SIOUX FALLS- The No. 19 University of Sioux Falls volleyball squad, under the direction of head coach Joel McCartney, hold onto an overall record of 11-0 and 3-1 record in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference heading into their weekend home matches with Winona State and Upper Iowa.

The Rundown (2019 Record)
Fri., Oct. 4, 7 p.m. vs. (RV) Winona State Warriors (10-2, 2-2 NSIC)
Sat., Oct. 5, 4 p.m. vs No. 22 Upper Iowa Peacocks (10-2, 2-2 NSIC)

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(RV) Winona State Warriors (10-2, 2-2 NSIC):
The Warriors, under the direction of sixth-year head coach Joe Getzin, will look to the duo of junior Megan Flom and freshman Madison Larson to keep their offense flowing. Flom narrowly leds the team in hitting percentage of .310 (110K-30E-258TA). Just a point behind her is sophomore Madison Rizner (91K-24E-217TA). Larson leads the team in kills with 110. Junior Kate Masberg leads the Warriors in service aces (12).

When the Warriors come out to play, junior Becca Pagel plays a big role in the defense, recording a team-leading 191 digs (4.24 digs/set). Rizner has also been a force at the net, blocking 52 attacks (44 assisted, eight solo).

The Warriors started their season with a 4-0 run at the Illinois Springfield - Capital Classic, defeating the hosting Prairie Stars twice. The Warriors continued their dominant start to the season with another 4-0 tournament appearance at the UW-Parkside Hampton Inn Classic in Kenosha, Wis.

Winona State started NSIC action on the road at then-No. 19 St. Cloud State, where the Warriors took the first set from the Huskies, but fell in the next three nail-biting sets. The Warriors had another tough road match with the Bulldogs of Minnesota Duluth. The Bulldogs were able to stave off the Warriors in the first set before taking the next two sets for the sweep.

The Warriors were able to get back into the win column last weekend, dropping only one set in their home-opening match against Bemidji State, followed by a sweep of Minnesota Crookston.

No. 22 Upper Iowa Peacocks (10-2, 2-2 NSIC):
The Peacocks' offense, under the direction of ninth-year head coach Aaron Nelson, heavily favors the attacking of senior Anna Winter who has recorded a .355 hitting percentage (190K-24E-467TA) in 42 sets. Two more heavy hitters for the Peacocks are junior Kaitlin Niedert and freshman Sarah Johnson. Niedert has appeared in all but three sets for the Peacocks, collecting 101 kills on 275 attacks with 32 errors. Johnson leads the team with her .379 hitting percentage (69K-8E-161TA) in her shorter volume of action. The Peacocks tend to give the second touch to senior Carlee Ketchum who has assisted 426 kills (10.24 assists/set) while also recording 16 service aces (1.20 aces/set) for the Peacocks.

Senior Haley Weepie has been able to make the most of being the defensive specialist, digging up 195 attacks (4.76 digs/set). Along with her limited attacks, Johnson has made more of a mark at the net, blocking 49 attacks (44 assisted, five solo).

Upper Iowa started their season in Houghton, Mich., in the Keweenaw Volleyball Classic. The Peacocks started the classic 3-0, dropping only one set. The Peacocks then had to battle back from a 2-1 set deficit against the host Michigan Tech to remain undefeated.

Much like Winona State, the Peacocks made a trip to Kenosha, Wis., where UIU got the clean sweep, winning all 12 sets played.

The Peacocks started NSIC action with their first setback to the season, losing in a close 3-0 battle with then-No. 4 Minnesota Duluth. The following match against St. Cloud State was a thriller, with the Peacocks taking a 2-1 set lead and closing in on completing the upset bid. In set four, the Peacocks were able to jump ahead to a 24-21 lead with match point, but the Huskies came back to score five points to take the fourth set. The Peacocks then fell behind 9-4 in set five, but were able to climb back to a 14-13 deficit. The Huskies took the final point to avoid the upset and remain undefeated.

After the dual loses the previous weekend, the Peacocks came back last weekend to beat Minnesota Crookston and Bemidji State in straight sets.

Before coming to the Stewart Center, the Peacocks will make a trip to Marshall, Minn., to play No. 8 Southwest Minnesota State

USF Volleyball retains No. 19 in AVCA Week 4 Coaches Poll:
The Cougars retained their 19th-ranked spot in the latest American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Division II Coaches Top 25 Poll: Week 4 released on Monday.

The Cougars, after sweeping MSU Moorhead in their home-opener (25-20, 25-20, 25-18), then falling in four sets to then-No. 8 Northern State (29-27, 12-25, 20-25, 15-25), received 342 votes, an uptick of 26 votes from the Week 3 poll.

Sioux Falls Cougars (11-1, 3-1 NSIC) Profile:
The Cougars started the season with a trip to Chadron, Neb., and Denton, Tex., beginning the season on a program-best 8-0 start, along with winning their first 22 sets, also a program-best. 

In NSIC play, the Cougars went 3-1, with their first weekend being a trip to North Dakota to play Minot State and Mary to a pair of straight-set victories. Against Mary, senior Abby Feyereisen recorded a program record-tying .750 hitting percentage (16K-1E-20TA). In both matches, Feyereisen recorded a combined .718 hitting percentage, earning her recognition as one of the NSIC Top Performers of the Week.

Last weekend, the Cougars took down the MSU Moorhead Dragons in straight sets on Friday. The Cougars then had to face a stout Northern State, a match that saw USF battle to a set one victory and winning their 34th of 35 sets on the season. Unfortunately for the Cougars, the Wolves were able to heat up and take the final three sets to hand the Cougars their first lost in the season.

History against Winona State:
Against Winona State, the Cougars are 5-6 and have won three straight. The Cougars have not lost at home to the Warriors since 2016. In their last match, the Cougars had to battle in a decisive fifth set to extra rallies before downing the Warriors on the road last November.

History against Upper Iowa:
The Cougars have had less success against the Peacocks in an extra match, with the Peacocks leading the series 7-5. The Peacocks won the last match 3-1 in Fayette, but have not been able to crack the Cougars at the Stewart Center, with the Cougars having a 4-1 record at home against the Peacocks. The only time the Peacocks have beat the Cougars in Sioux Falls is back in 2012 in a five-set thriller.