MACOMB, Ill. - The Western Illinois volleyball returns to Western Hall for a midweek matchup this Tuesday, October 20, as the Leathernecks host Omaha. First serve is set for 6 p.m. between the two Summit League foes. Following a pair of defeats, Western sits at 3-19 overall and 1-6 overall while the Mavs enter Tuesday evening owning a 9-11 (4-3) record.
 
LAST TIME OUT: Western Illinois hit the courts last weekend facing South Dakota State at home before taking on Oral Roberts in a road match. The Leathernecks claimed the opening set against the Jackrabbits before dropping the final three sets en route to a 3-1 defeat. Against the Golden Eagles, Western claimed the second and third set to pull within a set of taking home the victory. But Oral Roberts fought back and claimed the final two sets to claim a 3-2 decision in a thriller. Against the Jackrabbits, Crosser tallied a season-high 21 kills. Morgyn Bullock saw her first action as a setter on Sunday, as Western ran a 6-2 offense for the first time this year, and recorded a team-high 21 assists.

SERIES HISTORIES: Western Illinois and Omaha will hit the courts for the seventh meeting all-time. The series between the Leathernecks and Mavs is evened at 3-all. Omaha claimed a season-sweep of the series last year, claiming a 3-1 decision in Macomb and a 3-0 victory in Omaha. Prior to that, Western had won three consecutive meetings.

A LOOK AT THE OPPONENT: Omaha enters Tuesday's contest with a 4-3 record in The Summit League after winning four-straight league matches to open league play. It was the first time that Omaha opened league play 4-0 since the 2009 season. Kelley Wollak is the top offensive threat for the Mavs, as her 242 kills is a team-best. The attack is run through sophomore setter Sydney O'Shaunghnessy, who has tallied a team-high 19 double-doubles on the year. Long time head coach Rose Shires enters her 26th season at the helm of the Mavs program.

ALL-TOURNAMENT HONORS: Junior Kaili Simmons made the most of her Western Illinois debut at the 2015 Hampton Inn Leatherneck Invitational. The transfer from Missouri State-West Plains was named to the All-Tournament Team following a weekend in which she led the team in digs (42) and aces (5). The captain followed that performance with her second-career 'All-Tournament' from the Evansville Tournament. For the Weekend, Simmons tallied 43 digs, including 18 in Western's victory over Jackson State. Freshman Sierra Bauder claimed her first collegiate accolade at the Kansas Invitational as she was named to the All-Tournament Team. On the Weekend, Bauder collected 11 kills and eight blocks, with two of the opponents receiving votes in the latest polls. Jordan Jackson collected 'All-Tournament' honors from the Evansville Tournament as she helped guide Western to its first victory of 2015. In the win over Jackson State, Jackson tallied a career high 18 kills and season highs in aces (2) and blocks (7). Jackson ended the weekend with 34 kills over three matches. Peyton Crosser received Western's final All-Tournament accolade following the ISU Classic. During the tournament, Crosser recorded a season-best 16 kills against Valparaiso.

THE COACHING STAFF: Western Illinois is led by first-year head coach Kelly Richardson.  After serving as an assistant coach at UT-Arlington a season ago, Richardson joins the Leatherneck family and is joined by assistant coaches Dan Brown and Taylor Szypulski. Richardson has long-standing ties with Brown as Richardson and Brown's wife were college teammates. Richardson also knows Szypulski well, as the two were both assistant coaches at UT-Arlington during the 2014 season.