18, 1-8 Summit) on Saturday. First serve is set for 1 p.m. at Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse.
MATCH COVERAGE
Both matches will be available on WDAY Xtra with Cullen Holt (play-by-play) and Hadley Steffen (analyst) on the call against Western Illinois, while Dom Izzo (play-by-play) and Hadley Steffen (analyst) will call the match against St. Thomas. Both contests will also be streamed and feature live statistics on GoBison.com.
TICKETS
General admission tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for youth ages 3-17, and reserved tickets are $10-12. Match day tickets are sold at the Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse and are also available at GoBison.com/tickets. Doors open one (1) hour prior to the match. Free parking is available in Visitors Lot E.
LAST TIME OUT
NDSU came up short at Omaha, 3-1, on the road on Saturday. Ali Hinze notched her ninth double-double of the season with 21 digs and 12 kills. Syra Tanchin connected on a team-high 14 kills, while Kelley Johnson also registered a double-double with a match-high 44 assists and 11 digs. Logan O'Brien led the way on the defensive side totaling a match-high 24 digs.
DEFENSIVE PEAK PERFORMER OF THE WEEK
Logan O'Brien was named the TicketSmarter Summit League Defensive Peak Performer of the Week for the first time in her career on Tuesday. She totaled a team-high 42 digs and averaged a team-best 6.00 digs per set last week. The Fort Myers, Fla., native helped NDSU to its first win at Denver since 2013 with a match-high 18 digs. She wrapped up the weekend with a match-high 24 digs at Omaha.
IN THE MIX
The Bison are positioned in third place in the Summit League standings behind South Dakota (18-2, 7-1 Summit) and Omaha (12-7, 7-2 Summit). NDSU started conference play with a 5-0 record for the first time since 2010 before falling short against North Dakota, 3-2.
HEAT CHECK
The Bison are slotted second in the Summit League in both hitting percentage (.257) and kills per set (13.85). NDSU is also positioned third in the conference in total kills with 1,039 . The Bison have connected on 60 or more kills in seven matches, including a season-high 70 against Chicago State, Central Michigan and Austin Peay.
THE DYNAMIC DUO
Syra Tanchin and Ali Hinze have both surpassed the 200-kill mark this season. Tanchin is slotted third in the Summit League with a team-high 282 kills, while Hinze is positioned sixth with 245.
BALL MOVEMENT
The Bison rank second in the Summit League and 32nd in the nation in total assists with 955. Kelley Johnson paces NDSU with a team-high 791 assists, which ranks second in the conference and 16th in the nation. She's distributed 50 or more assists in five matches this season, including a career-high 58 against Chicago State and Central Michigan.
JOHNSON HITS 2K ASSISTS
Kelley Johnson handed out a match-high 34 assists in the win over St. Thomas on Sept. 22 to reach the 2,000 career assists plateau. She has now amassed 2,305 assists over four seasons and ranks 11th on the all-time list. Johnson is one of five players to reach the mark in the NDSU Division I era.
TANCHIN JOINS THE 1,000 KILL CLUB
Syra Tanchin connected on 23 kills against North Dakota to surpass the 1,000 career kills mark. She has totaled 1,044 kills over four seasons and ranks 23rd on the all-time list. Tanchin is one of eight players to reach the mark the NDSU Division I era.
A FACTOR ON BOTH ENDS
Michelle Glover has registered a team-best .399 hitting percentage, which ranks first the Summit League and 18th in the nation. She is also positioned eighth in the Summit League in total blocks with 74.0.
SUMMIT LEAGUE PLAYERS TO WATCH
Syra Tanchin and Ali Hinze were named to the Summit League Players to Watch List. Hinze ranked fifth in the Summit League in kills with a career-high 370 and kills per set with 3.43 last season. On the defensive end, Hinze contributed a career-best 291 digs and averaged 2.67 digs per set. Tanchin also posted a career-high 370 kills last season and averaged 3.36 kills per set, which ranked seventh in the Summit League. The St. Michael, Minn., native added in a career-best 30 total blocks with 83 digs on the defensive side.
SUMMIT LEAGUE PRESEASON POLL
NDSU was picked to finish seventh in the Summit League Volleyball Preseason Coaches' Poll. Denver earned the top spot with 75 total points and six first place votes. South Dakota was picked second with 74 total points and Omaha rounded out the top three with 68 total points in third place.
THIS IS OUR HOUSE
The Bison have called Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse home since 1978 and have notched a 400-102 overall record at home during that span. NDSU picked up its 400th win at the BBF after sweeping Kansas City, 3-0, on Oct. 1, 2022.
TAKIN' CARE OF BUSINESS IN THE CLASSROOM
NDSU earned the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Team Academic Award for the 10th straight year in 2021-22. The Bison also earned a spot on the AVCA Team Academic Honor Roll with a team GPA in the top 20 percent of NCAA Division I. NDSU notched a 3.56 GPA in the spring semester and a 3.63 cumulative GPA last year.
NEW TO THE SQUAD
The Bison added five newcomers to the roster in 2022, including three freshman: Baily Randall, Nora Raasch and Ally Barth.
NDSU also added transfers Eke Denessen and Logan O'Brien. Denessen spent the last two seasons at South Florida and appeared in 24 matches with 13 starts in 2021. O'Brien appeared in 49 matches and totaled 201 digs over two seasons at North Florida.
PLENTY OF DEPTH IN THE LINEUP
NDSU enters 2022 with 10 players returning from last season, including four seniors: Syra Tanchin, Michelle Glover, Ava Schmoll and Kelley Johnson. The Bison also boast plenty of experience with four players having appeared in 60 or more career matches. Glover has played in the most career matches among active Bison players with 72, including two seasons (46 matches) at Illinois-Chicago.
THE SERIES VS. WESTERN ILLINOIS
This will be the 33rd matchup between NDSU and Western Illinois in a series that dates back to 2005. The Bison, who have won 17 of the last 18 meetings, lead the all-time series, 27-5. In their most recent meeting earlier this season, NDSU swept Western Illinois, 3-0, on the road. Taylor Quan paced the Bison with a season-high 20 digs.
THE SERIES VS. ST. THOMAS
This will be the sixth all-time meeting between NDSU and St. Thomas with the Bison leading the series that dates back to 1983, 5-0. In their most recent meeting earlier this season, the Bison topped the Tommies, 3-0, behind a match-high 34 assists from Kelley Johnson. Ali Hinze also contributed a double-double with a match-best 14 kills and 14 digs.
NEXT UP
NDSU will travel to Kansas City on Thursday, Oct. 27. First serve is set for 7 p.m.
Players Mentioned
MB
/ Women's Volleyball
MB
/ Women's Volleyball
S
/ Women's Volleyball
S
/ Women's Volleyball
DS
/ Women's Volleyball
DS/L
/ Women's Volleyball
DS
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
DS
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
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