Volleyball set to open Summit League play on the road this weekend

MACOMB - After participating in a pair of tournaments over the last two weeks, the Western Illinois volleyball team begins Summit League play this weekend as the Fighting Leathernecks travel to play Centenary Friday and Oral Roberts Saturday. Both matches are scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. CST.

Western Illinois (2-4) enters the weekend looking to build on a 3-2 victory over McNeese State Sunday at the Troy University Spiketacular. Centenary (3-2) looks to pick up its first win over Western in school history and Oral Roberts (2-5) seeks to put an end to a four-game losing streak.

"We are excited to start conference play," said Western Illinois head coach Kym McKay. "Our first six matches have taught us a lot about ourselves and identified the intangibles that we need to be successful."

Coverage

Oral Roberts will be providing live stats for Saturday's match. To view, click the Live Stats Link on the Western Illinois' volleyball schedule page via GoLeathernecks.com.

Leading the Leathernecks

Sunday's victory over McNeese State marked the second-consecutive match in which Allison Gilbert has led the Leathernecks in kills. Gilbert leads the team with an average of 3.04 kills per set and her kills average jumped nearly half a point in one day as the 6-2 junior posted 34 kills over two matches on Sunday. Gilbert, who posted a career-high 20 kills in the win over McNeese State, ranks second amongst Western's hitters with a .291 hitting percentage, just percentage points behind sophomore Katie Hosteng.

In her first five career appearances, freshman setter Heather Smith has led the Leathernecks to impressive offensive numbers. Western Illinois currently ranks first in the Summit League in kills per set (12.71) and assists per set (11.83). Smith ranks second in the conference with 9.81 assists per set and has posted four 30-plus assists performances so far this season.

Junior middle blocker Cait Egan has been dominant defensively so far this season and is on pace to etch her name in the program's record books. Egan ranks third in the Summit League with 1.21 blocks per set and has tallied 29 total blocks over six matches (4.83 b/m). If she stays at her current pace, Egan would crack Western's top five single-season total block leaders.

Scouting the Ladies

Centenary, who was winless in Summit League play in 2009, picked up its third win of the season Tuesday night when the Ladies swept Grambling State 3-0 on the road. The Ladies split four matches to start the season at the Millsap Invitational last weekend, defeating Faulkner and Belhaven on Friday before dropping decisions to LeTourneau and Loyola (La.) Saturday. Centenary is under the guidance of first-year head coach Jon Stenman, who recently served as head coach at Division II member Coker College in South Carolina. Stenman inherits three starters and five letterwinners from last year's squad that posted a 3-9 home record.

The Ladies are led offensively by junior middle blocker Stevie Hurlbirt, who ranks third in the Summit League with 3.42 kills per set. Six-foot-six sophomore middle blocker Shelby Singleton ranks second in the conference with a .427 attack percentage and freshman setter Bethany Nuttall is averaging 6.41 assists per set. Junior outside hitter Jaclyn Lopez has seven service aces so far this season and tops Centenary with 3.37 digs per set.

Western Illinois holds a commanding 14-0 lead in their series with Centenary, which started in 2003. Ellen Miller posted a double-double (36 assists, 12 digs) and Krissy Bergquist added 11 kills in the last meeting, a 3-0 Leatherneck road victory on Halloween last season.

Scouting the Golden Eagles

Oral Roberts began the 2010 season with two wins at the Texas-Pan American Tournament but have since lost four straight matches. The Golden Eagles dropped their home-opener to Arkansas 3-2 last Tuesday and were swept in all three matches of the Kansas State Invitational last weekend. Oral Roberts will host IUPUI Friday to open Summit League play before taking on Western Illinois Saturday.

The Golden Eagles return nine letterwinners and four starters from last year's squad that missed postseason play after finishing seventh in the Summit League with an 8-10 conference record. Sophomore middle blocker Elizabeth McVicker ranks third in the Summit League with a .386 attack percentage and first on the team with 2.37 kills per set. Freshmen setters Laura Taylor and Anna Rossi have combined for 11.5 assists per set this season and senior Cassidy Holmes ranks fourth in the conference with 4.09 digs per set. McVicker and senior middle blocker Jocelyn Swier have been imposing at the net so far this season with a combined 42 blocks.

Saturday's match will be the 31st meeting between the programs, with ORU owning a 25-5 series advantage. Western fell 3-0 in the last meeting on Oct. 30, 2009 in Tulsa, Okla. and has dropped four straight overall in the series.