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SMSU VOLLEYBALL: SMSU volleyball to travel west to play in Colorado Premier Challenge this weekend

Independent file photo Members of the SMSU volleyball team celebrate after scoring a point during a Nov. 2016 match against Minot State University. The Mustangs will continue their start to the 2017 season with a road trip to Denver for the Colorado Premier Challenge this weekend.

MARSHALL – Southwest Minnesota State’s women’s volleyball team (4-0) will look to stay perfect this weekend as they travel to Denver Colo., for another weekend of tough competition in the annual Colorado Premier Challenge with matches against No. 20 Tampa and No. 8 Ferris State scheduled for Friday at 12 p.m., and 7 p.m. respectively.

SMSU Quick Hits

– SMSU remained at 2nd in the latest AVCA top-25 poll.

– SMSU went 4-0 in the Hampton Inn-Vitational and had four players named to the All-Tournament team.

– The Mustangs will compete in the Colorado Premier Challenge and hold an all-time record of 23-9.

– Senior MB Brooke Borchardt led all players at the Hampton Inn-Vitational in blocks and set several career highs in the process.

– Taylor Reiss is just 48 kills from reaching career kill number 1,000.

– Megan Larson moved into second all-time in career assists in the Mustangs’ win over West Florida.

– SMSU faces two ranked opponents to kickoff the always competitive Colorado Premier Challenge.

Tampa

Match Preview

Series History

– Series is tied 3-3.

– SMSU won 3-1 back in 2015 in CO Premier Challenge.

– Tampa defeated SMSU 3-0 in 2014 DII National Championship.

– SMSU leads 3-1 all-time in games played in CO Premier Challenge.

Tampa Team Notes

– Tampa went 2-2 in “Terrace Hotel Classic” last weekend in Tampa, Fla.

– The Spartans were swept by Central Washington and lost in five sets to top ranked Concordia-St. Paul.

– Tampa swept both New Haven and Pace in the first weekend of the season.

Ferris State

Match Preview

Series History

– Ferris State leads the all-time series 2-0.

– Ferris State won the last meeting, 3-1 which was also played at the Colorado Premier Challenge in 2015.

– Both previous matches were also played on neutral sites.

Ferris State Team Notes

– Ferris State hosted the “Bulldog Open” in Big Rapids, Mich., last weekend to open the 2017 season.

– Ferris State defeated Mo. Western State, Northwest Missouri St., Quincy, and Cedarville last weekend.

– The Bulldogs moved up six spots from No. 14 to No. 8 in the AVCA Top-25 after last week’s 4-0 start.

SMSU in the

Colorado Premier Challenge

– SMSU will make the trip out west to compete in the Colorado Premier Challenge for a fifth straight year and for the eighth time overall.

– The Mustangs have an all-time record of 23-9 in the non-conference invitational.

– The Mustangs were a part of four way tie for first place with Concordia-St. Paul, Tampa and Minnesota Duluth back in 2014.

– SMSU has three runner-up finishes including last season where they fell to Concordia-St. Paul in the championship match.

– The Mustangs have finished 3rd on two separate occasions.

– SMSU has 18 players named to the Colo. Premier all-tourney team.

– The Mustangs didn’t drop a set in their first three matches in 2016 as they dispatched Colorado School of Mines, West Florida, and Angelo State to advance to the championship match.

– Taylor Reiss, Megan Larson, Eisha Oden, and Sarah Parker were named to the 2016 Colo. Premier All-Tournament team.

Borchardt Answers the Bell

– Mustangs’ senior middle blocker Brooke Borchardt saw limited action in her first three seasons at SMSU but stepped up to lead a young team in the first weekend of 2017.

– Borchardt led SMSU with a .422 hitting percentage, had 43 total kills, and had 1.27 blk/set in the season opening Hampton Inn-Vitational.

– Borchardt set career highs in kills (13) and attacks (24), blocks (8) and block assists (8), as well as attack percentage (.391, 13-4-23) last weekend in Pensacola.

– Her eight total blocks vs. North Alabama made her the first SMSU player since Taylor Reiss in 2015 with eight or more blocks in a match.

Mustang Season Openers

– SMSU has now won 14 of its last 15 season opening matches overall.

– The Mustangs defeated North Alabama, 3-1 to open the season with a win for a third straight year.

– SMSU is 45-10 (.818) overall on season opening weekends since Head Coach Terry Culhane took over in 2004.

– The Mustangs also opened the 2015 season in Pensacola, Fla., and went 4-0 in UWF’s season opening invitational to start that year.

New Mustang Faces

– Sarina Smith played in 13 sets last week and had 21 kills.

– Payton Hjerleid played in all 15 sets last week and had 2.8 digs/set.

– Caedyn Reinhardt had 14 kills and nine total blocks last weekend.

Content courtesy

of SMSU Athletic

Communications

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