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NWC: Schedule | Roster | Stats

Game Time: 7:00 p.m., Claire Lynch Hall

The records: Saint Benedict 4-0, 0-0 MIAC | Northwestern 3-1, 0-0 UMAC

Key Regional Match-up: Saint Benedict enters at 4-0 on the young season while Northwestern is 3-1, and each begin the season after earning at-large berths into the NCAA Tournament last season. Tonight's match-up will be important down the line for each team as they look to return to the field of 64 this season.

About Northwestern: Out of the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC), Northwestern is the defending UMAC co-champion, after a 27-7 record last season and 13-1 mark in conference play. Entering 2012, NWC was picked as the UMAC favorite.

MIAC's Best: After the first week, Blazer volleyball is home to the best in the MIAC, as Lexi Alm was named Hitter of the Week on Tuesday. After 67 kills in for matches, including two with 20 and another with 18, she was an easy pick. She also added 64 digs as part of three double-doubles, adding career marks in kills and blocks.

League Leaders: A quick look across the MIAC leaderboard and you'll see some familiar names. Lexi Alm leads in kills per set at 4.47, while Callie Neumann is fourth in blocks per set at 0.93. In hitting percentage, Sophie Stangl is fifth in the league a .323 through four matches.

Top 25: For the first time since Nov. 24, 2009 the Blazer volleyball team has returned to the Top-25. After opening the season receiving votes, but without enough to crack the rankings, it took just one weekend to make an appearance. The Blazers were the second biggest mover of the week, going from unranked up to No. 18.

On the Road Again: Following tonight's midweek home match, the Blazers will get back on the road and return to tournament play. This time it's off to the Augsburg Invitational on Setp. 7 and 8. There they'll face St. Scholastica, Northwestern again, Coe and UW-Stevens Point.

Head Coach Nicole Hess: Nicole Hess leads the Blazers in her third season in 2012, coming off back-to-back 18-win seasons. After turning around a struggling St. Catherine program, she took over Saint Benedict in 2010. St. Kates won just three matches her first season, but won 19 and 18 respectively her final two seasons with Hess earning MIAC Coach of the Year honors in 2009. In two seasons at CSB she is 36-25 overall and 14-8 in the MIAC. Her last two years at St. Kates along with her first to with the Blazers have produced a 73-49 record and a 25-19 MIAC mark.