Game Time...16th-ranked Northwestern concludes the non-conference portion of its schedule this weekend at the Missouri Valley Invitational in Marshall, Mo. The Red Raiders will play three matches in the two-day event, beginning with a late afternoon match-up against Avila (Mo.) at 5pm. They will then play the host team, Missouri Valley, later that night at 7pm, and will come back on Saturday, Sept. 8 to square off against Stephens College (Mo.) at noon. 

Follow all of the matches live via the live stats, courtesy of Missouri Valley College, at this link: Live Stats!

All-Time...Northwestern is a combined 4-0 all-time against its three opponents this weekend, going 2-0 against Avila and 1-0 against both Missouri Valley and Stephens. 

    vs Avila: 2-0 
        3-0 win, 2005
        2-0 win, 1992

    vs Missouri Valley: 1-0
        3-0 win, 2016

    vs Stephens: 1-0
        3-0, 2012

Scouting Reports...

    Avila Eagles: 3-9            Head Coach: Loretta Jones-6th year

The Eagles head into this weekend with four straight losses and a 3-9 overall record. They dropped matches to Clarke (Iowa), Presentation (S.D.), Oklahoma City and William Woods (Mo.) over the last two weeks following three straight wins in non-conference play. Avila began the season with five consecutive losses against teams from Kansas and Missouri.

Coach Jones is in her sixth year as the head of the Avila volleyball program and returns five starters and eight players from a 2017 team that went 5-30 overall, 3-16 and 12th place in their final year in the Heart of America Athletic Conference. Now part of the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference, Avila was picked to finish 10th out of 13 teams in the preseason poll. 

By the Numbers (Conference Rank / NAIA rank-if top 10)
        Kills/Game: 9.8 (11th)
        Hitting %: .148 (11th)
        Aces: 60 (9th)
        Digs/Set: 14.6 (11th)
        Blocks/Set: 1.3 (10th)

     Top Players (Conf / NAIA rank-if top 10)
        Paige Rackers (returning starter) 2.8 kills /set (7th), .189% 14 blocks
        Amara Meeks - 2.7 kills/set, .185%, 13 blocks
        Maria Valleroy - 1.9 kills/set, 23 blocks
        Hannah Mast - 8.4 assists/set (4th), 9 aces, 2.4 digs/set
        Savanna Stevens - 12 aces
        Marisa Macias - 3.9 digs/set

    Missouri Valley Vikings: 0-1 (HAAC), 5-6 overall        Head Coach: Tamika Drake (1st)

Since a 4-1 start, the Vikings have lost four straight and five of their last six heading into their home tournament this weekend. Missouri Valley is 5-6 overall, losing to three GPAC teams last weekend, Doane, College of Saint Mary and Morningside. Among their wins are Warner, Keiser, St. Thomas, Florida International (all from Florida) and Montana Tech.

Drake, in her first season as the head of the Vikings program, took over last December from previous coach, Brett Holt, who spent five seasons as the head. Drake has served both as a graduate assistant and full assistant within the program the last four years. She inherits a team that returns three starters and six players from a record-setting year in 2017, going 33-11 overall and reaching the NAIA National Championship Final Site for the first time in program history. They represent the Heart of America Athletic Conference.

By the Numbers (Conference Rank / NAIA rank-if top 10)
        Kills/Game: 10.7 (12th)
        Hitting %: .145 (11th)
        Aces: 53 (9th)
        Digs/Set: 17 (5th)
        Blocks/Set: 1.7 (7th)

     Top Players (Conf / NAIA rank-if top 10)
        Talesha Scott - 2.9 kills/set, .145%, 23 blocks, 2.9 digs/set, 12 aces
        Madison Kisner - 1.8 kills/set, .131%, 11 blocks
        Hailey Criswell - 1.7 kills/set, .258%, 26 blocks
        Sarah Mueller (returning starter)  4 assists/set, 11 aces, 2.5 digs/set
        Nicole Boots - (returning starter)  3.1 digs/set

    Stephens Stars:  0-7            Head Coach: Luana Fields (2nd)

Stephens is winless at this point of the season, owning an 0-7 overall record. Last time out, they lost to St. Mary (Kan.) in straight sets. On the year, they 2-21 in sets played.

Members of the American Midwest Conference, Stephens was picked to finish eighth out of 13 teams in the conference preseason coaches' poll. Fields is back for her second season as the head of the program and returns two starters and three players from a 2017 team that finished eighth in the conference with a 4-8 record, 4-20 overall. 

By the Numbers (Conference Rank / NAIA rank-if top 10)
        Kills/Game: 7.7 (13th)
        Hitting %: .024 (13th)
        Aces: 23 (13th)
        Digs/Set: 14 (5th)
        Blocks/Set: .4 (13th)

     Top Players (Conf / NAIA rank-if top 10)
        Danielle Kirk (2nd team all-conference) 3.6 kills/set (5th), .0073%, 5 blocks, 2.7 digs/set
        Elissa Slizoski 1.9 kills/set, 2.6 digs/set
        Mya Middleton  6.1 assists/set, 4 aces, 2.8 digs/set        

No.16 Northwestern Notes: 7-3 overall        Head Coach: Kyle Van Den Bosch (14th year)

The Red Raiders swept Briar Cliff in their GPAC opener, 25-16, 26-24, 25-22, played on the road Tuesday night in Sioux City. Northwestern improved its record to 7-3 overall, 1-2 against teams ranked in the top 25. 

Lauryn Hilger surpassed the 1,000 digs milestone last weekend and became the seventh player in program history with 1,000 career kills and 1,000 career digs. The senior has hit for double figures in all but one match this season. Makenzie Fink has hit for double figures in four matches and both Bekah Horstman and Emily Van Ginkel are coming off back-to-back matches hitting for double figures. Emily Strasser and Hilger share the team lead with five matches with 10+ digs. Lacey Wacker has lofted up 40+ assists in five matches.

By the Numbers (Conference Rank / NAIA rank-if top 10)
        Kills/Game: 14.5 (1st / 3rd)
        Hitting %: .261 (2nd / 9th)
        Aces: 59 (4th)
        Digs/Set: 14.8 (10th)
        Blocks/Set: 1.9 (7th)

     Top Players (Conf / NAIA rank-if top 10)
       Lauryn Hilger (3x All-Conference, 2016 All-American)  4.4 kills/set (T2nd, 10th), .330% (6th), 16 aces (4th), 2.9 digs/set
       Makenzie Fink (All-Conference)  2.5 kills/set, .220% 13 aces, 1.5 digs/set
       Bekah Horstman - 1.6 kills/set, .390%, 1 blocks/set (7th)
       Emily Van Ginkel - 1.9 kills/set, .206%, 21 blocks        
        Lacey Wacker - 11.7 assists/set (1st / 3rd), 2.4 digs/set
        Emily Strasser - 7 aces, 3.5 digs/set

Up Next...The Red Raiders continue with conference play with a pair of GPAC matches on the road next week. They will face off against 12th-ranked Dordt on Tuesday night in Sioux Center followed by another road match-up at (RV) University of Jamestown over the weekend.