THIS WEEK
The North Dakota State (6-2) volleyball team is back on the road this week at the Mountaineer Invitational in Morgantown, W. Va. The Bison will begin the trip with a doubleheader on Thursday against Robert Morris (3-5) at 11:30 a.m. CT and West Virginia (4-5) at 6:00 p.m. CT. The Bison will wrap the week against Old Dominion (5-5) on Friday at 11:00 a.m. CT
 
MATCH COVERAGE
All three matches will feature live statistics and be available on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ for subscribers.
 
LAST TIME OUT
NDSU picked up its second straight sweep after cruising past Toledo, 3-0, at Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse. Morgan Middleton paced the Bison with a career-high 14 kills, while Ali Hinze and Alexis Boling each added in 10 kills of their own. Kelley Johnson distributed a match-best 31 assists with eight digs and Taylor Quan contributed a team-best 13 digs on the defensive side.
 
POWER FIVE MATCHUP
After not facing a power five opponent last season, the Bison will take on West Virginia on Thursday night. It's the first power five match up since the 2021 season when the Bison upended California, 3-1, at the Cal Tournament in Berkeley, Calif. It marked the first win over a power five opponent since 2010.
 
NUMBERS TO KNOW
Through the first three weeks of the season, the Bison lead the Summit League in hitting percentage (.253), team assists (378) and team kills (411). NDSU also ranks second in team digs with 489.
 
MIDDLETON EARNS PEAK PERFORMER HONORS FOR THE FIRST TIME
Morgan Middleton earned Summit League Offensive Peak Performer of the Week honors for the first time in her career this week after helping the Bison to a 2-0 mark at the NDSU Tournament last week. She totaled a team-high 24 kills and averaged a team-best 4.00 per set. The Clarion, Iowa native also posted a .467 hitting percentage.
 
NDSU TOURNAMENT ALL-TOURNAMENT SELECTIONS
Morgan Middleton added to her accomplishments this week after being named to the NDSU Tournament All-Tournament Team and was named the most valuable player. Alexis Boling and Arianna Blohm were also named to the All-Tournament Team. Boling has been selected to an All-Tournament Team each of the first three weeks this season.
 
BOLING LANDS ON DAYTON FLYER CLASSIC ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
Alexis Boling earned a spot on the Dayton Flyer Classic All-Tournament Team last week after totaling 39 kills to go along with a .299 hitting percentage. It marked her second All-Tournament selection this season after also being named to the Vandal Volleyball Invitational All-Tournament team joining Kelley Johnson and Ali Hinze to open the season.
 
SUMMIT LEAGUE PEAK PERFORMER OF THE WEEK
Ali Hinze was named the Summit League Offensive Peak Performer of the Week on Aug. 29. She totaled a team-high 40 kills and added 37 digs on the defensive side at the Vandal Volleyball Invitational.  Hinze averaged a team-best 3.33 kills per set and reached double figures in kills in all three matches.
 
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 96 career matches, while Johnson has also reached the 90-match plateau with 95.
 
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.
 
JOHNSON REACHES 3,000
Kelley Johnson handed out a career-high 1,342 assists last season and currently ranks 10th all-time in Bison history with 3,163 career assists. She's one of four  players to reach the 3,000 career
assists mark in the NDSU Division I era.
 
HINZE HITS 1K KILLS
Ali Hinze has surpassed the 1,000 kills mark with 1,154 over her first four seasons. She's one of nine players to reach the mark in the NDSU Division I era.
 
THIS IS OUR HOUSE
The Bison have called Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse home since 1978 and have notched a 405-104 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.
 
THE SERIES AGAINST ROBERT MORRIS
This will be the fourth all-time meeting between NDSU and Robert Morris dating back to 2004 with the Bison leading the series, 3-0. In their most recent meeting in 2014, NDSU edged Robert Morris, 3-2, at the Pepsi Panther Invitational in Milwaukee, Wis.
 
THE SERIES AGAINST WEST VIRGINIA
This will be the first all-time meeting between NDSU and West Virginia.
 
THE SERIES AGAINST OLD DOMINION
This will be the first all-time meeting between NDSU and Old Dominion.
 
LOOKING AHEAD
NDSU will begin Summit League play on the road at Oral Roberts on Thursday, Sept. 21. First serve is set for 7:00 p.m.