ST. PAUL – The University of Northwestern volleyball team starts its fifth consecutive run in the NCAA Division IIII Regional Tournament on Thursday. The Eagles' 2014 first round opponent is Nebraska Wesleyan University, who is ranked 13th in the nation in the latest American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Top 25 poll. Thursday's first serve is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. in the Anderson Recreation Complex on the University of St. Thomas campus in St. Paul.

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Northwestern Notes:
Northwestern received an NCAA Tournament bid for the fifth straight year in 2014, matching St. Thomas as the only Minnesota school to be invited in each of the last five years.

The Eagles own top 10 marks nationwide for team hitting percentage (.254) and kills per set (13.96). UNW also has top 25 marks among Division III teams in assists, assists per set, total kills, and total blocks. Lizzy Jonas (Neenah, Wis./Valley Christian ) was ranked first in the nation for assists per set until UNW went to a modified 5-1 offense with two setters midway through the season.

Northwestern won the 2014 Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) regular season and tournament championships. UNW has won eight league regular season titles in head coach Beth Wilmeth's 11 seasons at the team's helm. In those 11 years, the Eagles have won 20 or more matches nine times.

Four different players have reached the 1,000 mark for a specific statistical category in their career. Both Cari Miller (West Des Moines, Iowa/Valley) and Hallie Mueth (Sheffield, Iowa/West Fork) have gone over 1,000 kills, Lizzy Jonas (Neenah, Wis./Valley Christian ) has exceeded 1,000 assists, and Lizzy Potratz (Oshkosh, Wis./Valley Christian ) is a member of the program's 1,000 digs club.

Six different UNW players enter this weekend averaging over 2.0 kills per set, while 12 Eagles own a season hitting percentage of .200 or better in 2014.

Northwestern began the 2014 campaign with two freshmen in the starting lineup, marking just the third time in the last decade that Wilmeth has started a pair of rookies. With Leesa Hulstrand (Eden Prairie, Minn./Eden Prairie) joining that mix mid-season, the Eagles now start three freshmen.

Sisters Lindsey Peterson (Sheffield, Iowa/West Fork) and Hallie Mueth (Sheffield, Iowa/West Fork) are Nos. 1 and 2 on Northwestern's roster in terms of kills per set this year. As a freshman, Peterson led the UMAC in total kills with top three marks in kills per set (3.08) and total digs (446). Mueth owns top 10s in the UMAC for kills, kills per set, hitting percentage, and digs. The Eagles also have another pair of sisters in junior Faith Vander Galien (Chanhassen, Minn./Southwest Christian) and her freshman sister, Abby.

The Eagles have been the most successful in three- or five-set matches this season. UNW is 13-5 against opponents in three-set contests, 5-4 in four sets, and 5-1 in five. When Northwestern has played a fifth set, the Eagles have outscored opponents 82-52 in that round.

Nebraska Wesleyan Notes:

15th NCAA Appearance, first appearance since 2010 (6-14 all-time)

Previously qualified seven straight years from 2004-10

NWU went undefeated 12-0 against NCAA III competition this season.  Prairie Wolves also compete in the Great Plains Athletic Conference against NAIA opponents going 10-6 in conference play to finish fourth in the league. Those 16 matches don't count on NWU's NCAA record due to playing NAIA rules

Prairie Wolves defeated three NCAA III ranked opponents (Washington-St. Louis, Christopher Newport, Colorado College)

First postseason appearance under Head Coach Rayna Cain who is in her third season as head coach

Alyssa Stanek was honorable mention AVCA All-Central Region in 2013.  She leads NCAA III in blocks this season and was all-tournament twice thus far in 2014.  Stanek transferred to NWU from Nebraska-Omaha and is in her second season.

Katelyn Walsh has led NWU in kills in each of the past three seasons. Walsh has earned All-GPAC 2nd-Team the past two years and ranks in the NWU top 10 list in career kills

Nebraska Wesleyan has five seniors on the team, four of whom have been four-year major contributors.

Prairie Wolves finished the year winning final three matches and six of last seven matches.