MACOMB, Ill. - The Western Illinois volleyball team, off to its best start since the 1993 season, plays host to Southern Utah Friday (Sept. 23) and Oral Roberts Saturday (Sept. 24). Both matches are scheduled to start at 7 p.m. inside Brophy Hall, which features two new scoreboards that were installed over the off-season.

Western Illinois (8-5, 1-2 Summit League) matched 2010's win total Monday night (Sept. 19) with a 3-1 home win over Oakland. The Fighting Leathernecks rallied back from a 22-15 deficit in the final set to secure their first conference victory.

SCOUTING ORAL ROBERTS
Oral Roberts is off to a 9-4 start under the guidance of eighth-year head coach Sheera Sirola, who is first in league history with 159 career wins. The Golden Eagles defeated Southern Utah in four sets Monday night to improve to 2-1 in Summit League play. ORU was picked to finish sixth in the preseason poll and returns second-team selection Elizabeth McVicker (2.64 kills per set, 45 total blocks) and all-league freshman team member Bruna Silva (4.66 digs per set).

EGAN REACHES CAREER MILESTONE
Senior Cait Egan collected a team-high 15 kills on 43 attempts Monday and became just the ninth player in program history to eclipse the 900-career kill milestone (909). Additionally, Egan's seven total blocks Monday moved her career total to 308, which ranks sixth all-time in program history. Egan owns 121 kills, 32 total blocks and six service aces this season to lead the squad with 146.5 total points. Her .272 attack percentage ranks ninth best in The Summit League.

MILLER'S DOUBLE-DOUBLE STREAK
Freshman Ann Miller had 12 kills and a season-high 27 digs Monday night to record her fifth consecutive double-double. Miller now owns a team-high eight double-doubles this season. She leads the squad with 125 kills (2.84 per set-ninth in Summit League) and ranks second in digs (4.02 per set-eighth in Summit League). Elsewhere, she has seven service aces, 12 total blocks and her 138.5 total points is second on the squad behind Cait Egan.

MOLLY MURPHY BAFFLES WITH SERVE
Freshman Molly Murphy entered Monday's match with a team-high 15 service aces and aced Oakland seven times. Murphy, who also compiled a season-high 19 digs, had four aces in the third set and three more in the final frame. Her 22 aces (0.47 per set) top The Summit League this season.

BRIDGET MURPHY ACTIVE IN THE BACK ROW
Junior libero Bridget Murphy compiled a team-high 27 digs against Oakland Monday for her fifth 20+ dig performance this season. Additionally, Murphy moved past the 900-career dig milestone (912) with five digs in the third set.

Murphy leads all Summit League competitors and ranks 18th in the nation with 5.50 digs per set. She is also helping Western Illinois rank 26th in the nation in digs per set (17.74). She has earned two tournament MVP honors (SIU-Edwardsville Invitational & Drury Inn/ASICS Challenge) and the Summit League's Defensive Player of the Week (Aug. 29) so far this season.

FETTER SHINES AT SETTER
Sophomore Sarah Fetter collected her second double-double of the season Monday night with 43 assists and 11 digs. Fetter is averaging 9.61 assists per set this season, which ranks sixth best in The Summit League. Fetter's other double-double was against Kent State on Aug. 27 at the SIU-Edwardsville Invitational (45 assists and 14 digs).

MCKAY REACHES WINS MILESTONE
Head coach Kym McKay reached the 100-win plateau with a four-set victory over SIU-Edwardsville (Sept. 3) at the Drury Inn/ASICS Challenge. She now owns 104 career wins and joins Western Illinois legend Juli Kartel (111) as the only coaches in program history to collect 100 career wins.