DULUTH, Minn. – The St. Scholastica volleyball team opens the season with two invitationals, first traveling to Northfield, Minn. for the St. Olaf Invitational, a UMAC vs. MIAC battle on Thursday and Friday, then to Winona for the St. Mary's University Ground Round Sugar Loaf Classic.

Match Times:
St. Olaf Invitational:
Thursday – vs. Carleton – 12 p.m.
vs. St. Olaf – 2 p.m.
Friday – vs. Hamline – 12 p.m.
vs. Macalester – 2 p.m.

Sugar Loaf Classic
Saturday – vs. Nebraska-Wesleyan 12 p.m.
vs. St. Thomas – 4 p.m.

GameDay Media:
St. Olaf Invite Web Site | SMU Sugar Loaf Web Site | Live Stats vs. Neb. Wesleyan Only

Last Action:
The Saints finished last season with a 28-7 record overall and a 14-0 conference record. In their last match, the Saints lost to Northwestern College 0-3 in the UMAC Tournament Championship.

St. Scholastica Saints (2010 Record: 28-7, 14-0 UMAC)
After a very successful 28-7 (14-0) 2010 season, the Saints are looking to start off the 2011 season with victories in Northfield and Winona. The Saints were defeated in the UMAC Tournament Championship by Northwestern to end last season. In the UMAC preseason poll, the Saints are once again picked to finish at the top and claim the regular season title. This year the Saints return 13 players from last year's squad, including the UMAC Player of the Year, junior outside hitter Paige Hardy (Hibbing, Minn./Hibbing HS). The Saints lone senior this year is libero Nikki Hughes (Lake Nebagamon, Wis./Northwestern HS), who led the team last year with 540 digs and 31 service aces. The UMAC leader in kills (503), junior outside hitter Anna Zyvoloski (Sauk Rapids, Minn./St. Cloud Cathedral HS (Minn.-Duluth)) will also return to the court for CSS. All-conference setter, Sarah Kurtovich (Andover, Minn./Andover HS) is returning for her junior year as well, with a team best 1208 assists in 2010, along with all-conference honorable mention right-side hitter Taylor Tyllia (Duluth, Minn./Duluth East HS). The team's leader in blocks (97), Megan Windschitl (Sartell, Minn./St. Cloud Cathedral HS) will return for her junior year as well.

Carleton Knights (2010 Record: 10-14, 2-9 MIAC)
Carleton finished last season under .500 and tenth in the MIAC. The Knights lose two big players from last year's team in Kelly Lovett, who led the team with 276 kills and 87 blocks, and Beth Jarrett, who led the team with 753 set assists. The Knights will be looking for leadership from their lone senior, Erin Anderson, who comes off a successful 2010 season, leading the team with 24 service aces and 316 digs. Carleton is picked to finish ninth in the MIAC in the preseason poll.

Last Meeting: (CSS All-Time Record vs. Carleton: 4-5-1)
The Saints defeated the Knights 3-1 in the Gustavus Classic in 2010. Zyvoloski led the Saints with 14 kills, with Hardy right behind her with 13. Kurtovich ended the match with 43 assists and Hughes led the way with 15 digs.

St. Olaf Oles (2010 Record: 31-5, 10-1 MIAC)
After winning the MIAC in 2010, St. Olaf made it to the third round of the NCAA Tournament before losing to St. Thomas. St. Olaf is picked to finish third in the MIAC preseason poll, also receiving a first place vote. The Oles lose big names in Kim Smisek, team leader with 605 kills, and Kelly Prunty who led the team with 1499 set assists. They return ten players from last season's MIAC Championship team, including Ariel Carlson, who led the team with 134 blocks in 2010 and Kristin Boyum, who led the team with 534 digs last year.

Last Meeting: (CSS All-Time Record vs. St. Olaf: 3-13-1)
St. Olaf defeated the Saints at 1-3 at the 2010 Holiday Inn-Vitational, hosted by the College of St. Benedict. St. Olaf had a big first set, winning 25-15. The last three were much closer, going 23-25, 25-23, and 25-23. Hardy and Zyvoloski led the Saints with 18 kills each along with Kurtovich's 42 set assists. Hughes led the team with 18 digs.

