SIOUX FALLS - After a weekend on the road, University of Sioux Falls Volleyball returns home to host the Country Inn & Suites Invitational on Sept. 9-10. The Cougars (2-2) host Bemidji State and William Jewell on Friday, Sept. 9 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., respectively. To close their nonconference schedule, USF takes on Minnesota Crookston and South Dakota School of Mines & Technology on Saturday, Sept. 10 at 11:30 a.m. and 7 p.m., respectively.
 
How to follow this weekend's matches

• All four USF Volleyball matches and all tournament matches this weekend will have live stats available HERE
• All four USF matches and all tournament this weekend and all NSIC matches for the remainder of the season will be available to stream HERE

 
Keeping up with the Cougars

• Follow the USF Volleyball and all of USF Athletics on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube with the USF Athletics Social Media Directory.

 
Second set

• The Cougars open NSIC play with a split schedule, hosting their conference opener on Thursday, Sept. 15 against No. 4 Wayne State at 7 p.m.
• On Saturday, Sept. 17, the Cougars head down Grange Ave. to square off with cross-town rival Augustana in a 5:30 p.m. match.

 
Series Histories

• The Cougars are a combined 9-3 against this weekend's opponents and will be playing William Jewell for the first time in USF's Division II history
• Sioux Falls will be playing Bemidji State and Minnesota Crookston in nonconference matches, the first time since USF joined NCAA D2
• USF is perfect against Bemidji State, winning all five matches against the Beavers in 3-0 fashion
• In their last meeting, USF swept BSU in Bemidji, Minn. behind Jordan Calef, Bria Barfnecht and Makenna Rockeman's combined 21 kills
• Sioux Falls is 3-2 against Minnesota Crookston, facing the Golden Eagles in five NSIC contests over the past four years
• USF won in four sets over Minnesota Crookston last year, using Makenna Rockeman's 15 kills and Lexi Scott's 11
• The Cougars are 1-1 in NCAA Division II against in-state foe South Dakota School of Mines & Technology
• The Cougars swept the first meeting in 2013 before falling in five sets in 2014

 
Rockeman posts two double-doubles, leads Cougars in kills in opening weekend

• Sophomore outside hitter Makenna Rockeman had a big weekend for the Cougars, leading the team with 55 kills
• She recorded double-digit kills in each match and tallied at least 14 kills in the final three of the weekend
• With 13 digs in each of the first day's matches, Rockeman notched a double-double in each
• The Broomfield, Colo. native posted 11 kills and 13 digs against Northwest Missouri State and followed it with 15 kills and 13 digs against Lindenwood
• Rockeman had a team-high six double-doubles last year

 
Middle blockers Scott and Calef lead resurgent USF on second day of Lindenwood Invite

• After dropping two tight matches on the opening day of the tournament, middle blockers Lexi Scott and Jordan Calef led the Cougars to a pair of wins on day two
• Scott finished with 20 kills and eight total blocks in the Cougars' two wins, while Calef added 19 kills and eight total blocks in Saturday's matches
• In USF's win over Maryville, Calef posted 13 kills and Scott connected on 10 while the two hit just three errors for a .606 combined attack percentage
• Scott was named to the all-tournament team after hitting 36 kills at a .462 clip and totaling 16 blocks
• Calef finished the weekend with 33 kills with a .246 attack percentage, and adding a team-high 19 total blocks, including two solo blocks

 
Cougars picked ninth in NSIC preseason coaches' poll

• Released on Aug. 10, USF was picked ninth in the NSIC preseason coaches' poll
• The Cougars collected 105 points in the poll for their ninth-place billing
• USF finished tied for 12th in the league standings on year ago, posting a 5-15 conference record
• After the graduation of Michelle Ritland, USF returns five starters and libero Abby Folk for the 2016 season
• Seven-time national champion Concordia-St. Paul was tabbed as the favorite while Southwest Minnesota State and Wayne State all received first-place votes.

  
Great wall of Sioux Falls

• Last season, USF posted the third-best blocks per set average in the NSIC and a top-20 mark in Division II
• The Cougars averaged 2.41 blocks per set, ranking behind Concordia-St. Paul and MSU Moorhead in the league by 0.11 per set
• This season, USF is averaging 2.22 per set through four matches
• The Cougars totaled 450 total blocks, including 50 solo blocks, in 114 sets
• USF recorded 10-or-more blocks 13 times during the season and went 8-5 in matches with at least 10 blocks
• Middle blocker tandem of Jordan Calef and Lexi Scott both ranked top 10 in the NSIC in blocks per set
• Calef averaged 1.15 per set to rank third and Scott posted 0.99 blocks per set for ninth and both are over 1.00 for the season as they enter their final nonconference weekend

 
McCartney enters sixth season at USF

• USF Volleyball head coach Joel McCartney enters his sixth season at USF after beginning his tenure in 2011
• In five seasons, McCartney is 80-87 as the Cougars' head coach with a 31-49 mark in NSIC competition
• Overall,  this is McCartney's 20th season as a collegiate head coach and he owns a 427-245 record