DULUTH, Minn. (csssaints.com) – The St. Scholastica volleyball team will take on top-seeded and regular season champion University of Northwestern on Wednesday night in an Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) Tournament semifinal match.
 
Where:
Ericksen Center – St. Paul, Minn.
 
When:
Wednesday at 7 p.m.
 
Live Video: http://portal.stretchinternet.com/unw/
Live Stats: http://unweagles.com/sports/2012/11/7/gen_1107121456.aspx
 
Social Media:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/css.saints
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Instagram: www.instagram.com/csssaintsvball
 
St. Scholastica Saints
Stats
Record: 16-12, 5-3 UMAC
Upper Midwest Athletic Conference: Standings | Stats
 
Last Action: The Saints defeated Martin Luther College in the UMAC Tournament First Round match on Monday … Kortney Morrin (Grantsburg, Wis./Grantsburg HS (Northern State)) led the Saints with 18 kills and 17 digs … Kariana DeYoung (Deer River, Minn./Deer River HS) added a season-high 11 kills, while three other Saints had eight kills … Emily Jansen (Long Prairie, Minn./Long Prairie-Grey Eagle HS) and Emily Kessler (Blackberry, Minn./Greenway HS (Itasca CC)) each had 24 assists … It was the first UMAC Tournament win for the Saints since defeating Martin Luther in five sets in the 2012 semifinals … The victory was the first time the Saints won a match that went longer than three sets since September 18.
 
Ace of Spades: The Saints recorded eight service aces in Monday's match, their second-highest of the season and the most since September 18.
 
Five-Set Struggles: The Saints have lost eight straight matches and are 0-5 this season in which the contest went to a fifth-and-deciding set … The last five-set victory for the Saints was on October 30, 2013 against UW-Superior.
 
Recent Postseason History: CSS lost in four sets in 2013 at Northwestern in the UMAC Tournament semifinals and fell in five sets last year in the semifinals at Minnesota Morris … The Saints last won the UMAC Tournament Championship in 2011.

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Upcoming Opponents
Northwestern Eagles
Record: 24-8, 8-0 UMAC
The Eagles went undefeated in UMAC play during the regular season and enter Tuesday's semifinal winners of 18 of their last 19 matches … Northwestern is 12-4 at home this season and have not lost on its home court since falling in five sets in the UMAC Preview Tournament to Minnesota Morris on September 18 … Northwestern has won the UMAC Tournament each of the last three seasons and has advanced to the tournament final every year since 2007 … The Eagles are led by sophomore outside hitter Lindsey Peterson, who ranks second in the league in kills (389) and digs (531) … Junior middle hitter Shanay Gonder leads the conference with a 2.95 hitting percentage and 114 total blocks, while senior middle hitter Faith Vander Galien is second in the UMAC in total blocks (90) … The Eagles lead the conference in kills per set (13.0), hitting percentage (.237), service aces (188) and total blocks (255).
 
Series History: Northwestern leads 51-43-1
 
Last Meeting: The Saints were defeated twice this season by the Eagles … Northwestern won in four sets at home in the UMAC Preview Tournament in September and then 10 days ago the Eagles swept the Saints at the Reif Gymnasium … CSS and Northwestern have met in postseason play 12 times since 1999 with the Eagles holding a 9-3 record during that stretch.

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Looking Ahead: If the Saints were to win on Wednesday, they would travel to the winner of the Minnesota Morris/UW-Superior match on Saturday in the UMAC Tournament championship.