NIACC volleyball team opens season today

ST. CLOUD, Minn. - The NIACC volleyball team opens the season today at the St. Cloud Technical and CC tournament.

The Lady Trojans play Dakota College-Bottineau at 4 p.m. today and face Mesabi Range CTC at 5:30 p.m.

On Saturday, NIACC faces Dakota County Technical College at 11:30 a.m. and St. Cloud Tech and CC at 1 p.m.

NIACC returns six sophomores from last year's team that was 17-17. Returning for the Lady Trojans are setters Jackie Bleifus and Hailey Winter, outside hitters Aubury Coleman and Kaylee Whittington and defensive specialists Liv Block and Hannah Carr.

Whittington led the Lady Trojans with 420 kills in the 2015 season. The 420 kills was the most in a single-season for a NIACC player since Rachael Spree collected 391 kills in the 2001 season.

Coleman was next in line for the Lady Trojans with 305 kills last season.

Winter had 607 assists during her freshman campaign and Bleifus had 430 assists.

Block led the Lady Trojans with 433 digs last season. The 433 digs was the most for the Lady Trojans since McKenzie Heue had 399 digs in 2011.

Last season, NIACC was 2-2 at the St. Cloud Technical and CC tournament. The Lady Trojans topped Dakota College-Bottineau (3-0) and DCTC (3-0) and lost to Mesabi Range (3-1) and St. Cloud Tech and CC (3-0).