ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — Looking to shake a three-match skid, Griffon Volleyball is set to host Nebraska-Kearney and Fort Hays State this Friday and Saturday, beginning the team's first real home stand at the MWSU Fieldhouse.
Since beginning MIAA play, the Griffons (3-8) are 0-3 with losses against then No. 12 Northwest Missouri, No. 18 Central Missouri and Pittsburg State. Missouri Western's Sept. 16 matchup at Missouri Southern was postponed due to a COVID-19 outbreak within the Southern volleyball program. The Griffons' play as of late has been hightailed by
Lily Kurz, who has the 10th-most blocks in the MIAA with 37.
GRIFFS GIVE TO CHARITY
Griffon Volleyball is gathering donations for Sunshine Bags for the Ronald McDonald House during Friday night's match vs. Nebraska-Kearney. The bags are used as a pick-me-up whenever kids or parents are having a bad day. Fans are encouraged to donate anything yellow to help bring smiles to families going through tough times. Some suggested items include but are not limited to the following:
- Sunny D
- Yellow pencils and notepads
- Activities that are yellow in color
More information on what you can donate can be found by clicking
here. Be creative, and go Griffs!
9/23 - SCOUTING NEBRASKA-KEARNEY
Near the top of the polls, No. 7 UNK enters Friday's 6 p.m. fray with one of the top winning records in Division II, sitting at 13-1 overall and 3-1 in the MIAA. Tied for third in the conference with Central Oklahoma, the Lopers are on a three-match tear after starting the season 10-0. They're led by Emersen Cyza's 151 kills — the second most in the MIAA. Fallon Stutheit leads the conference with a hitting percentage of 42.6%.
As a whole, UNK is up front and center in the conference with a hitting percentage of 28.5% and an average of 13 assists per match. They also only trail Newman and UCO in kills with 664. The Lopers also know how to toe the line, recording the second-most service aces in the MIAA so far this season with 87. Lexi Stephens 19 aces leads the Lopers and is tied for fourth in the league.
Friday night's contest will be MWSU's fourth-straight match vs. an opponent with a winning record. The Griffons are 14-42-1 against UNK all-time and have lost the last seven meetings.
9/24 - SCOUTING FORT HAYS
Slated to square off with MWSU on Saturday at 1 p.m., Fort Hays (6-6, 1-3 MIAA) may enter the Looney Complex under .500 after its Friday evening match with No. 17 Central Missouri. The Tigers have lost four of their last five matchups, only spared by a 3-2 victory over Newman on Sept. 17.
The Tigers' bread and butter on offense is their ability to bring down blocks, recording the second most per set in the MIAA with 2.23. Emily Ellis's 44 rejections this year is fourth in MIAA, evening out to nearly a block per set. Morgan Christiansen's 39 blocks are eighth most the conference, complementing Christiansen up front at the net.
Missouri Western is typically dominant at home when facing FHSU, going 13-3 against the Tigers inside the MWSU Fieldhouse. The Griffons are 43-13 all-time in the rivalry, hightailed by a 12-match winning streak started in 2013 that just ended after last season's 3-1 final in St. Joseph.
NOTABLES
- Freshman Lia Graham leads the Griffons with 148 digs and 12 service aces. Her 12 aces are tied for 15th in the conference.
- Junior Danielle Moje's 114.5 points and 93 kills lead the team and are good for 20th and 19th respectively in the MIAA.
- Missouri Western averages the fourth-most blocks per set with an average of 1.99.
- It's tough to sneak a service ace past MWSU, as the Griffons have only given up 48 this fall — good for third least in the league.
