SIOUX FALLS – Looking to bolster their chances of another trip to the conference tournament, University of Sioux Falls Volleyball heads out for two Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference road matches. The Cougars (9-3, 4-3 NSIC) square off with in-state rival and No. 13-ranked Northern State (13-2, 6-1 NSIC) on Friday, Oct. 6 at 6 p.m. in Aberdeen, S.D. After their four-match winning streak was snapped on the road last year, USF looks to restart their winning ways against MSU Moorhead (7-8, 2-5 NSIC) on Saturday, Oct. 7 at 5 p.m.
 
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For all USF Volleyball home matches and all Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference contests, watch the Cougars live on Stretch Internet at USFCougars.com/watch. Live stats will be available for all matches. Links to home match live stats are available at USFCougars.com/livestats while links to all road match live stats are available on the USF Volleyball schedule at USFCougars.com.
 
Series Histories
                Northern State– NSU leads 4-3
With wins in three of the last four matches, Sioux Falls has closed the gap on in-state foe Northern State in a series that enters its sixth year. The Cougars are 3-4 against the Wolves in their Division II era and all three wins over NSU have come with Northern State ranked in the top 25. The Cougars dropped the first three matches in the series, which started in 2012 when USF joined the NSIC. Their first victory came in 2014 when current coaching staff members Emily Tolkamp (Johnson) and Jordan Calef were part of a three-Cougar attack that combined for 52 kills in a five-set win at then-No. 24 Northern State. Two years later, the Cougars swept Northern State, defeating the No. 11 Wolves at home and completing the sweep on the road with another 3-1 victory over the then-No. 14 Wolves. USF's big three of Makenna Rockeman, Lexi Scott and Bria Barfnecht combined for 44 kills in their home victory then Rockeman and Scott were joined by Calef's 14 kills in the second match for a total of 54 kills in a four-set win. On the road, USF is 2-2 against the Wolves, winning their last two road matches in Aberdeen, S.D.
 
                MSU Moorhead – USF leads series 4-3
A five-set road victory in 2013 sparked a four-match winning streak for USF and the Cougars own a 4-3 edge in the series against MSU Moorhead, heading into tonight's eighth match since the Cougars joined the NCAA Division II ranks and became members of the NSIC. MSU Moorhead and USF have split the four matches played in Moorhead, Minn. and Saturday's match will break the 2-2 tie. The Cougars dropped the first two matches of the series before breaking through behind Emily Tolkamp (Johnson) and Kate Hart's offensive work on the pins for a five-set victory in Moorhead, Minn. The following season, USF rolled to a 3-0 road sweep of the Dragons and followed in 2015 with a 3-1 victory at home. Last season, middle blockers Jordan Calef and Lexi Scott combined for 27 kills and USF hit .343 as a team to sweep MSUM in the first leg of the season series. On the road, the Cougar offense struggled and a back-and-forth match went in favor of the home team, snapping USF's four-match win streak with a five-set loss.
 
Cougars stay in receiving votes section of Top 25 poll
For the third straight week, USF appeared in the receiving votes section of the AVCA Top 25 Coaches' Poll. A win over then No. 9 Augustana helped USF garner national attention and four weeks later the Cougars earned 25 points in the Week 5 poll. The Cougars received the sixth-most points among teams not in the top 25, essentially ranking them 31st among NCAA Division II programs.
 
Cougars building home court advantage, own 16-4 record in Stewart Center last two seasons
Since transitioning to NCAA Division II in 2011 and gaining full membership in 2012, the Cougars have steadily improved their home record and made the Stewart Center a true home court advantage. As they continue to progress in the top volleyball conference in Division II, USF has put together a 44-37 record at home since 2011, all under head coach Joel McCartney. As McCartney has built a program that is garnering votes in the AVCA Top 25 Coaches' poll, the Cougars have put together a 16-4 record at the Stewart Center in the past two seasons, including a perfect 9-0 record in nonconference matches. Last season, USF's three home losses came to three teams all ranked in the national top 10. With their five-set victory over crosstown rival Augustana in the conference-opening week and last year's win over then-No. 11 Northern State, the Cougars have two top-25 wins on their home court.
 
Cougars picked seventh in NSIC preseason poll
Tying for their highest preseason projections in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference, USF Volleyball was picked to finish seventh in the NSIC preseason coaches' poll, which was released just before fall camp started. The Cougars collected 146 points in the poll, their highest total since joining the league in 2012.  The seventh-place billing ties their place in the 2014 preseason poll.
 
Reigning national champion Concordia-St. Paul was picked as the league favorite, collecting 10 first-place votes and 218 points. Southwest Minnesota State earned three first-place votes, placing them second overall, Minnesota Duluth received two first-place nods for third place and Augustana picked up the final first-place vote to put them in fourth.
 
Leader of the Pride: McCartney captures 100th victory at USF in seventh season
USF Volleyball head coach Joel McCartney enters his seventh season at the helm of the program. Building a competitor in the NSIC, the top Division II volleyball conference, McCartney has built a 106-98 record in his time at USF. In 20 years of coaching collegiate volleyball, he owns a 452-257 record, and a very successful six-year stint at NCAA Division I Winthrop earned him a spot in the Winthrop Hall of Fame. McCartney has taken the Cougars to the NSIC Tournament – top eight teams in the standings qualify – in three of five years as members of the conference. In 2016, he led the Cougars to an upset of No. 1 Minnesota Duluth on the road and he defeated top-25 ranked Northern State twice. He has coached players to five All-NSIC honors and three of NSIC Player of the Week awards. McCartney is assisted by his wife and associate head coach Andrea McCartney, and graduate assistant Jordan Calef.