MACOMB, Ill. - The Fighting Leatherneck volleyball team continues league action this weekend, taking on a pair of opponents from South Dakota. Western Illinois (3-14, 1-3) will first travel to Vermillion, South Dakota, to take on the South Dakota Coyotes on Friday, October 10. Following the match, the Leathernecks return home for a Sunday (Oct. 12) contest against South Dakota State. First serves are slated for 7 p.m. and 2 p.m. (CT), respectively.
LAST TIME OUT: The Leathernecks split a pair of league matches this past weekend, sweeping Fort Wayne, 3-0, before falling 3-1 to North Dakota State. In the match against the Mastodons, the Leathernecks needed extra points to secure victories in the first and second sets. After leading 24-20, Fort Wayne came back to tie the match at 24-all before the Leathernecks pulled out a 29-27 victory in the first set. The second set had a similar feel, as Peyton Crosser's kill gave the Purple and Gold a 28-26 victory. The final set was all Western Illinois, as they cruised to a 25-14 victory. The Leathernecks carried the momentum into Sunday, claiming the first set against the Bison, 25-21. North Dakota State would respond, taking the final three sets for the victory
ON THE AIR: All home matches this season will be available on the radio with Cody Snodgress and Matt DeSalvo will handle the announcing duties this season. Live video streaming will also be available for home matches this season, with a subscription required to view. Eric Sutera will serve as the play-by-play announcer while Emily Manley will be the color commentator.
Radio: 88.3 FM or 883thedog.com
Video Streaming: goleathernecks.com/watch (subscription required)
Live Stats: sidearmstats.com/wiu/wvball
A LOOK AT SOUTH DAKOTA: League leading South Dakota enters the match with an 11-6 (5-0) record. Head coach Leanne Williamson is in her first season at the helm of the Coyote program. After starting the season 2-4, South Dakota has won nine of its past 11 games. Kendall Kritenbrink leads the conference with 298 kills on the season, while Audrey Reeg and and Sydney Dimke have added 158 and 156 kills, respectively. Riley Haug is second in the conference in digs (304) and digs per set (4.54).
SERIES HISTORY: The Coyotes lead the all-time series, 5-2, with the two schools splitting the last four meetings. Western Illinois picked up 3-2 victory at home last season and a 3-0 win on the road back in 2012.
A LOOK AT SOUTH DAKOTA STATE: The Jackrabbits head to Macomb on Sunday after first traveling to Indianapoils to face IUPUI. South Dakota State, led by head coach Phil McDaniel in his fourth season, are 6-14 (0-4) this year. Alanna Pengily anchors the defense for the Jacks, ranking fourth in the conference in digs (294). Wagner Larson (149) and Ashley Beaner (116) lead the team in kills, while the combination of Brooke Leetham (342) and Jessi Henter (309) have dished out the assists this season. South Dakota State has lost nine of their last 11 matches.
SERIES HISTORY: The Jackrabbits lead the all-time series, 12-4, with the two teams splitting the season series last year. Both teams won on their home court a season ago, with the Leathernecks winning 3-0 while SDSU took home a 3-2 decision.
MILLER MAKES HISTORY: Senior Ann Miller made Leatherneck history at the UIC Invitational, becoming the 10th player in program history to record 1,000 career kills. At the end of the weekend, Miller ranked 10th in program history in career kills. The following weekend at the Hoosier Classic, Miller continued her move up the ranks as she collected 30 kills in the opening match against Butler. The 30 kills ranks fourth most in program history for a single match, and moved Miller into eighth place on the career kills list. Miller currently has 1,093 kills, and is 22 kills shy of moving into seventh place (1,114, Monique Houston).
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING: Senior Ann Miller is making her way up the record books in career kills and career attack attempts. Miller currently ranks seventh in career kills (1,149), needing only five kills to jump two spots into fifth place. Miller ranks fourth in career attack attempts with 3,510, and is on pace to break the program record set by Amy Sauerwein (5,699). Looking the the conference, freshman Kayla Ruff ranks second in aces per set (.41), Ann Miller ranks third (and 23rd nationally) with 11.65 attacks per set, and Molly Murphy is fourth in digs per set (4.35).
TEAM ACCOLADES: The Leatherneck program picked up three All-Tournament Honors during the non-conference portion of the season. Senior Molly Murphy was named to the All-Tournament Team of the Active Ankle Challenge, hosted by Ball State, after leading the team in digs (39) on the weekend. Murphy also had six assists and one ace on the weekend. Fellow senior Sam Fournier was recognized at the Leatherneck Invitational, being named to the All-Tournament Team. Fournier, who had never recorded more than four assists in a match at Western Illinois, tallied 109 assists on the weekend. Ann Miller was an All-Tournament Team selection of the UIC Invitational after collecting 52 kills on the weekend. Miller recorded 26 kills in a come-from-behind victory against UIC, falling one kill shy of matching her career-high in kills. Miller received national recognition as well, as she was named a one of 30 candidates for the 2014 Senior CLASS award. The award is given out to one senior athlete in 10 different NCAA Division 1 sports for notable achievements in the four areas of excellence - community, classroom, character, and competition. Miller is the lone volleyball representative from The Summit League.
SENIOR LEADERS: The squad is paced by four seniors this season, Ann Miller, Sam Fournier, Molly Murphy, and Mallory Gibson. The quartet of seniors have been a presence on the court since their freshmen years, compiling 1,102 combined sets played between the four players.
LEATHERNECK NEWCOMERS: Four new players join the Leatherneck family for the 2014 season. Junior middle blocker Peyton Crosser joins the program after transferring from Indian Hills CC (Iowa), while sophomore setter Elyse Keating comes to the Leathernecks after playing for one season at the University of Mount Olive (N.C.). Western Illinois also brings in two freshmen in setter Courtney Joyce and Kayla Ruff. Joyce (Chicago, Ill., Mother McAuley) helped lead Mother McAuley to a 2013 class Class 4A State Championship, while being named the 2013 SouthtownStar Player of the Year, as well as the Girls Catholic Athletic Conference Player of the Year. Ruff (Bettendorf, Iowa, Pleasant Valley) comes to Western Illinois after being named Honorable Mention All-Conference her final three years of high school. Ruff helped pace the Spartans of Pleasant Valley to a combined 66-9 record her final two seasons, with appearances in the state semifinals and elite 8.
THE SCHEDULE: Western's 2014 schedule breakdown: three road tournaments, consisting of nine matches, one home tournament with three matches, one additional home nonconference contest, and 16 Summit League matches. Total, the Leathernecks will play 11 matches in Western Hall or Brophy Hall, and 17 matches on the road.
THE COACHING STAFF: Head coach April Hall enters her third season at Western. Laura DeBruler, who concluded her collegiate volleyball career at Illinois in 2010 is the Leathernecks' full-time assistant, while Bridget Murphy, who completed a decorated career at Western Illinois as a defensive specialist in 2012 is the team's graduate assistant.
