ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – No. 8 Griffon Volleyball returns to the Looney Complex on Friday night, closing out its 10-match homestand against Northwest Missouri State in MIAA action. First serve is scheduled for 6 p.m.
MoWest (12-1, 2-0 MIAA) enters the matchup following a perfect opening weekend of conference play. The Griffons earned back-to-back sweeps over then-No. 22 Central Oklahoma and Newman to extend their winning streak to five matches.
Griffons hold at program-best No. 8
MoWest remained at No. 8 in the latest AVCA/Taraflex Division II Coaches Poll released Monday. The ranking matches the highest in program history after the Griffons first moved to No. 8 last week.
The Griffons have won 12 of their first 13 matches and have dropped just one match entering the final contest of their homestand.
Weberg earns MIAA Defensive Athlete of the Week
Senior libero Anna Weberg was named the MIAA Defensive Athlete of the Week following MoWest's opening weekend of conference play. The honor is the first MIAA Athlete of the Week award for Griffon Volleyball this season.
Weberg continues to lead the Griffon defense with 236 digs through 13 matches.
Griffons riding 15-set winning streak
MoWest enters Friday night having won 15 consecutive sets, sweeping each of its last five opponents. The Griffons have not dropped a set since their five-set loss to Rockhurst on Sept. 5.
The streak continued during the opening weekend of MIAA play, as MoWest posted back-to-back sweeps over then-No. 22 Central Oklahoma and Newman inside the Looney Complex. The Griffons will look to extend the streak Friday against Northwest Missouri State.
Heldt closes in on 1,000 career kills
Senior outside hitter Holly Heldt enters Friday on the doorstep of a career milestone. Heldt has recorded 100 kills this season, bringing her career total to 998, just two shy of 1,000.
With two more kills, Heldt would become just the second player in MoWest history to record 1,000 career kills, 1,300 digs and 150 service aces, joining Sarah Ekdahl.
Heldt recently surpassed 150 career service aces and enters Friday with 154 career aces, adding another milestone to her Griffon career.
What's Next
Following Friday night's match, MoWest heads on the road for a pair of MIAA contests. The Griffons travel to Warrensburg to face (RV) Central Missouri on Friday, Oct. 2 at 6 p.m. before heading to Joplin to take on Missouri Southern on Saturday, Oct. 3 at 3 p.m.
