WHAT'S UP?: The Fighting Leatherneck volleyball team hosts the Bradley Braves in a midweek contest. First serve is slated for 7 p.m. (CT) inside Western Hall.

WEEKEND RECAP: Western Illinois opened the home portion of its 2014 schedule this past weekend (Sept. 5-6), hosting the Hampton Inn Leatherneck Invitational. The Leathernecks opened play with a 3-2 heartbreaking defeat to Eastern Illinois before dropping matches to UTEP and eventual tournament champion, Saint Louis. Senior Samantha Fournier was named to the All-Tournament Team after notching her first three career starts at setter. Junior Peyton Crosser led all Leathernecks with 43 kills over the three matches. 

ON THE AIR: All home matches this season will be available on the radio at 88.3 FM or online at 88.3thedog.com. Cody Snodgress and Matt DeSalvo will handle the announcing duties this season. Fans will also have the opportunity to watch a live stream (subscription required) of the match against the Braves, with Eric Sutera serving as the play-by-play announcer while Emily Manley will be the color commentator. Live stream access can be found at goleathernecks.com/watch.

A LOOK AT BRADLEY: The Braves head into the match Tuesday with an 0-6 record on the season. Jenny Maurer is in her fourth season at the helm of the Bradley program, compiling a 34-57 record during her tenure in Peoria. Taylor Thiele leads the Braves with 61 kills on the season, while Jessie Tulacka (57 kills) has a team-leading 3.35 kills per set. The offense is run through Afton Sobasky, who has dished out 146 assis on the season. Lea Sack anchors the back line of Bradley, posting 3.04 digs per set (73 digs). 

SERIES HISTORY: Tuesday will mark the 39th meeting between the two programs. Bradley has taken the last two meetings, with Western Illinois earning a 3-2 victory in Peoria on Sept. 15, 2009. 

TEAM ACCOLADES: The Leatherneck program has picked up a pair of tournament honors in the first two weeks 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 Samantha Fournier was recognized this past weekend 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. 

IN THE RANKINGS:  The Leathernecks have been a solid team defensively this season, recording 15.55 digs per set. The number ranks third in the conference, with Denver (15.71) and South Dakota State (15.61) holding slim advantages over Western Illinois. Individually, senior Molly Murphy ranks second in digs per set 4.36 and total digs (96), trailing only Beth Howard of IUPUI (4.71/113).

2014 TEAM CAPTAINS: Seniors Ann Miller and Sam Fournier will serve as captains this season. Miller is the current team leader with 936 kills, (2.98 k/s), while also recording 878 digs and 49 aces. Fournier has compiled 824 kills (3.18 k/s), 545 digs, and 108 total blocks.

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.