Hamline Pipers (2010 Record: 10-18 2-9 MIAC)
The Pipers finished last season 11th in the MIAC with a .357 winning percentage. Hamline comes into the season with a very young roster, with Aisha Baker and Sam Greeney-Hamlin being the only upperclassmen as a junior and sophomore respectively. Greeney-Hamlin led the team in 2010 with 242 kills. The Pipers are losing nine players from last year, including Heidi Larson, who led the team in digs and service aces. The very young roster comes in with numbers totaling one junior, one sophomore and 12 freshmen. Hamline is chosen to finish 10th out of 11 teams in the MIAC preseason poll.

Last Meeting: (CSS All-Time Record vs. Hamline: 6-7)
The last time the Saints and Pipers met was at the University of Wisconsin-Superior tournament back in 2009. The Pipers swept the Saints 3-0 (25-17, 25-22, 25-17) in straight sets. The Saints were led by Hardy in the kills department with 10, while Kurtovich had 12 set assists. Hughes led the team with 21 digs.

Macalester Scots (2010 Record: 13-16, 3-8 MIAC)
The Scots finished 9th in the MIAC last season with a 3-8 conference record. Macalester loses two big name seniors from last year in Majra Mucic and Kiera Coulter. Mucic led the team with 366 kills in 2010 while Coulter led the team with 270 digs. The Scots also lose their leading setter in Seffanie Fisher (519 assists) from a season ago. The Scots will look to Danielle Dweck to pick up for Fisher, as she was second on the team with 271 assists. The Scots also bring back Laura Avena, a sophomore who led the team in service aces last year with 48 and was second with 210 digs, and senior Taylor Tinkham, who led the team with 68 blocks. Macalester is predicted to finish 11th out of 11 in the MIAC, as chosen by coaches in the preseason poll

Last Meeting: (CSS All-Time Record vs. Macalester: 8-8)
The two teams haven't met since 2005 when they played in Minneapolis. The Saints beat the Scots 3-1 (27-30, 30-14, 30-15, 30-18).

Nebraska Wesleyan Prairie Wolves (2010 Record: 23-6, 12-4 GPAC)
The Prairie Wolves posted the most wins since 1998 last season, winning 23 games in 2010. Nebraska Wesleyan loses big name players in Laura Brammeier, who led the team with 374 kills in 2010, Hannah Behrens, who led the team with 90 blocks, Kelsey Elman, who led the team with 40 service aces and was second with 281 kills, and Erika Goldsmith, who led the team with 562 digs. The Prairie Wolves will also return some big name players in Caitlin Anderson, who led the team with 1380 assists, and Mackenzie Hite, who had 275 digs and 29 service aces last year. NWU is picked to finish fourth in the Great Plains Athletic Conference in 2011.

Last Meeting: (CSS All-Time Record vs. Nebraska Wesleyan: 0-3)
The last meeting occurred in 2006 between the Saints and the Prairie Wolves, with the Prairie Wolves coming out on top 0-3 (20-30, 15-30, 21-30).

St. Thomas Tommies (2010 Record: 28-6, 10-1 MIAC)
The Tommies finished as runner-up to St. Olaf in the MIAC last season, but went on to beat them in the third round of the NCAA Tournament, then losing to Juniata College (Pa.) in the quarterfinals. This year, St. Thomas is chosen to finish in second place in the MIAC, ahead of the Oles, earning three first place votes and nine points shy of preseason favorites, the Cobbers of Concordia-Moorhead. The Tommies lose seven seniors from last year's squad including Katie Bonine, who led the team with 425 kills. Also departing is Emily Foster, who led the team with 1404 assists and 82 blocks, and Molly Staton, who led the team with 28 service aces. The team will look for Kaitlain Wachter to step up as a junior this year, leading the team last year with 725 digs. The Tommies will also look for sophomore Nicole Potts to step up and get some of the kills that left with the senior class; Potts had 146 on the season last year.

Last Meeting: (CSS All-Time Record vs. St. Thomas: 5-6)
The last time these two teams met was in River Falls, Wis. in 2004. The Tommies came out ahead in that one 1-3 (24-30, 27-30, 30-18, 22-30).