ST. PAUL, Minn. – The tenth-ranked Concordia-St. Paul Volleyball team (5-3) is set to open Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play on the road this weekend, taking on #11 Minnesota Duluth (7-0) on Saturday at 2 p.m. before heading to St. Cloud to take on #12 St. Cloud State (5-2) on Tuesday at 6 p.m.
BUY TICKETS TO HOME GAMES ONLINE
Fans are encouraged to buy tickets in advance and bring your QR code to the gates to skip the line! Friends and families who utilize the pass list will also be utilizing the online ticketing service while all students, faculty & staff will access their free CSP tickets through the service. Fans do not need to create a login, remember a username or password or download an app to purchase tickets, and tickets can still be purchased with cash at the gates. Find out more in the
partnership announcement between CSP Athletics and HomeTown Ticketing.
WATCH ONLINE – NSIC NETWORK
All Golden Bear NSIC volleyball games will be available to watch online, free of charge, powered by the NSIC Network, and supported by BlueFrame Technology. Visit
nsicnetwork.com/cspbears on a laptop or desktop computer, download the NSIC Network app on your mobile device or watch on your supported OTT provider such as Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV and Android TV. Search "NSIC Network" and download the app for the league's full sport and team lineups. NSIC NETWORK FAQ
DOWNLOAD THE APP
Fans can download the CSP Bears fan app, free of charge and available in the App Store or on Google Play. The app contains rosters, schedules, scores, stats, news, social media and more! Customize your options to get notifications to your favorite teams, as well. Search "CSP Bears" in the app store to stay up-to-date on Golden Bear athletics.
LAST TIME OUT
Concordia competed at the Colorado Premier Challenge last weekend, sweeping #23 Lewis and Seattle Pacific on Friday before falling in five sets to both #9 West Texas A&M and #3 MSU Denver on Saturday.
IN THE POLLS
The Golden Bears dropped to #10 in the most recent AVCA Coaches Poll after a 2-2 weekend at the Colorado Premier Challenge. Concordia has been a mainstay near the top of the poll for nearly two decades as they have only ranked outside the top-10 for three weeks since 2003, never ranking below #15. Heading into the season, the Golden Bears have ranked #1 at least once in 15 of the past 18 seasons. In total, CSP has spent an incredible 83 weeks at the top team in the country since debuting there in the 2004 preseason poll.
TEAM LEADERS
Reigning NSIC Setter of the Week Teagan Starkey has been one of the most effective setters in the country so far this season, leading all of Division II with 12.22 assists per set. The senior was named to the Colorado Premier Challenge All-Tournament team after averaging 12.31 assists and 2.13 digs per set on the weekend.
Middle blocker Claudia Stahlke has also been a standout at her position, averaging 1.38 blocks per set, the best mark in the NSIC and the 18th-best in all of NCAA Division II. Stahlke also ranks second on the team with a .305 hitting percentage, tallying 62 kills so far (2.73 per set).
Sophia Andersen has led the Golden Bear offense to this point, totaling 81 kills (3.00 per set) through 27 sets played.
Defensively, Cassie Sieling leads the team and ranks 13th in the NSIC with 114 total digs (3.56 per set).
HISTORY AGAINST UMD
The two programs have met 59 times since September 30, 2000, with the Golden Bears holding a 34-25 advantage in the series all-time. CSP has dominated the series in recent years, winning the last eight matchups dating back to November of 2019, the longest winning streak by either team in the history of the series. The Golden Bears and Bulldogs faced off twice last season, with Concordia winning in straight sets on the road in October and claiming a five-set victory at home in November.
ABOUT THE BULLDOGS
Minnesota Duluth posted an overall record of 18-11 (10-8 NSIC) in 2023 and was picked to finish fifth in this season's NSIC preseason poll.
The Bulldogs are off to a hot start this season, holding a record of 7-0 through their first seven matches. UMD's lone top-25 opponent so far this season was then-#20 Michigan Tech on September 13, with the Bulldogs winning in straight sets.
History against SCSU
The Golden Bears and Huskies have met 37 times, with Concordia holding a dominant 34-3 mark in the series all-time. CSP won the first 27 meetings in the series in a stretch that lasted from 2001-2019. The teams met three times last season, with the Golden Bears sweeping the Huskies at home in September before St. Cloud State claimed a four-set victory in October. The teams clashed a final time in the NSIC Tournament finals in Wayne, Nebraska, with Concordia winning in straight sets.
About the Huskies
St. Cloud State posted an overall record of 22-9 (13-5 NSIC) in the 2023 season and was picked to finish third in the NSIC preseason poll, receiving two first-place votes.
The Huskies have posted a record of 5-2 so far this season, including a pair of four-set wins over then-#8 Cal State Bernardino and then-#1 Cal State LA.
