ST. JOSEPH, Mo. - The Missouri Western volleyball team (6-2) will wrap up its non-conference invitational schedule this weekend at the SNU/UCO Invitational in Bethany, Oklahoma.
 
All matches will be live-streamed for free at the Sawyer Center on the Southern Nazarene YouTube page. In addition, live stats will be available for every match throughout the weekend.
 
The action will begin on Friday at 11 a.m. with a showdown against the Southwestern Oklahoma State Bulldogs (3-3). The two programs have met five times since 1981, with the Griffons holding a 4-0-1 advantage. The last time the two teams met, MWSU claimed a 3-1 victory, led by a 16-kill performance from Rachel Friedrich.
 
Missouri Western's Friday schedule will conclude with a highly anticipated match against another regional opponent, Oklahoma Baptist (5-5). Oklahoma Baptist represented the Great American Conference in the NCAA Division II Central Region last season but has struggled to find a rhythm in the early going. The Griffons won the first three matches against the Bison dating back to 1983, but OBU secured a three-set victory last season in Topeka, Kansas.
 
The final match of the weekend will take place on Saturday at 10:00 a.m., featuring Western against host Southern Nazarene (2-6). Since their first meeting in 1987, MWSU has won all five matches, and only dropping two sets to the Storm. In their last encounter in 2016, Friedrichs and Stephanie Doad achieved double-digit kills, while Kourtney Blaufuss recorded 38 assists.
 
STARTING THE SEASON STRONG
Missouri Western has replicated its 6-2 start from last season, marking its best start in head coach Jessica Fey's tenure.
 
This season, the Griffons have only suffered losses to ranked opponents: No. 5 Concordia-St. Paul and No. 19 Grand Valley State. In addition, they achieved a sweep over No. 13 Regis, and all of their wins have been secured in four sets or fewer.
 
TEAM LEADERS
Holly Heldt has picked up right where she left off a season ago. The sophomore leads the team with 74 kills and has provided 91 digs, 12 blocks and eight assists. Additionally, she leads the entire MIAA with 20 service aces.
 
Nessa Johnson has excelled in her senior season with 275 assists, leading the team and ranking third in the conference. The Gilbert, Iowa native has amassed 2,524 career assists during her impressive career as a Griffon.
 
Senior Lily Kurz has been solid in the middle with 32.0 blocks this season, which is tied for fourth in the conference. She has also produced strong offensive numbers with 52 kills and a .407 hitting percentage (5th-MIAA).
 
Libero Anna Weberg is just outside the top 10 in conference digs with 103 (3.81 AVG/S). The sophomore has also recorded 21 assists and five aces.
 
LAST TIME OUT
Missouri Western improved its season record to 6-2 with an impressive 3-1 showing at the Hampton Inn and Suites Grand Rapids Downtown Classic in Michigan last weekend.
 
The Griffons started off the invite with a decisive victory on Friday against Saginaw Valley, securing their fourth consecutive win with a sweep (25-20, 25-9, 25-11). However, they fell to No. 19 Grand Valley State (25-23, 25-18, 25-21) later that day.
 
On the second day of competition, MWSU began the day with a sweep over co-host Davenport (25-16, 25-19, 25-20). They ended the weekend with a 3-1 thriller over Tiffin (27-25, 21-25, 25-13, 25-18) to end the weekend on a high note.