SIOUX FALLS, S.D. -- With a weekend sweep under their belts, the University of Sioux Falls Volleyball Team (9-6, 4-3 NSIC) will return home to host the U-Mary Marauders (3-13, 0-7 NSIC) on Friday, Oct. 8 at 5 pm and the Minot State Beavers (0-13, 0-8 NSIC) on Saturday, Oct. 9 at 2 pm. 

The Cougars have a two-match winning streak as they swept (RV) Northern State last Friday and MSU Moorhead on Saturday in road NSIC matches. In both matches, USF took a 3-1 decision.

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U-Mary
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Minot State
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History 
U-Mary
Since they first met in 2012, the Cougars own a 10-1 advantage over the Marauders in the overall series. The only loss USF took was in Bismarck, N.D. on Oct. 30, 2015, with U-Mary taking a 3-2 win. Since then, USF has gone an a six-match winning streak, with the most recent win a 3-0 win a home in the Stewart Center on Nov. 16, 2019. 

Minot State
Since their first meeting in 2010, the Cougars own an 11-4 advantage over the Beavers in the overall series. The most recent loss the Cougars have taken was on October 4, 2014 in the Stewart Center, where the Beavers took home a 3-2 win over USF. Since then, the Cougars have gone on a seven-match winning streak, with their most recent win on November 15, 2019, a 3-1 win in the Stewart Center. 

Breaking Down the Opponents
U-Mary
As a team, the Marauders are hitting .097 on the season, with 534 kills on 1,906 attempts and 350 errors (9.4 kills per set). With 508 set assists, U-Mary is averaging 8.9 assists per set and have racked up 29 ball handling errors. From the service line, the Marauders have put down 82 service aces for an average of 1.4 per set. On defense, the Marauders are averaging 13.7 digs per set (782 total) and 1.4 blocks per set (78 total), with 97 reception errors (1.7 errors per set). Individually, the Marauders are led on offense by Kennedy Drewis with 115 kills on the year so far. Drewis is averaging 2.21 kills per set and is hitting .145 percent so far. Kameron Selvig has 273 set assists for U-Mary (4.79 per set), while Kaia Lill leads the Marauders from the service line, with 19 total service aces (0.38 per set). On defense, Kaia Sueker leads the way with 226 digs for the Marauders, while Emily Torborg has 29 total blocks. 

Minot State
As a team, the Beavers are hitting .102 percent, with 324 kills on 1,144 attempts with 207 errors (7.7 kills per set). With 275 set assists, Minot is averaging 6.5 assists per set and have racked up 11 ball handling errors. From the service line, the Beavers have 47 service aces for an average of 1.1 per set. On defense, the Beavers are averaging 8.8 digs per set (369 total) and 1.1 blocks per set (45 total), with 138 reception errors (3.3 per set). Individually, the Beavers are led on offense by Alexandra Koontz with 80 kills so far this season. Koontz is averaging 1.95 kills per set and is hitting .104 so far. Sophia Peterson has 188 set assists for Minot, with 4.59 assists per set, while Berra Tok has nine service aces for the Beavers. On defense, Minot is lead by Tea Boeckel with 86 digs (2.05 per set), while Jenna Pahlen has 22 blocks for the Beavers. 

Breaking Down the Cougars
As a team, the Cougars are hitting .269 percent on the year so far, with 746 kills on 1,843 attempts and 251 errors (13.1 kills per set). With 691 set assists, USF is averaging 12.1 assists per set and have just eight ball handling errors. From the service line, the Cougars have racked up 112 service aces for an average of two aces per set. On defense, the Cougars have 756 digs (13.3 per set) and 127 blocks (2.2 per set). Individually, USF is led on offense by Averey Yaksich with 243 kills on the season so far. Yaksich is averaging 4.26 kills per set and is hitting .279 percent. Two-time NSIC Setter of the Week Krista Goerger leads the Cougars with 572 set assists so far. Goerger, who should surpass 3,000 assists (2,969) this coming weekend at home, averages 10.04 assists per set. From the service line, Nicole Jacobson has 23 service aces for the Cougars. On defense, TiaRose Nagami leads USF with 198 digs on the season so far (3.6 per set). At the net, Jordan Kuper has racked up 60 blocks for the Cougars, including 14 solo blocks. 

How USF stands in NCAA DII/NSIC
In terms of national/conference stats, USF ranks among the leaders in teams and individually. Senior Averey Yaksich is now third in DII and first in the NSIC in total kills with 243. She is also seventh in DII and second in the league with 4.87 points and 11th in DII and second in the NSIC in kills per set at 4.26. Yaksich is 24th nationally and third in the league with 603 total attacks and 41st nationally with 10.58 attacks per set. Also, freshman Jordan Kuper is 37th in DII and sixth in the league in hitting percentage at .357 while sitting 40th in the country and fifth in the league in total blocks with 60. Krista Goerger is 25th in DII and fourth in total assists with 572. In team stats, USF ranks 11th in DII and third in the league with a 2.69 hitting percentage. USF is 23th in DII and sixth in the NSIC iwth 127 total blocks. In service aces, USF leads the NSIC and sits 31st in DII with 112. USF is also 30th in team assists in DII with 691 and 33rd in blocks per set at 12.12 while ranking 41st in DII with 746 kills.

Player Notes 
Averey Yaksich - Outside Hitter | Redshirt Senior | Omaha, Nebraska
Career - 762 kills (6th all-time at USF) & .191 hitting percentage & 113 blocks 
2021 - 243 kills & .279 hitting percentage & 33 blocks 

Krista Goerger - Setter | Senior | Mankato, Minnesota
Career - 2,969 assists (1st all-time at USF) & 198 kills
2021 - 572 assists & 48 kills 

TiaRose Nagami - Defensive Specialist | Senior | Pearl City, Hawaii
Career - 346 digs & 65 assists
2021 - 198 digs & 49 assists

Kenzie Byers - Middle Blocker | Redshirt Senior | Goodyear, Arizona
Career - 283 kills & .266 hitting percentage & 95 blocks
2021 - 43 kills & .315 hitting percentage & 15 blocks

Nicole Jacobson - Outside Hitter | Sophomore | Dakota Dunes, South Dakota
Career - 284 kills & .157 hitting percentage & 35 blocks
2021 - 140 kills & .189 hitting percentage & 17 blocks 

Jordan Kuper - Middle Blocker | Freshman | Scotch Grove, Iowa
Career & 2021 - 132 kills & .359 hitting percentage & 60 blocks 

Brooklynne Albrecht - Opposite | Sophomore | Kihei, Hawaii 
Career - 151 kills & .156 hitting percentage & 47 blocks
2021 - 50 kills & .321 hitting percentage & 15 blocks

Looking Ahead 
The Cougars head back out on the road next weekend to take on the Upper Iowa Peacocks and the No. 9 Winona State Warriors. Upper Iowa is first on the list on Friday, October 15 at 6 pm in Fayette, Iowa. No. 9 Winona State follows on Saturday, October 16 at 4 pm in Winona, Minnesota.