SIOUX FALLS - After winning their first four matches in straight sets, the University of Sioux Falls Volleyball team will make a trip down to Denton, Tex. on Friday and Saturday to participate in Texas Woman's University's Pioneer Invitational. Four matches will be played in total, with two on each day. All four opponents the Cougars will face will be the first matchup between the teams.

12 sets, four victories in Chadron:
The Cougars are one of seven NSIC programs that remain undefeated after the opening weekend, this following the Cougars' 4-0 start in the Best Western West Hills Inn Eagles Classic in Chadron, Neb. In Chadron, the Cougars faced the Fort Hays State (Kans.) Tigers, Montana State Billings Yellowjackets, South Dakota Mines Hardrockers, and host Chadron State (Neb.) Eagles.

In their first day of the tournament, the Cougars defeated the Tigers 25-16, 25-22, 25-22, then took down the Yellowjackets 25-20, 25-17, 25-15. Thee Cougars held the Tigers and Yellowjackets to a combined hitting percentage of .122. Against the Tigers, Springer had a double-double (12 kills, 10 digs). Also with a double-double on the day was junior outside hitter Averey Yaksich, who had 15 kills and 11 digs against the Yellowjackets.

Day two action continued in favor of the Cougars, who were able to stave off the Hardrockers 25-16, 25-22, 25-23, before finishing the tournament sweep with a convincing 25-16, 25-18, 25-22 win over the Eagles. Redshirt senior middle blocker Abby Feyereisen led the team in day two with a combined hitting percentage of .404 between the matches.

KaSandra Springer named a top performer in NSIC Volleyball action:
Senior outside hitter KaSandra Springer turned in one of the top performances of the week by NSIC volleyball players, tying the USF Division II program's second best mark for service aces in a match (six aces), set last year by now-junior setter Krista Goerger, in back-to-back matches against Montana State Billings and South Dakota Mines. Springer currently leads the NSIC in service aces with 18 aces (1.5 aces/set). Springer is also second on the team in digs (35), digs/set (2.92), kills (43), and kills/set (3.58).

Krista Goerger moves to second in USF Division II program history for career assists:
Heading into the 2019 season, Goerger had a career assist total of 1,422, putting her fourth all-time in USF Division II program history. In the first four matches of the season, Goerger collected another 132 assists, pushing her past Sydney Schaap (1,526, 2014-16) and Megan Hamstad (1,528, 2015-18). In order for Goerger to become the all-time assists leader, she will have to record 586 more assists to pass Alexa Reed, who had 2,139 total assists in 2012-13.

Volleyball receives votes in AVCA Coaches Top 25 Poll: Week 1:
The Cougars had their 4-0 start to the season recognized by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Division II Coaches Top 25 Week 1 Poll released on Monday, receiving more votes to be in the Top 25 than the preseason poll. The Cougars received 37 votes to be in the Top 25 in Week 1's poll after convincing, straight-set victories in their first four matches in Chadron.

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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.

The Rundown (Records):
Fri., Sept. 13, 10 a.m. vs. Eastern New Mexico Greyhounds (1-3)
Fri., Sept. 13, 6 p.m. vs Midwestern State (Tex.) Mustangs (2-2)
Sat., Sept. 14, 2 p.m. vs Harding (Ark.) Lady Bisons (3-1)
Sat., Sept. 14, 6 p.m. vs Texas Woman's University Pioneers (2-2)

Eastern New Mexico University Greyhounds:
The Greyhounds, a longtime member of the Lone Star Conference (LSC), competed in the Cal State San Marcos Tournament last weekend, having a tough schedule with Azusa Pacific (Calif.) and host Cal State San Marcos, both of which received votes in the most recent AVCA Coaches Poll. The Greyhounds sole win from the tournament came in the opener against Saint Martin's (Wash.), whom they beat 3-1.

Leading the Greyhounds statistically is junior outside hitter and middle blocker Jasmine Gannon, who tallied a team-leading 46 kills (3.07 kills/set) and 42 digs (2.80 digs/set). The Greyhounds are coached by seventh-year head coach Sia Poyer.

Midwestern State University Mustangs:
Despite the 2-2 record, the Mustangs, another LSC member, had a very competitive trip to Pittsburg, Kans., during the Gorilla Classic Tournament hosted by the Pittsburg State Gorillas this past weekend. The Mustangs won both ends of the tournament, beating Western State (Colo.) in five sets in the first game, and beating Southwest Baptist (Mo.) in four set in their fourth match. Despite falling to the Gorillas in straight sets, the final two sets were close between the Mustangs and Gorillas. The Mustangs also pressured Missouri Western State in three of their four sets.

Senior outside hitter Rockelle Gholson lead the Mustangs with her 41 kills (2.56 kills/set) and 46 digs (2.88 digs/set) in their 16 sets played. Valerie Armstrong is in her second season of coaching the Mustangs.

Harding University Lady Bisons:
Of the Cougars four opponents in Denton, Harding, a charter member of the Great American Conference, had the best opening weekend by going 3-1 in the Alabama-Huntsville Tournament. After taking a 2-0 set lead against Montevallo (Ala.) in their season-opener, Montevallo put the pressure on the Lady Bisons by tying the match and sending the match to a decisive fifth set, which the Lady Bisons narrowly edged Montevallo in. The Lady Bisons continued the tournament with sweeps of West Georgia and Lees-McRae (N.C.). The Lady Bisons finished the tournament facing the host of the tournament, Alabama-Huntsville, in a game the Lady Bisons nearly sent to another fifth set before falling 3-1.

Junior middle blocker Emily Smith took the reigns for the Lady Bisons, tallying a team-leading 52 kills (3.47 kills/set) and 17 block assists (1.13 blocks/set). The Lady Bisons are led by eighth-year head coach and senior woman administrator Meredith Fear.

Texas Woman's University Pioneers:
The fourth match of the tournament and final non-conference game for the Cougars will be against the host of the tournament in the Texas Woman's University Pioneers who were in Topeka, Kans. last weekend. The Pioneers had a gauntlet of a schedule in Topeka, being pit against No. 4 Washburn (Kans.) and No. 18 Drury (Mo.) in back-to-back matches. The Pioneers started their season and the tournament with a 3-1 win over Quincy (Ill.), before their second match of Friday in straight sets to the No. 4 Ichabods. The Pioneers went toe-to-toe with a reeling Drury, with the Pioneers and Panthers take a set each by a score of 25-23. The Panthers took set three convincingly, but had to go to extra rallies too down the Pioneers. The Pioneers finished the tournament by winning a five-set thriller against William Jewell (Mo.).

Freshman outside hitter Addison Mulroney led the Pioneers with 39 kills (2.44 kills/set). Jeff Huebner entered his third year of coaching the Pioneers in 2019.