GRIFFON VOLLEYBALL WEEKEND PREVIEW
When: Friday, Nov. 10, 7 p.m. vs Fort Hays
Where: St. Joseph, Missouri
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Senior Night
When: Saturday, Nov. 11, 7 p.m. vs #5 Nebraska Kearney
Where: St. Joseph, Missouri
Live Stats | Watch
Follow: @MWSUvolleyball | @GoGriffons
 
ST. JOSEPH – In 2013, Marian Carbin became the first former Griffon volleyball player to be named head coach of the program and has more than taken care of her alma mater. In those five seasons since, she has led Missouri Western to three seasons of at least 20 wins. Carbin has also guided her program to five consecutive winning seasons, something the program hasn't seen since it became a NCAA Division II member in 1989.
 
Riding a nine-game winning streak and winning 13 of the last 14 matches, MWSU has secured a home match in the MIAA Tournament on Tuesday, Nov. 14. With a win on Friday against Fort Hays State, Missouri Western will finish no lower than second in the conference, the highest since 1997. The program hasn't finished first in the conference in 30 years but that all could change following a win on Friday night.  
 
No. 5 Nebraska Kearney is the lone loss in MWSU's hot streak but Saturday's match could be a sweet sendoff on senior night. Missouri Western can avenge the loss to the Lopers and clinch at least a share of the MIAA regular season title with a win.
 
The Griffons rival, Northwest Missouri State, can help Saturday's match become an outright MIAA regular season title if they upset UNK on Friday in Maryville, Missouri and Missouri Western beats Fort Hays.
 
Any fan showing their ticket from Saturday's Griffon football game will get in free to the volleyball match that night as well.
 
MISSOURI WESTERN
Missouri Western is 20-9 on the season and 14-2 in the MIAA … Lauren Murphy ranks 16th in Division II for assists (1,126) and 12^th in assists per set (11.92) … Stephanie Doak is second in the MIAA for kills per set (3.84) and third for total kills (392) … Kayla Ruff ranks fourth in the conference for digs per set (5.14) and fifth in total digs (545) … Ali Tauchen is fourth in the league for total blocks (114), block assists (98), fifth for blocks per set (1.08) and sixth in solo blocks (16) … Rachel Losch ranks seventh in the MIAA for kills (207) and eighth for hitting percentage (.283)
 
As a team, the Griffons are 25th in Division II for team assists (1,248) … MWSU is second in the MIAA in digs per set (17.81) … fourth in the league for hitting percentage (.223) and kills (1,424) … fifth for service aces (123), service aces per set (1.16), assists per set (12.69), kills per set (13.43) and digs (1,888) … Missouri Western swept Fort Hays 3-0 on Oct.6  and fell 3-0 to Nebraska Kearney on Oct. 7
 
FORT HAYS
The Tigers are 11-21 on the season and 2-14 in the MIAA … MWSU won the first match of the season, 3-0, in Hays, Kansas… Fort Hays ranks first in the MIAA for digs (2,016) … second for assists (1,350) and total blocks (236) … third in kills (1,430) … MWSU leads the all-time series 38-13
 
#5 NEBRASKA KEARNEY
The Lopers are 29-2 on the season and 15-1 in the MIAA … UNK swept MWSU in the first meeting of the season … UNK ranks second in the MIAA for kills (1,447), kills per set (13.78), assists per set (12.85), blocks per set (2.20) and service aces (158) … Third in hitting percentage (.226), assists (1,345) and service aces (1.32)… Fourth in total blocks (230.5)
 
UP NEXT
The Griffons host the first round of the MIAA Tournament in the MWSU Fieldhouse at 7 p.m. Opponent will be announced at a later date. Missouri Western athletics social media platforms and gogriffons.com will have all information when it becomes available.