MACOMB, Ill.  — The Western Illinois volleyball team looks to end a four-match losing streak, including a three-match skid in Summit League play, Friday and Saturday, Oct. 23-24, when the Leathernecks welcome North Dakota State and South Dakota State to Brophy Hall.

Friday and Saturday's matches, both scheduled to start at 7 p.m., will mark Dig Pink weekend at Brophy. The Fighting Leatherneck players will wear pink warmup shirts as part of a national Dig Pink initiative in recognition of breast cancer awareness month. The first 50 fans in attendance will receive free pink T-shirts and donations will be accepted for pink ribbons and car magnets. Proceeds will benefit the Side-Out Foundation to help the fight against breast cancer.

After playing its last four Summit League matches on the road, Western Illinois coach Kym McKay said her team is glad to be back in friendly confines.

“If you look at the league now that we are one week into the second round, you are going to see that the home teams are winning more matches than the away teams. If you are looking from two through nine in the league, a lot of the home teams are winning especially on Saturday nights,” McKay said. “Travel is really affecting how teams are playing. We are going to take advantage of being home three out of the last four weekends in conference play.”

Leading the Leathernecks
Junior setter Ellen Miller ranks fourth in The Summit League with an average of 9.41 assists per set. Her 30 assists and 12 digs in Western's last match against Drake marked Miller's 12th double-double of the season. She also carries an average of 2.86 digs per set.

Leading the Leatherenecks' attack is sophomore Cait Egan, who ranks sixth in the conference with an average of 3.0 kills per set. Egan leads Western's hitters with a .279 hitting percentage (255k, 70e, 664ta) and she leads the team with 0.72 blocks per set. Joining Egan on the Western attack are sophomores Allison Gilbert (2.55 kills/set) and Megan Toczek (2.03 kills/set).

Defensively, Western is led by sophomore Brooke Stittleburg's 3.39 digs per set. Stittleburg has recorded double-digit dig totals in six out of Western's last seven matches. Also for Western, freshman libero Bridget Murphy averages 2.95 digs per set and senior defensive specialist Elise Crnjak averages 2.78 digs per set.

Scouting North Dakota State
The Leathernecks will first face a Bison squad (15-3, 11-0 Summit League) that defeated Western 3-1 in Fargo, N.D., Sept. 26. The defending Summit League champions carry a 30-match conference win streak into Brophy Hall. NDSU leads the all-time series between the two teams 4-2.

NDSU is led by defending Summit League player of the year Chrissy Knuth, who leads the conference with a .386 hitting percentage (218k, 53e, 427ta) and ranks fourth in the league with an average of 3.52 kills per set. Knuth is joined on the front line by Lauren McLaughlin, who ranks ninth in the conference with an average of 2.96 kills per set, and Brooke VandenBergh who figures for 2.53 kills per set.

Setting up the Bison offense is sophomore Jennifer Lopez, who averages 7.86 assists per set. Lopez's sister, senior Kelly Lopez, leads the Summit League with an average of 4.89 digs per set.

Scouting South Dakota State
Western will also be looking to exact some revenge against a Jackrabbits team (6-13, 5-6 Summit League) that topped the Leathernecks in five sets Sept. 25, in Brookings, S.D.

Much like Western, SDSU also enters the weekend on a four-match losing streak with three-straight conference losses. The Jackrabbits will play at IUPUI Friday before taking on Western. SDSU leads the all-time series between the two teams 5-2.

Leading the Jackrabbits' attack is the outside hitting duo of Fiona Jones and Ellyce Youngren. Youngren averages 2.94 kills per set while Jones carries an average of 2.77 kills per set. Setting up the SDSU hitters is the duo of Nicole Peters and Thyele Rechatiko. Peters averages 6.79 assists per set and Rechatiko averages 5.50 assists per set.

Defensively, the Jackrabbits are led by libero Stacey Wernert, who averages 3.82 digs per set. Jones also chips in 2.85 digs per set while Fiegen leads the team with an average of 0.97 blocks per set.

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