NDSU Volleyball Opens 2024 Season at the Fort Myers Classic

Friday, August 30

Fort Myers, Fla.

10 a.m.

North Dakota State

UAlbany

Photo by: Ben Cohen

NDSU Volleyball Opens 2024 Season at the Fort Myers Classic

8/29/2024 11:37:00 AM | Women's Volleyball

Live Stats Live Video NDSU Notes

THIS WEEK
The North Dakota State volleyball team is set to begin the 2024 season at the Fort Myers Classic in Fort Myers, Fla. The Bison will open the season against UAlbany on Friday at 10:00 a.m. CT and finish the day against Florida Gulf Coast at 6:00 p.m. CT. NDSU concludes the trip against Illinois Chicago on Saturday at 12:30 p.m. CT.

MATCH COVERAGE
All three games will feature live statistics. The contest against Florida Gulf Coast will also be available on ESPN+ for subscribers.

THE SERIES VS. UALBANY
This will be the first all-time meeting between NDSU and UAlbany.

THE SERIES VS. FLORIDA GULF COAST
This will be the first all-time meeting between NDSU and Florida Gulf Coast.

THE SERIES VS. ILLINOIS CHICAGO
This will be the fourth all-time meeting between NDSU and Illinois Chicago dating back to 2007. In their most recent meeting in 2019, the Bison edged the Flames, 3-2, at the Central Michigan Chippewa Invitational in Mount Pleasant, Mich.

IN SEASON OPENERS
This will be the fourth straight season NDSU is opening the season on the road. The Bison are 4-3 under head coach Jennifer Lopez in season openers after picking up a 3-1 win over UC Riverside at the Vandal Volleyball Invitational last season. Ali Hinze led the way for NDSU with a team-high 16 kills to go along with 11 digs.

SUMMIT LEAGUE PLAYERS TO WATCH
Senior outside hitter Ali Hinze and senior middle blocker Alexis Boling were selected to the Summit League Players to Watch list. Hinze, who has earned All-Summit League First Team honors each of the last two seasons, led the Bison and ranked second in the Summit League with 393 kills. Boling posted a career-best 299 kills last season and averaged 2.77 per set. She also added a career-high 63.0 total blocks on the defensive side.

SUMMIT LEAGUE PRESEASON POLL
The Bison were picked fourth in the Summit League Preseason Coaches' Poll and garnered 44 total points. Omaha took the top spot with 64 total points and eight first place votes.

FLORIDA CONNECTIONS
Logan O'Brien is a native of Fort Myers, Fla., and attended South Fort Myers High School for her senior season. O'Brien also began her college career at North Florida and appeared in 49 matches over two seasons.

STILL HIGH-POWERED ON OFFENSE
The Bison ranked second in the Summit League in 2023 in total kills with 1,492. NDSU brings back five players this season that contributed at least 120 kills last season, including Ali Hinze (393), Alexis Boling (299), Ally Barth (190), Lauren Jansen (188) and Arianna Blohm (179). NDSU has ranked inside the top two in total kills in the Summit League each of the last two seasons.

SHE CAN DO IT ALL
Ali Hinze enters the season with most kills in the NDSU Division I era with 1,446, which ranks 10th on all-time Bison kills list. Janet Cobbs (1985-88) is the NDSU all-time leader with 2,091 career kills. Hinze has also reached the 1,000 career digs mark and has tallied 1,181 over four seasons. She's only the second player in the NDSU Division I era to record at least 1,000 career digs and 1,000 career kills, joining Brynn Joki (2009-12).

LOOKING BACK AT THE 2023 SEASON
The Bison posted an 18-11 (9-7 Summit) overall record last season and advanced to the Summit League Tournament semifinal round for the second straight season. NDSU has won at least 18 matches back-to-back seasons for the first time since the 2010 and 2011 seasons.

GRUNWALD JOINS COACHING STAFF
Kris Grunwald joined the coaching staff in March and brings 33 years of Division I experience, including two head coaching stints at UConn (2014-19) and Auburn (1998-00). He comes to NDSU after spending the last three seasons as the associate head coach at Virginia.

EXPERIENCE IN THE LINEUP
NDSU returns five starters this season and the roster also features five seniors: Eke Denessen, Ali Hinze, Alexis Boling, Logan O'Brien and Morgan Middleton. O'Brien, who played in 49 career matches at North Florida prior to NDSU, has the most experience on the roster having appeared in 111 career matches. Hinze has also surpassed the 100 career matches mark with 108 over four seasons.

YOUNG BISON
The Bison welcome five newcomers to the roster this season: Tanith Roush, Maddy Dombeck, Layla Haritatos, Sadie Johnson and Emily Bruss. Arianna Blohm, Emma Tallman and Lauren Jansen are also underclassman on the roster and will each be entering their sophomore seasons. Blohm and Jansen were named to the All-Summit League Freshmen Team last season.

THIS IS OUR HOUSE
The Bison have called Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse home since 1978 and have notched a 410-107 overall record at home during that span. NDSU picked up its 400th win at the BBF after sweeping Kansas City, 3-0, on Oct. 1, 2022.

TAKIN' CARE OF BUSINESS IN THE CLASSROOM
NDSU earned the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Team Academic Award for the 12th straight year in 2023-24. The Bison also earned a spot on the AVCA Team Academic Honor Roll with a team GPA in the top 20 percent of NCAA Division I for the fifth straight season. NDSU boasted a 3.74 cumulative GPA last season.