Mavs take on top 25 teams in Duluth and St. Cloud

Duluth and St. Cloud are two cities that have always been relevant to Mankato. Whether it’s rivalries in sports, or students picking which universities to attend. Well this weekend, the Minnesota State volleyball team will go toe to toe with both of them.

Tomorrow, the Mavericks will continue their road trip and take on No. 22 Minnesota Duluth as they come off a 3-0 win against Moorhead.

The Bulldogs have gotten the best of MSU in the past, holding a 10-27 record since 1992, and 1-9 record in the last ten meetings.

Despite having a 9-4 overall record this year, Minnesota Duluth is just 2-3 against NSIC teams.

Two of their losses came from top five Division II volleyball teams in Southwest Minnesota State and Wayne State, while the third was a 3-1 loss against Augustana.

Cianna Selbitschka of Minnesota Duluth ranks third in the NSIC in kills, with a total of 210 (4.20/set), and will be a force to be reckoned with against the Minnesota State defense.

That being said, Kiya Durant leads not just the Mavericks, but the entirety of the NSIC in blocks with 56 total, averaging 1.27/set.

On top of that, Mara Quam ranks third in the NSIC with 246 digs, averaging 4.82/set.

Although, the tough outing won’t stop there.

A couple days later, the Mavericks will take on the No. 16 and second place NSIC St. Cloud State Huskies.

The Huskies are 10-3 this season, while staying undefeated through five NSIC games.

SCSU is coming off a weekend where they took down No. 5 Southwest Minnesota State in dominating fashion, and a close bout with the University of Sioux Falls, taking the road win 3-2.

The Huskies obtained their wins primarily through a team effort and great passing, ranking second in the NSIC in assists with 629 (13.10/set). 

The Mavericks have the winning side in the series that dates back to 1992, holding a 33-21 record, while being 7-3 in the last ten matchups.

Minnesota State came out on top in their last meeting in 2019, in a close 3-2 match.