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PREVIEW: Volleyball to play in Augsburg Tournament this Weekend

| By: Christopher Doran
DULUTH, Minn. (csssaints.com) – The St. Scholastica volleyball team will play in its second tournament of the season this weekend as it partakes in the Augsburg College Tournament in Minneapolis, opening up with No. 18 College of Saint Benedict on Friday.

Game Day Media:
Live Video & Audio for Augsburg Match | Tournament Web site | Augsburg College Parking Advisory

Friday's matches for CSS:
vs. Saint Benedict – 4 p.m.
vs. UW-Stevens Point – 6 p.m.

Saturday's matches for CSS:
vs. Augsburg – 11 a.m.
vs. UW-Eau Claire – 3 p.m.

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About the Saints
Record: 4-1, 0-0 UMAC

  • The Saints saw their 14-match regular season winning streak come to an end on Tuesday night with a loss to 14th-ranked University of Chicago.
  • Returning honorable-mention AVCA All-American hitter Anna Zyvoloski (Sauk Rapids, Minn./St. Cloud Cathedral HS (Minn.-Duluth)) is averaging 4.56 kills/set in five matches.
  • Sophomore setter Erika Birkeland (Prior Lake, Minn./Prior Lake HS) is averaging 10.44 assists/set.
  • Birkeland and Zyvoloski were both named UMAC Athletes of the Week for their performances in the Oneonta State (N.Y.) Invitational this past weekend.
  • Three of the four teams the Saints will face this weekend were part of the NCAA Moorhead Regional Tournament last season.


About the 18th-ranked Blazers
Record: 4-1, 0-0 MIAC

  • The Blazers are coming off a 3-0 loss to Northwestern College on Wednesday night.
  • St. Ben's defeated UW-Eau Claire, UW-Stevens Point, UW-Stout and Martin Luther on opening weekend.
  • The Blazers have been to the NCAA Tournament five of the last six years.
  • CSB lost in the first round in five sets to CSS in last year's NCAA tournament.
  • The Blazers were picked to finish second in the MIAC preseason poll behind St. Thomas
  • The Blazers must replace the CSB all-time leader in games played in Chelsie Sobieck.
  • Junior Lexi Alm and Sophomore Alexa Rinde will lead the team this year after combining for 663 kills last season.

Last Meeting: (CSS All-Time Record vs. CSB: 16-6)
The Blazers were defeated by the Saints in the opening round of the NCAA tournament last year in five sets.  Zyvoloski had 17 kills and 23 digs to lead the Saints.

About the Pointers
Record: 3-1, 0-0 WIAC

  • Stevens Point also played the UW-Eau Claire Labor Day Tournament this past weekend and suffered its only defeat to St. Ben's.
  • The Pointers got revenge on Concordia College-Moorhead with a five-set victory. The Cobbers ended the Pointers season in five sets in the NCAA Tournament last year.
  • The Pointers have been chosen to win the WIAC, according to the preseason poll.
  • UWSP returns all seven starters, and three All-WIAC first team performers.
  • Point won its first WIAC championship since 1981as it shared with UW-Eau Claire and UW-Whitewater in 2011.
  • The Pointers had an 18-match win streak at one point last season.
  • UWSP made their first NCAA tournament trip since 1985 last year.

Last Meeting: (CSS All-Time Record vs. UWSP: 3-7)
The two teams last met up in 201 in Stevens Point when the Pointers swept the Saints in three sets.

About the Auggies:
Record: 3-2, 0-0 MIAC

  • Augsburg is coming off a 3-1 loss to UW-Stout on Tuesday night.
  • Augsburg went 3-1 this past weekend at the UW-Whitewater Invitational with its lone loss coming to the host Warhawks.
  • Placed fifth overall last year in the MIAC.
  • Six of the seven starters return for Augsburg from last year's squad.
  • Emily McCourt will lead the Auggies after last season where she had over 1,000 assists and 50 service aces.

Last Meeting: (CSS All-Time Record vs. Augsburg: 9-3)
The Auggies defeated the Saints in five sets back in 2010. Zyvoloski had 16 kills to lead the Saints.

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About The Blugolds
Record: 3-2, 0-0 WIAC

  • Eau Claire is coming off a 3-0 defeat to Viterbo University (Wis.) on Wednesday night.
  • The Blugolds were a tri-champion last year in the WIAC with Whitewater and Stevens Point.
  • Eau Claire has won at least 22 matches every year since 2005.
  • Seniors Anne Satterlee and Emily Neave will lead the team at outside hitter and setter.
  • The Blugolds were picked to finish third overall in the preseason poll behind UW-Whitewater and UW-Stevens Point.

Last Meeting: (CSS All-Time Record vs. UW-Eau Claire: 4-20)
CSS won its first match vs. UW-Eau Claire in over 20 years last season as it defeated the Blugolds in five sets at the Augsburg Tournament. Zyvoloski had 21 kills and 21 digs to lead the Saints. It was the first time Dana Moore defeated UWEC.
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