Match #9: McKendree (5-3, 0-0 GLVC) at Truman (5-3, 0-0 GLVC)
When: Friday, September 18, 2015 || 7 p.m. (CT)
Where: Kirksville, Mo. || Pershing Arena
Live Stats: http://sidearmstats.com/truman/wvball/
Live Video: http://trumanbulldogs.com/watch/?Live=117
Stats: Truman || GLVC || McKendree Match #10: Illinois Springfield (2-7, 0-0 GLVC) at Truman
When: Saturday, September 19, 2015 || 1 p.m. (CT)
Where: Kirksville, Mo. || Pershing Arena
Live Stats: http://sidearmstats.com/truman/wvball/
Live Video: http://trumanbulldogs.com/watch/?Live=118
Stats: Truman || GLVC || Illinois Springfield
A First Look:
The first two tests in the 2015 Truman volleyball team's quest to repeat as Great Lakes Valley Conference champions will commence in Pershing Arena this Friday and Saturday, as the Bulldogs will host McKendree and Illinois Springfield as part of the University's Family Weekend festivities.
Truman will start the conference season with a rematch from the final GLVC showdown of 2014, as the Bulldogs and McKendree will see each other for the first time since Truman's five-set GLVC Championship victory and follow-up three-set sweep in the opening round of the NCAA-II Midwest regional at 7 p.m. on Friday. Then, on Saturday, Truman will host the Prairie Stars of Illinois Springfield at 1 p.m. in a quick turnaround match.
The Bulldogs rebounded from a .500 opening weekend at Central Missouri's classic by winning three of four in Pennsylvania at the California (Pa.) Invitational. Truman defeated Fairmont (W. Va.) State in four sets and host Cal-PA in five sets on day one before ending up on both sides of four set matches on day two against Clarion (Pa.) (win) and Saginaw Valley (Mich.) State (loss). Senior Abby Heise and junior Kayla Bastian were each named to the all-tournament team for their efforts at the event.
Truman will look to start conference play with a victory for the second straight season after sweeping UW-Parkside in Pershing Arena last September. The Bulldogs lost their first-ever GLVC match in September 2013 at Lewis before picking up a win the next day at UWP.
Head coach Ben Briney is back for his seventh season at the helm, as the former Truman assistant-turned-head coach ranks No. 2 on the program's victories chart with a 153-61 (.715) overall record.
Bulldog Tweet-ables (140 characters or less):- #VBHistory: This year is the 42nd season of volleyball at Truman. The program's all-time record is 923-491-14 (.651).
- #GLVCStrong: After posting a .712 win% in 30 yrs of MIAA play, the 'Dogs are 31-5 (.861) in two seasons of GLVC action.
- #MakeItEasy: The Bulldogs have yet to win a three-set match this season, going 4-2 in 4-setters and 1-0 in 5-setters.
- #GLV-I-See-You: Ali Patterson (5th in blocks) & Matti Mason (9th in assists) rank amongst the GLVC's top-10 in individual stat categories.
- #MasonToMason: This past weekend saw the first Mason-to-Mason putaway, as Matti (setter) hit little sister Bailey (OH) for eight kills.
- #HeptaDecagons: The Bulldogs' 17-player roster features five SRs, four JRs, one SO, three redshirt-FRs, and four true FRs.
- #LandOfLincoln: Of Truman's 17 players on the opening day roster, six hail from the state of Illinois. IA, MO, OR, TX, WI also repped.
- #AlphabetSoup: Nine players return as previous letterwinners for the Bulldogs in 2015.
Scouting the Opponents:
McKendree (Ill.) "Bearcats" – Friday at 7 p.m. (CT) in Kirksville, Mo. (Pershing Arena)- Last season's GLVC runners-up, McKendree has opened 2015 with a 5-3 record through the first two weekends of play. The Bearcats and Bulldogs have played one common opponent this season – both defeated California (Pa.).
