THIS WEEK
The North Dakota State (8-3) volleyball team continues its road swing to open Summit League play at Oral Roberts (2-10) on Thursday night at 7:00 p.m. The Bison will conclude the trip at Denver on Saturday. First serve is set for 2:00 p.m. CT.
 
MATCH COVERAGE
Both matches will feature live statistics and be available on the Summit League Network for subscribers.
 
LAST TIME OUT
NDSU battled through 31 tie scores and nine lead changes to earn a 3-2 win over Old Dominion at the Mountaineer Invitational. Kelley Johnson narrowly missed a triple-double after totaling a season-high 57 assists with 11 digs and career-best seven kills. It marked her second match this season with at least 50 assists. Ali Hinze recorded her sixth double-double of the season with a season-high 19 kills and 15 digs.
 
NON-CONFERNCE ACTION IN THE BOOKS
The Bison have notched a 8-3 record through non-conference play this season. It marks the best start to a season since 2017 when NDSU began the season with a 9-3 mark.
 
IN SUMMIT LEAGUE OPENERS
The Bison opened Summit League play with a 3-0 win at St. Thomas last season. Kelley Johnson paced NDSU with 34 assists, while Ali Hinze added a double-double with a match-high 14 kills and 14 digs. The victory snapped a streak of five straight losses in Summit League openers dating back to 2017.
 
LIFE ON THE ROAD
NDSU is back on the road this week and it will mark the fourth week in the first five that the Bison have played away from home. NDSU has already logged matches in Idaho, Ohio and West Virginia this season.
 
NUMBERS TO KNOW
Through the first four weeks of the season, the Bison lead the Summit League in hitting percentage (.255) and also rank second in team kills (560), team digs (115) and team assists (514).
 
JOHNSON GRABS PEAK PERFORMER OF THE WEEK HONORS
Kelley Johnson has been tabbed the Summit League Offensive Peak Performer of the Week after guiding NDSU to a 2-1 record at the Mountaineer Invitational. She passed out a team-high 114 total assists and averaged a team-best 10.35 per set. The Eagan Minn., native also added 25 digs, 12 kills and six blocks to her stat line.
 
Johnson earned the honor for the first time in her career and is the third different Bison to win the award this season, joining Ali Hinze on Aug. 29 and Morgan Middleton on Sept. 12.
 
MOUNTAINEER INVITATIONAL ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
Kelley Johnson and Ali Hinze were named to the Mountaineer Invitational All-Tournament Team last week. Johnson handed out a team-high 114 total assists with 25 digs and 12 kills, while Hinze contributed a team-best 35 kills and 31 digs.
 
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 MILESTONE WATCH
Kelley Johnson handed out a career-high 1,342 assists last season and currently ranks eighth all-time in Bison history with 3,277 career assists. She's one of four  players to reach the 3,000 career assists mark in the NDSU Division I era. Johnson is also closing in on the 1,000 career digs mark with 959.
 
HINZE MILESTONE WATCH
Ali Hinze has surpassed the 1,000 kills mark with 1,189 over her first four seasons. She's one of nine players to reach the mark in the NDSU Division I era. Hinze is also working towards 1,000 career digs with 960.
 
THIS IS OUR HOUSE
The Bison have called Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse home since 1978 and have notched a 403-104 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 ORAL ROBERTS
This will be the 36th all-time meeting between NDSU and Oral Roberts dating back to 1982 with the Bison leading the series, 23-12. NDSU has won each of the last two meetings in straight sets and most recently blanked Oral Roberts last season, 3-0, after Ali Hinze totaled a match-high 14 kills.
 
THE SERIES AGAINST DENVER
This will be the 26th all-time meeting between NDSU and Denver dating back to 1983 with the Pioneers holding the edge in the series, 17-8. In their most recent meeting last season, Denver edged NDSU, 3-2, at Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse. Kelley Johnson posted a match-high 46 assists with 10 digs, while Ali Hinze poured in 16 kills with 13 digs.
 
LOOKING AHEAD
NDSU will return home to face St. Thomas on Thursday, Sept. 28. First serve is set for 7:00 p.m., at Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse.