ARDEN HILLS, Minn. - Tonight mark's the date for the 2011 MIAC volleyball tournament opener. After last week's 3-0 win over Saint Benedict and 3-1 loss to St. Thomas, Bethel comes into the tournament as the No. 3 seed. The Royals play host to No. 6 Augsburg College at the Robertson Center Gym at 7 p.m. Earlier in the season BU suffered a 3-2 loss to the Auggies at home, however, the Royals went on to win 10 of their next 11 matches.

The Royals come into the tournament tied for first place in blocks with 2.24 blocks-per-game. They will look to Amy Werner (Jr., Three Lakes, Wis.) and Nicole Wriedt (Sr., Pewaukee, Wis.) to contribute in this effort tonight against Augsburg. Werner currently leads the conference in blocks with 1.20 blocks-per-game. Kate Smith (Sr., Arden Hills, Minn.) has led Bethel all season long in set-assists and currently stands in fifth place overall within the MIAC conference in sets-per-game with 9.65.

Fans are encouraged to note that tonights match will be hosted by the MIAC, so all in attendance will pay upon entry. The cost for adults will be seven dollars and students (with I.D.) will be charged three dollars. The first 100 students will receive two dollars off the ticket price. Live stats and video streaming will be available for tonights game. Please be sure to visit BU's Game Central for both.