ST. PAUL, MINN. – The St. Catherine University volleyball team had a strong start to the 2017 season as it went 2-2 at the Virginia Wesleyan Tournament with wins over Marymount and Goucher. After a successful trip out east, the Wildcats return home Wednesday night to host Martin Luther College in the first home event of 2017.

First serve between St. Kate's and Martin Luther is scheduled for 7 p.m. in the Butler Center Gym. Fans are encouraged to arrive early and pack and stands for "Back to School" night. Students can get in free with their student ID, and tickets are $3 for kids and $7 for adults.

Fans who can't attend the game in person can watch online via tjsports.net.

Here is a special "back to school" edition of the five facts to know before tonight's match:

1^st – A lot of firsts are happening today on St. Kate's campus. September 6 is the first day of class for Wildcat students, which started bright and early at 8 a.m. St. Kate's volleyball team is also hosting the first home event of 2017 on this day, which marks the earliest home match for the Wildcats in five years.

11 – Over the summer, St. Kate's received the AVCA Academic Team Award for the 11^th straight season, one of the longest streaks in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC). In order to earn the award, high school and college volleyball teams must hold a cumulative GPA of 3.30 during the academic year. The Wildcats were 150 teams from Division III and eight teams from the MIAC to receive the honor.  

7 – St. Kate's volleyball student-athletes are no slouch in the classroom, and seven different majors are represented on the team. The most popular majors on the team are nursing and exercise and sports science, but student-athletes are also pursuing degrees in psychology, chemistry, criminal justice, biology and business.

2 – The Wildcats earned their first wins of the season last weekend, with two wins over Marymount and Goucher at the Virginia Wesleyan Tournament in Norfolk, Virginia. After a rough start to the season on Friday, St. Kate's rebounded with a big 3-1 win over the Saints before earning a 3-1 comeback win over Goucher in the final match of the day.

.488 – Outside hitters Mackenzie Peper (Osceola, Wis. / Osceola) and Libby Kreuser (White Bear Lake, Minn. / Totino-Grace) were offensive sparks in St. Kate's 3-1 win over Goucher on Saturday. The two Wildcats earned a combined hitting percentage of .488 after combining for 22 kills and just one error in four sets. Kreuser also added six aces and was credited with 18.5 of St. Kate's 101 points that match.