- The Bearcats are averaging the fourth-most kills per set in the GLVC at 13.8 per set. Middle blocker Sophie Fairman has been one of the top players on both sides of the net, ranking fifth in the league with 3.89 kills and seventh in the league with 1.22 blocks per set.
- McKendree has a 17-12 advantage in sets won this season, going 4-4 in opening sets and 1-1 in five-set matches.
- Last season, the Bulldogs defeated McKendree three times – once in the regular season on the road, once in the GLVC tournament championship, and once in the NCAA-II Midwest regional opening round. Abby Heise (3.00 k/s, .367%, 1.17 b/s) and Ali Patterson (2.05 k/s, .337%, 1.32 b/s) have been Truman's top two active performers in their careers against the Bearcats.
- McKendree was picked to finish third in the GLVC East, garnering four first-place votes, in the 2015 GLVC preseason coaches' poll after going 20-14 a season ago.
- Truman is 9-2 all-time against McKendree, with the Bulldogs having won eight in a row dating back to a 2-0 Bearcat win on October 3, 1987. The Bulldogs are 5-0 under coach Briney.
- After being promoted from an assistant coaching role to the head coaching job last October mid-season, Nickie Sanlin is now in her first full season as the Bearcats' head coach.
Illinois Springfield "Prairie Stars" – Saturday at 1 p.m. (CT) in Kirksville, Mo. (Pershing Arena)- The Prairie Stars open up a weekend trip through Quincy (Friday night) and Truman with a 2-7 overall record, having joined the Bulldogs at the UCM Classic to start the season before heading to Nebraska-Kearney's three-day, five –match event last weekend.
- UIS and Truman faced the same four opponents on opening weekend, with the Bulldogs going 2-2 to UIS' 0-4 mark.
- Illinois Springfield is hitting .130 on the season, led by Ashley Beaton's 3.29 kills/set mark, which is good for seventh in the GLVC.
- Last year, the Bulldogs defeated UIS in four sets twice – once at home in a non-conference tilt and once at Illinois Springfield just 11 days later in mid-September. Junior Kayla Bastian absolutely obliterated UIS last season to a tune of 5.33 kills per set and a .475 hitting percentage, while senior Emilee Walters is a career .469 hitter against UIS with 16 kills and nine blocks in eight sets during two seasons.
- Illinois Springfield was picked to finish eighth of eight in the GLVC East after going10-18 in 2014.
- Truman is 4-0 all-time against UIS, with all four victories coming under coach Briney since 2010.
- Trey Salinas is in his first season as the UIS head coach.
Bulldogs Picked Second in GLVC West Preseason Poll:
The reigning Great Lakes Valley Conference champion Truman volleyball squad will start the 2015 season as hunters once again following a second-place prediction in the West division by league coaches in the annual preseason poll.
The Bulldogs garnered six first-place votes and 110 total points to come in five points back of West division preseason-favorite Rockhurst. The Hawks received 10 first-place votes and 115 total points to lead all 16 schools in both categories.
Missouri S&T (89), Missouri-St. Louis (77), Drury (60), Quincy (55), Maryville (38), and William Jewell (25) rounded out the West division, while three teams split the 16 possible first-place votes in the East. Indianapolis picked up seven first-place votes and 110 total points to narrowly edge Lewis' five first-place votes and 109 total points for the top spot. Truman's opponent in the GLVC championship match and first-round NCAA tournament foe McKendree picked up the remaining four first-place votes and sat third in the East with 97 total points.
Southern Indiana (78), UW-Parkside (64), Bellarmine (50), Saint Joseph's (32), and Illinois Springfield (28) closed out the East division.
The top eight teams will qualify for the 2015 post-season tournament, to be held Nov. 20-22 at the East Side Centre in Peoria, Ill.
Up Next:
The first of two straight road weekends awaits Truman volleyball next weekend, as a trip to the eastern portion of the GLVC is on tap. The Bulldogs will face Bellarmine (4-3) on Friday, Sept. 25 at 6 p.m. before stopping at Southern Indiana (7-1) on Saturday, Sept. 26 at 3 p.m.
