SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — The Augustana volleyball team will host a pair of ranked teams on Friday and Saturday inside the Elmen Center. First serve on Friday against No. 8 St. Cloud State is set for 6 p.m. while the first serve for No. 7 Minnesota Duluth is set for 2 p.m.

The Matches
Augustana will host its second and third top-10 team this season. St. Cloud State and Minnesota Duluth will be the fifth opponent currently ranked in the top-10 the Vikings have faced this season.

The Huskies (15-2, 7-2 NSIC)
St. Cloud State is coming off splitting a pair of matches to MSU Moorhead and No. 6 Northern State at home. The Huskies defeated Minnesota Crookston 3-0 in a mid-week match at Crookston on Tuesday. The Huskies jumped into the top-10 for the first time this season.

SCSU is led by Linsey Rachel with 4.12 kills per set which ranks fifth in the NSIC. Maddy Torve has recorded 12.13 assists per set which is second in the NSIC. Defensively, Clara Krenz averages 6.10 digs per set which ranks first in the NSIC and Marah Mulso has sent back 44 total blocks for 0.79 per set. 

As a team, the Huskies average 14.7 kills, 13.7 assists and 1.7 aces per set. Defensively, SCSU averages 19.3 digs per set and 2.1 blocks per set. 

Augustana holds a 47-22 record all-time against the Huskies and 24-1 inside the Elmen Center.

The Bulldogs (15-2, 8-1 NSIC)
Minnesota Duluth is coming off hosting No. 6 Northern State and MSU Moorhead. The Bulldogs fell to Northern State for their first conference loss of the season. UMD defeated Bemidji State 3-0 in a mid-week match on Tuesday. 

The Bulldogs are led by Kate Berg with 4.31 kills per set on a .256 attacking percentage. Meredith Sutton ranks second on the team with 2.91 kills per set. Emily Balts averages a team-high 12.45 assists per set. Defensively, Kenna Seiffert has recorded 5.07 digs per set and Abby Thor has compiled 51 total blocks this season. 

As a team, the Bulldogs average 15.4 kills, 14.3 assists and 1.6 aces per set. Defensively, UMD averages 15.5 digs per set and 1.7 blocks per set. 

The Vikings (11-7, 4-5 NSIC) 
Augustana is coming off a tough five-set loss to Sioux Falls on Tuesday. 
Sophomore Izzy Sommers leads the team in attacking percentage after hitting at a .294 clip this season. Sommers has also averaged 2.18 kills per set and totaled 40 blocks on the season. Avery Thorson leads the team with 9.94 assists per set which ranks eighth in the NSIC. 

Freshman Maddy Guetter leads the team with 3.06 kills per set while Grace Haberland averages 2.23 kills per set and 2.63 digs per set. Defensively, Erika Bute ranks second in the NSIC with 5.49 digs per set and Abby Benson ranks fifth in the NSIC with 1.00 blocks per set. 

As a team, the Vikings average 12.9 kills, 11.9 assists and 1.7 aces per set. While on defense, Augustana averages 17.4 digs and 1.6 blocks per set. 

One Last Thing
The Vikings had three players record double-digit kills for the first time this season. Guetter recorded 18 kills, Payton Rosendahl tied a career-high with 14 kills and Sommers had 10 kills.