MACOMB, Ill. - The Western Illinois volleyball continues its Summit League play this weekend, as the Leathernecks take on a pair of league foes. The Purple and Gold take on IUPUI this Friday, October 23, in Indianapolis before returning home to take on North Dakota State on Sunday, October 25. Western and the Jaguars will kickoff their Friday evening contest at 6 p.m. (CT). The Leathernecks will open Sunday's match against the Bison at 1 p.m. in a match shown nationally on ESPN3. 

LAST TIME OUT: Western Illinois returned home on Tuesday, October 20, to take on Omaha in a midweek match. After dropping the first two sets, 25-14, 25--18, the Purple and Gold bounced back in the third set, claiming a 25-20 decision. Western's comeback effort fell short in the fourth set, as the Mavs picked up a 25-13 victory to secure the match, 3-1. Reilly Dunne came off the bench to lead the Leathernecks, posting a double-double (13 kills, 10 digs). Kaili  Simmons added a season-high 31 digs, and Morgyn Bullock led the team in assists for the second straight game (20). 

SERIES HISTORIES: Western Illinois and IUPUI have met 36 times previously, with the Jaguars leading the series, 25-11. The two teams met in Macomb back on October 4, the second home game of the league slate, with IUPUI taking home a 3-0 decision. Peyton Crosser led the way with nine kills on the night. Sunday's match against the Bison will be the 19th meeting between the two teams, with NDSU leading 14-4. Western's second match of Summit League play featured a road contest in Fargo, a 3-0 NDSU victory. Crosser led the way with seven digs and three aces.

A LOOK AT THE OPPONENTS: IUPUI enters the  contest witha 15-7 mark overall and a 6-2 Summit League record. The Jaguars sit in second place in the league as play hits the final stretch. Kaitlyn Hickey's 322 kills ranks third in The Summit League, while Courtney Hlater's 4.58 digs per set ranks second in the league. Jennie Fassbender of NDSU sits in fourth place in the league in kills (306), while Brianna Rasmusson (586 assists) and Mikaela Purnell (323 digs) lead the team.

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.