MATCH NOTES

MACOMB - Finished with the first half of its Summit League schedule, the Western Illinois volleyball team steps out of conference at 7 p.m. Monday night to play at in-state rival SIU-Edwardsville.

The Fighting Leathernecks (5-12, 2-7 Summit League) seek their third straight victory over the Cougars (10-7), who swept Bradley at home Sunday afternoon. Western dropped a pair of matches to South Dakota State and league-leader North Dakota State at home this past weekend.

MEDIA COVERAGE

Live Stats: Live Stats will be provided by SIU-Edwardsville and can be viewed at GoLeathernecks.com by accessing the live stats link on the volleyball schedule page.

Live Video: SIUEtv will be streaming the match live on their website. To watch the match, click here

Live Audio: SIUE Web Radio will be covering the match. To listen to the match online, click here

SERIES HISTORY

Monday is the third meeting all-time between Western and SIU-Edwardsville, with the Leathernecks up 2-0 in the series. Western only dropped one set in two meetings last season. Allison Gilbert had a match-high 16 kills and Ellen Miller collected a double-double (38 assists and 15 digs) to help the Leathernecks win their 2009 home opener over the Cougars, 3-1, on Sept. 1, 2009.  

In the last meeting between the programs, Western Illinois middle hitters Katie Hosteng and Cait Egan combined for 24 kills and a .416 attack percentage and the Leathernecks swept the Cougars in Edwardsville on Oct. 5, 2009.

SCOUTING SIU-EDWARDSVILLE

SIU-Edwardsville (10-7) swept Bradley Sunday afternoon for its second straight victory. The Cougars previous match was a 3-2 home victory over Summit League member UMKC on Tuesday, Oct. 5.

Other than UMKC, the Cougars and Leathernecks have shared three common opponents and results so far this season. SIU-Edwardsville lost at Evansville and picked up wins against USC-Upstate and Chicago State.

The Cougars are under the guidance of tenth-year head coach Todd Gober, who picked up his 200th career victory in the win over UMKC. SIU-Edwardsville went 2-27 last season in their second season of competition since making the jump from Div. II to Div. I. 

Senior Sydney Winslow, who leads SIU-Edwardsville with 2.95 kills per set, recently became the seventh player in program history to record 1,000 kills. Freshmen outside hitters Lexi Cibulka (2.44 k/s) and Julia Whitfield (2.35 k/s) have also been major contributors to the Cougar attack and take sets from sophomore Sammi Minton, who averages 10.32 assists per set. Junior middle hitter Jessica Hemann leads the team with 33 total blocks and is fourth on the squad with 127 kills.

WESTERN ILLINOIS QUICK HITS

Stittleburg on the Attack - Junior Brooke Stittleburg has emerged as the Leathernecks top offensive option after averaging just 1.38 kills per set over the first eight matches of the season. The Black River Falls, Wis. native has posted a team-high 3.18 kills per set and been in double-digits in all but one match since the home opener against Chicago State (Sept. 14). She has led Western in kills six times and collected 77 percent of her season total over the last nine matches.

Defensive Standout - Sophomore Bridget Murphy had 19 digs Saturday night to lead the Leathernecks for the sixth consecutive match. Murphy was one dig off her career high (29) Friday night against South Dakota State and has seven service aces over the last four matches. She now owns a team-high 226 digs this season. 

Seeing Double - Junior Brooke Stittleburg had a team-high 13 kills Saturday night and also added 15 digs to collect her third consecutive and team-high sixth double-double of the season. Senior setter Ellen Miller posted 36 assists and 15 digs for her fourth double-double this season.

Ross Sets Career Highs - Freshman Meghan Ross received her second career start Saturday night against league-leader North Dakota State and set career highs with 12 digs and three kills. The Plainfield, Ill. native has 49 digs so far this season.

Pair of Aces - Cait Egan collected two more service aces Saturday night against North Dakota State to raise her team-leading total to 18 service aces this season. The junior now owns 38 service aces in her career.

Leathernecks on Career Charts - Junior middle hitter Cait Egan had two total blocks over the weekend and continues to climb up Western Illinois' career charts. Egan ranks seventh in program history with 58 solo blocks and owns 252 career total blocks, which places her tenth on the all-time chart.

Senior setter Ellen Miller had 83 assists over the weekend and now owns 1,627 assists in her career, which is eighth best all-time in program history. Miller needs 69 more assists this season to move into seventh place.