THIS WEEK
The North Dakota State (17-7, 9-4 Summit) volleyball team is back in action this week hosting Kansas City (18-7, 9-4 Summit) on Thursday night at 7:00 p.m. The Bison will conclude the week on the road at South Dakota (15-9, 9-4 Summit) on Saturday. First serve is set for 4:00 p.m.
 
MATCH COVERAGE
Both matches will feature live statistics and be streamed on the Summit League Network for subscribers.
 
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.
 
SAAC TOY DRIVE
The NDSU Student-Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC) is extending its successful holiday Toy Drive to all home events this fall. Bison student-athletes will be collecting new, unwrapped toys or monetary donations near the entrance of each event.
 
SENIOR DAY
Prior to the match against Kansas City, NDSU will recognize Ava Schmoll, Taylor Quan, Alex Lyle and Kelley Johnson for senior day.
 
LAST TIME OUT
NDSU held off South Dakota State, 3-2, last Thursday night at Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse. Ali Hinze led the way with her fifth straight double-double with 18 kills and 17 digs. Kelley Johnson also hit the 50-assist plateau for the fifth time this season with 52 to go along with 10 digs and five kills.
 
THE SERIES VS. KANSAS CITY
This will be the 25th all-time meeting between NDSU and Kansas City dating back to 1982 with the Bison leading the series, 19-5. NDSU has won each of the last three meetings and most recently blanked Kansas City, 3-0, on Oct. 26 after Ali Hinze notched a match-high 18 digs and match-best 17 kills.
 
THE SERIES VS. SOUTH DAKOTA
This will be the 76th all-time meeting between NDSU and South Dakota dating back to 1974 with the Bison leading the series, 52-23. Earlier this season, South Dakota edged NDSU, 3-2, on Oct. 7. Lauren Jansen led the way for the Bison with a season-high 20 kills.
 
THE BISON ARE ROLLIN'
The Bison enter the week having won each of their last six matches, which is the longest active win streak in the Summit League. It also marks the longest win streak for NDSU since the 2017 season when the Bison won eight straight.
 
THE STRETCH RUN OF THE REGULAR SEASON
The Bison are entering the stretch run of regular season play with only three matches remaining. NDSU will play four of the final six matches on the road and is positioned tied for third place with Kansas City and South Dakota with a 9-4 mark in conference play. Omaha sits in the top spot with a 11-3 record in Summit League play.
 
NUMBERS TO KNOW
Entering the week, the Bison lead the Summit League in assists per set (12.77), hitting percentage (.259) and kills per set (13.76). NDSU is also positioned second in team assists (1,162) and team kills (1,252).
 
Individually, Kelley Johnson leads the Summit League and ranks 25th in the nation in assists per set with 10.51. She also ranks second in the conference and 34th in the nation in total assists with 956. Ali Hinze leads the Summit League in kills per set with 3.57.
 
LOPEZ PICKS UP 100TH CAREER WIN
With the 3-1 win over Omaha on Saturday, 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 1,377 over her first four seasons. She's one of nine players to reach the mark in the NDSU Division I era and ranks 15th in Bison history.
 
Hinze has also reached the 1,000 career digs mark and has tallied 1,130 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
Ali Hinze has reached double figures in kills in 22 of the first 24 matches this season, including the last 14 straight. The Maple Grove, Minn., native finished last season posting double figures in 21 consecutive matches. She has also contributed a team-best 17 double-doubles this season and has tallied a double-double in 10 of the last 11 matches.
 
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 3,812 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 3,812 assists rank 12th in the nation. Savannah Vach (Miami FL) leads all active players with 5,005 assists.
 
Johnson has also surpassed 1,000 career digs plateau and has totaled 1,063 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 1,095 digs over four seasons and ranks 21st 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 120 matches, while Johnson (119), Quan (105) and Hinze (103) have also surpassed 100 matches. Logan O'Brien, who played in 49 career matches at North Florida prior to NDSU, has played in 106 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 408-106 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.
 
LOOKING AHEAD
NDSU will conclude regular season action North Dakota on Tuesday, Nov. 14. First serve is set for 7:00 p.m.