THIS WEEK
The fifth-seeded North Dakota State (17-10, 9-7 Summit) volleyball team is set to take on fourth-seeded South Dakota (18-9, 12-4 Summit) in the quarterfinal round on Sunday at 5:00 p.m., at the Summit League Championship in Vermillion, S.D.
 
MATCH COVERAGE
The tournament will feature live statistics along with all matches available on Midco and the Summit League Network for subscribers.
 
TICKET PUNCHED
The Bison are set to make their second straight appearance in the Summit League Championship and advanced to the semifinal round for the first time since 2018 last year. NDSU swept North Dakota, 3-0, in the quarterfinal round before falling short against Omaha, 3-1, in the semifinals in Omaha, Neb. NDSU has won the Summit League Tournament three times (2008, 2010, 2011) in program history since joining the league in 2007.
 
LAST TIME OUT
NDSU fought its way back from a 2-0 deficit before falling short, 3-2, in the regular season finale at North Dakota. Arianna Blohm led the way for the Bison with a career-high 14 kills and a .500 hitting percentage. Ali Hinze also added in 13 kills with nine digs.
 
THE SERIES VS. SOUTH DAKOTA
This will be the 77th all-time meeting between NDSU and South Dakota dating back to 1974 with the Bison leading the series, 52-24. The Coyotes won both regular season matchups and most recently topped the Bison, 3-0, on Nov. 11 in Vermillion, S.D. Ali Hinze paced NDSU with nine kills and four digs, while Alexis Boling contributed seven kills of her own.
 
SIX STRAIGHT IN THE WIN COLUMN
Earlier this season, the Bison assembled a season-best six match win streak from Oct. 17 against North Dakota to Nov. 2 vs. South Dakota State. The stretch included four sweeps and was the longest win streak for NDSU since 2017 when the Bison won eight straight.
 
NUMBERS TO KNOW
Entering the weekend, the Bison lead the Summit League in assists per set (12.51), hitting percentage (.247) and kills per set (13.45). NDSU is also positioned second in team assists (1,276) and team kills (1,372).
 
Individually, Kelley Johnson leads the Summit League and ranks 33rd in the nation in assists per set with 10.38. She also ranks second in the conference and 30th in the nation in total assists with 1,059. Ali Hinze also ranks second in the Summit League in kills per set with 3.51.
 
LOPEZ PICKS UP 100TH CAREER WIN
With the 3-1 win over Omaha on Oct. 28, head coach Jennifer Lopez earned her 100th career win. She's one of only five coaches in NDSU history to reach the 100 career win plateau.
 
SHE CAN DO IT ALL
Ali Hinze has surpassed the 1,000 career kills mark with 1,410 over her first four seasons. She's one of nine players to reach the mark in the NDSU Division I era and ranks 14th in Bison history.
 
Hinze has also reached the 1,000 career digs mark and has tallied 1,151 over four seasons. She's only the second player in the NDSU Division I era to record at least 1,000 career digs and 1,000 career kills, joining Brynn Joki (2009-12).
 
NOTABLE HINZE STREAKS
Prior to the match at South Dakota last week, Ali Hinze reached double figures in kills in 15 straight matches. The Maple Grove, Minn., native has hit double digits in 24-of-27 matches this season after closing last season with a streak of 21 consecutive matches in double figures. She has also contributed a team-best 17 double-doubles this season.
 
FIVE SEASONS OF WORK
Kelley Johnson handed out a career-high 1,342 assists last season and currently ranks sixth all-time in Bison history with 3,915 career assists. She's one of four players to reach the 3,000 career assists mark in the NDSU Division I era. Among active players in NCAA Division I, her 3,915 assists rank 13th in the nation. Hannah Pukis (Oregon) leads all active players with 5,073 assists.
 
Johnson has also surpassed 1,000 career digs plateau and has totaled 1,087 over five seasons. She's only the third player in the NDSU Division I era to record at least 3,000 assists and 1,000 digs in her career, joining current head coach Jennifer Lopez (2008-11) and Brianna Rasmusson (2014-17).
 
QUAN HITS 1K DIGS
Taylor Quan recorded a season-best 27 digs at St. Thomas on Oct. 14 to reach the 1,000 career digs mark. She has totaled 1,131 digs over four seasons and ranks 19th all-time in Bison history.
 
SUMMIT LEAGUE PRESEASON POLL
NDSU earned its highest Summit League Preseason Coaches' Poll ranking since 2016 after being picked second. The Bison garnered 54 total points and two first place votes to secure the second spot. South Dakota was selected first with 61 points and six first place votes, while Omaha closed out the top three with 53 points and one first place vote.
 
SUMMIT LEAGUE PLAYERS TO WATCH
Senior outside hitter Ali Hinze and senior setter Kelley Johnson were selected to the Summit League Players to Watch list. Johnson, who was named the Summit League Setter of the Year last season, paced the conference and ranked eighth in the nation with a career-best 1,342 assists. Hinze picked up All-Summit League First Team honors last season after powering the Bison with a career-best 446 kills. The Maple Grove, Minn., native averaged a team-high 3.63 kills per set, which ranked fifth in the Summit League.
 
LOOKING BACK AT THE 2022 SEASON
The Bison finished last season reaching the 20-win mark for only the fifth time in the Division I era with a 21-12 (13-5 Summit) overall record and advanced to the Summit League Championship semifinal round for the first time since 2018. NDSU closed the season making its first appearance in the National Invitational Volleyball Championship (NIVC).
 
The Bison featured one of the most high-powered offenses in the country after totaling 1,759 kills, which paced the Summit League and ranked seventh in the nation. NDSU also led the conference and ranked 10th in the nation in total assists with 1,615.
 
PLENTY OF DEPTH IN THE LINEUP
NDSU returns nine starters this season, including five seniors: Ava Schmoll, Taylor Quan, Ali Hinze, Alex Lyle and Kelley Johnson. Schmoll and Johnson provide the most experience on the roster and are both entering their fifth seasons at NDSU. Schmoll has appeared in a team-high 123 matches, while Johnson (122), Quan (108) and Hinze (106) have also surpassed 100 matches. Logan O'Brien, who played in 49 career matches at North Florida prior to NDSU, has played in 109 career matches.
 
YOUNG BISON
The Bison added three newcomers roster after Arianna Blohm, Emma Tallman and Lauren Jansen signed last November. Ally Barth, who was named to the All-Summit League Freshman Team last season, and Baily Randall are the only other underclassman on the roster and will each be entering their sophomore seasons.
 
THIS IS OUR HOUSE
The Bison have called Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse home since 1978 and have notched a 408-107 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 11th straight year in 2022-23. 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 boasted a 3.74 cumulative GPA last season.