UMD volleyball embraces underdog role at NCAA tournament

DULUTH — After notching a pivotal win over seventh-ranked Southwest Minnesota State in the NSIC tournament quarterfinals, and later taking No. 2 Concordia-St. Paul to five sets in the semis, doubts still remained about whether it would be enough for the Minnesota Duluth volleyball team to earn a spot in the NCAA tournament.

Prepared for the worst but hoping for the best, the team gathered for the selection show on Monday as their fate was revealed.

“The girls wanted to get together as a group and watch it together knowing that there was a strong likelihood that they were going to be disappointed,” UMD head coach Jim Boos recounted. “And being together was how they wanted to handle that circumstance, and so I think they were mentally prepared for that.”

The anxiety quickly turned to jubilation as the team earned the final at-large bid in the region, securing its 18th tournament bid in 20 attempts.

“I just sort of sat there with my mouth open just staring at the screen,” UMD fifth-year middle blocker Hope Schjenken said of her reaction. “Just seeing our name pop up on the screen I just honestly couldn’t believe it, but I was also thrilled at the same time. The journey isn't over yet and we’re very excited to continue on.”

Hope Schjenken of Deer River is finally having an impact in her fourth year at UMD, with 115 kills and 36 blocks. Terry Norton / UMD Athletics

The Bulldogs (18-10) will take on a familiar foe in national No. 3 Wayne State (28-2) in the regional quarterfinals on Thursday, Nov. 30 in St. Paul.

The two teams previously met on Sept. 30 in a regular season match won by the Wildcats in straight sets, 25-19, 25-17, 25-22.

“Last time we played them we just never controlled the ball well enough to make them as uncomfortable as we needed to throughout the duration of a set,” Boos shared. “And they’re a good serving team, they’re going to make you uncomfortable, so we’re going to have to work these next five, six days to iron some of those things and make sure we’re sharp.”

The victory was part of a 21-game winning streak that recently ended in the NSIC tournament with a five-set loss to St. Cloud State — a match that the Bulldogs watched unfold prior to their meeting with the Golden Bears in the semifinals.

“We got to see St. Cloud beat them in five and some of the things St. Cloud did successfully against them, and that certainly helps in preparing for the match,” Boos said. “Ultimately, we’ll walk back onto the court here in a week and a half (and) it’ll be zero-zero...It’ll boil down to our ability to do some of the things we did well Tuesday and Saturday last week.”

The Wildcats, seeded second in the region, are led by NSIC coach of the year Scott Kneifl, along with four first team all-conference selections, including middle hitters Maggie Brahmer and Taya Beller, outside hitter Kelsie Cada and setter Rachel Walker.

Beller (.414) and Brahmer (.393) rank first and third, respectively, in the NSIC in hitting percentage, while the Wildcats collectively own the second-highest hitting percentage in the country at .318, trailing only Concordia-St. Paul at .322. Beller also leads the NSIC in blocks (113) and blocks per set (1.11).

The Bulldogs have plenty of firepower of their own through Samantha Paulsen, Grace Daak, Schjenken and Cianna Selbitschka, who combined for 56 kills in their last match against the Golden Bears. Selbitschka trails only SCSU’s Kenzie Foley in kills per set across the NSIC with 3.85.

Minnesota Duluth senior Cianna Selbitschka follows through on an attack during a match against Michigan Tech in the first round of the Up North tournament on Thursday, Sept. 7 at Romano Gym. Terry Norton / UMD Athletics

While knocking off Wayne State will undoubtedly be a daunting task, the Bulldogs will have the benefit of playing as the underdogs with the pressure resting on the Wildcats’ end of the court.

“That’s certainly the approach we’ve been taking this last week and a half is (we have) nothing to lose...There’s no reason to play nervous. We’re not protecting anything,” Boos said. “That’s certainly the case as a seven seed playing a two (seed), as a team coming in with 10 losses on their resume compared to a team with two. They’re supposed to beat us and they're the favorite.”

The winner of the quarterfinal match at the Gangelhoff Center scheduled for 2:30 p.m. will take on either No. 3 SMSU or No. 6 Nebraska-Kearney on Friday, Dec. 1.