DULUTH, Minn. (csssaints.com) – The St. Scholastica volleyball team will be at a familiar gym this weekend when it takes part in the University of Northwestern Labor Day Tournament, which features a strong field of teams, including three-ranked teams and five squads that made the NCAA Tournament last season.
 
Where:
Ericksen Center – St. Paul, Minn.
 
When:
Friday
vs. Loras (Iowa) – 3 p.m. (Live Stats)
vs. #20 Augsburg – 7 p.m. (Live Stats)
Saturday
vs. #25 Coe (Iowa) – 9 a.m. (Live Stats)
vs. Dominican (Ill.) – 11 a.m. (Live Stats)
 
Social Media:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/css.saints
Twitter: www.twitter.com/SaintsVball
Instagram: www.instagram.com/csssaintsvball
 
St. Scholastica Saints
Stats
Record: 2-0, 0-0 UMAC
Upper Midwest Athletic Conference: Standings | Stats
 
Last Action: The Saints opened its season on Tuesday with a pair of four-set victories over University of Wisconsin-River Falls and Hamline University in St. Paul … In both matches, the Saints dropped the first set and rallied to take the next three … CSS had 20 less kills than their opponents, but also had 16 less hitting errors … Noelle Elvehjem (Mora, Minn./Mora HS) led the team with 26 kills, while Kortney Morrin (Grantsburg, Wis./Grantsburg HS (Northern State)) added 22 kills and a team-high 43 digs.
 
Season Opener Success: Tuesday's victory over UW-River Falls was the program's six straight season-opening victory.
 
Different Year, Different Team: The Saints were only 1-6 last season in matches that lasted over three sets … They are already 2-0 this season when that happens
 
Approaching Milestones: The CSS volleyball program is seven wins shy of 700 all time … Kariana DeYoung (Deer River, Minn./Deer River HS) is five blocks shy of 100 for her career.

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Upcoming Opponents this Weekend
Loras Duhawks
Record: 1-0
The Duhawks opened their season with a sweep of Grinnell College (Iowa) on Tuesday … Loras is picked to finish fifth in the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) this season … Nine letterwinners return for Loras in 2015, with three of the team's six starters back from a 2014 team that went 14-19 overall … Danni Kennedy was an all-conference selection last season after posting 290 kills and 85 blocks.
 
#20 Augsburg Auggies
Record: 1-0
The Auggies are ranked 20^th in the preseason AVCA Division III poll and defeated fellow UMAC school Bethany Lutheran College in straight sets on Tuesday to open its season … Augsburg has been picked to share the MIAC regular season title, according to the league's preseason coaches' poll … The Auggies were 23-6 last season, losing in the first round of the NCAA Tournament to Cornell (Iowa) … Augsburg will be led by two-time First Team All-American Ashley Peper and 2014 honorable mention All-American setter Courtney Lemke.
 
#25 Coe Kohawks
Record: 1-0
The Kohawks are ranked 25^th in the preseason AVCA poll and defeated Augustana College (Ill.) 3-1 to open its season on Tuesday … Coe has been picked to finish second in the IIAC this season after winning the league last year and going 29-9 overall … The Kohawks advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament last season … Coe will be led by Third Team All-American setter Mackenzie Harbaugh.
 
Dominican Stars
Record: 1-1
The Stars opened their season with a split in Decatur, Illinois on Tuesday, falling to Greenville College (Ill.), but defeating Millikin University (Ill.) 3-1 … Dominican has been picked to win the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) this season after going perfect in the league last season making its third consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance … The Stars return six players that started at least 20 matches last season, including NACC Player of the Year Christina Wilson … Wilson ranked second nationally with 11.1 assists per set in 2014.
 
Series Histories:
-CSS is tied with Loras 2-2
-CSS leads Augsburg 9-4
-CSS leads Coe 3-0
-Dominican leads CSS 1-0
 
Last Meetings: The Saints last played Loras in 2006 in Dubuque, Iowa with the Duhawks winning in five sets … The Auggies have won two straight against the Saints, including most recently in 2012 … The Saints last played Coe in 2010 in Mankato … CSS has swept the Kohawks in all three meetings … The lone meeting with Dominican took place last season at Oshkosh and it was a four set win for the Stars.

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Looking Ahead: The Saints will be in Oshkosh next Friday and Saturday for the UW-Oshkosh Pizza Hut Classic.