*all rankings are as of AVCA Week 7 Coaches Poll (Oct. 14)

SIOUX FALLS- The University of Sioux Falls volleyball team, under the direction of head coach Joel McCartney, will look to make waves in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) standings when Augustana makes the short trek to the Stewart Center on Tuesday for Faculty Appreciation Night.

The Rundown (2019 record):
Tue., Oct. 15, 6 p.m. vs. Augustana Vikings (11-6, 4-4 NSIC)

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Watch Live:
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.

Augustana Vikings (11-6, 4-4 NSIC):
The Vikings, under the direction of third-year head coach Jennifer Jacobs, have a record of 11-6 overall, 4-4 in NSIC action. Before conference play, the only loss the Vikings had was a straight-set loss to No. 3 Nebraska-Kearney in Kearney during the opening weekend.

In conference, the Vikings started with a loss to No. 6 Northern State before defeating MSU Moorhead. The Vikings' second loss of the season came in a non-conference match with travel partner No. 11 Wayne State in Wayne, Neb.In the previous four matches, the Vikings have went 1-3, Dropping matches to No. 5 Concordia-St. Paul, No. 19 Upper Iowa, and No. 20 Winona State. The Vikings did get a quality home win against Minnesota State in that stretch of matches.

Freshman Maddy Guetter leads the Vikings in total kills (172) and kills per set (3.02 K/set). Guetter has a .208 hitting percentage (172K-66E-509TA). Sophomore Izzy Sommers leads the team with a .290 hitting percentage (min. 100 total attacks). Sophomore Avery Thorson is the only Viking with 50 or more assists, recording 619 assists (9.98 assists/set) on the season.

Freshman Erika Bute has been the libero for the Vikings, recording 351 digs (5.66 digs/set) in 62 sets. Sophomore Abby Benson leads the Vikings in blocks, blocking 54 attacks (49 assisted, five solo).

Sioux Falls Cougars (11-5, 3-5 NSIC):
The Cougars are 11-5 overall, 3-5 in conference. The Cougars started the season 11-0, a program-best start to the season. The Cougars also won their first 22 sets, another program-best set winning streak. The only set the Cougars lost in non-conference play was against Texas Woman's University, the host of the Pioneer Invitational in Denton, Tex. 

The Cougars extended their streak of set dominance through the first weekend of NSIC matches, sweeping Minot State and UMary, and then took the first set against Northern State. The Wolves then swept the next three sets against the Cougars to hand USF their first lost on the season. The Cougars continued their stretch of tough opponents when Winona State and Upper Iowa came to the Stewart Center. The Warriors were able to take their match in straight sets, but the Cougars were able to battle back from a 2-0 set against the Peacocks to force a fifth set, but it was the Peacocks who squeaked out with a win. Last weekend, the Cougars faced Minnesota State and Concordia-St. Paul in Mankato and St. Paul, Minn., respectively. The Cougars would again keep each match competitive, but fell in both matches.

The Cougars are led offensively by senior Abby Feyereisen who is 13th in NCAA Division II in hitting percentage (.392) and first in a single, three-set match (.750 vs. UMary, Sept. 21). Feyereisen has paced the Cougars with a 150K-28E-311TA hitting clip. Senior KaSandra Springer also leads the nation in service aces per set (0.74 aces/set) and leads the Cougars in total kills (166).

Defensively, senior transfer Allie Maloney has kept the ball off the Cougars' side of the court with 202 digs (4.21 digs/set). Feyereisen and junior Kenzie Byers have been a force at the net, recording a combined total of 77 blocks (Feyereisen, 39; Byers, 38).

Krista Goeger nearing USF Division II program assist record:
Junior Krista Goerger handles most of the second touches for the Cougars, recording 533 assists (10.45 assists/set). Goerger has a career total of 1,955 assists, placing her at second in USF Division II program history, only 184 assists behind Alexa Reed's (2012-13) program record 2,139 assists.

The history between the Cougars and Vikings:
Since joining the NSIC, the in-city rivals have faced each other six times, with the Cougars holding a 4-2 advantage over the Vikings. The Cougars have won each of the matches in 2018 and 2017, winning both in five sets. Augustana has not won against the Cougars since 2016 with a 3-1 victory at the Elman Center. 

2019 will be the first time the two teams have a home-and-home season series with each other.

Where the Cougars and Vikings stand in the NSIC standings: