Who | Western Illinois (2-13, 1-3) at St. Thomas (2-12, 1-3), South Dakota State (9-6, 1-3), and South Dakota (6-7, 3-1)

When | Oct. 5 (at St. Thomas), Oct. 7 (at South Dakota State), and Oct. 9 (at South Dakota)

Where | St. Paul, Minn. (Oct. 5), Brookings, S.D. (Oct. 7), and Vermillion, S.D. (Oct. 9)

Social Media | Twitter + Instagram + Facebook + #TRADITIONofTOUGH
 

Quick Hits

• Western Illinois volleyball braces for a challenging section of its 2021 schedule this week -- visiting three opponents in five days

• The Leathernecks are coming off their first Summit League win of the year, having defeated North Dakota this past Saturday (Oct. 2)

• This will be the only three-match week for WIU in league play
   

Most Recently … | Back on its home floor for Homecoming weekend, Western captured a 3-1 victory against North Dakota in week two of league competition. The success featured a double-double from Aubrey Putman (14 kills and 11 digs), a career-high in single-match assists for Maggie Craker (39), a 21-dig performance by Karli Wenzel, and a match-high eight blocks for Peyton Bowman. After Western clinched the first set by a score of 25-17, the following three fell 23-25, 25-20, and 25-17. Putman was credited with the team's very first point -- the first of a game-high 14 kills on the afternoon -- but her team trailed early. There were three ties in the opening set, before she put Western ahead for good after the 16-16 stalemate. The early goings of set No. 2 also included a pair of ties before eventually meeting at 19-all; the visitors claimed the tightly-contested frame 25-23, and the back-and-forth play rolled into the next two. The Leathernecks concluded the third set on a 5-2 run and didn't allow UND to reach 20 points in the fourth. It was the first time WIU held an opponent to less than 20 in a complete set since the Sept. 10 matchup against Western Carolina, where it limited the team to 18 points in set two.
 

League Standouts | Through two weeks of playing in the Summit, Kennedy Davis and Peyton Bowman have landed notable spots within league rankings of individuals. Davis ranks sixth in hitting percentage (.323) and 12th in points (3.29 per set). Bowman has been a steady defensive threat and sits seventh in blocks, averaging one a set (43 total).
 

Youth Value | A core of Western's young talent has shone through the season, pacing the team in quite a few categories. Sophomore Kennedy Davis remains the top Leatherneck in kills (148) and service aces (16). She falls second in blocks (39.0), while her twin sister, Kalynn, has contributed in 30 blocks. Having emerged as a more recent standout, first-year Karli Wenzel has quickly placed herself as one of the team's best in defensive stops -- totaling 136 digs. Another first-year player, Maggie Craker, has played in 11 matches and started five of them. The Wisconsin native is a natural setter, having racked up 175 assists.
 

A Brief History | Thursday will be the first-ever meeting between WIU and league newcomer St. Thomas. The all-time series between South Dakota State and Western includes the Jackrabbits leading 19-11, although WIU has won three of the last five matchups. South Dakota has been victorious in all but three meetings against the Leathernecks -- 18-3 in a series in October 2011.
 

Scouting the Opposition | The St. Thomas Tommies have started 1-3 against Summit foes, with Lauren Galvin leading the way in kills (148) and service aces (15). St. Thomas joined the league after departing from Division III's Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) led by head coach Thanh Pham. Under Pham's guidance, his St. Thomas teams have had only one losing season during an 18-year career. During their Division III era, the Tommies claimed one NCAA title, three regional titles, and 11 regular season conference championships under Pham's leadership.

Likewise to St. Thomas, South Dakota State holds a 1-3 clip after its first few league tests. The Jackrabbits have an advantage over their opponents in kills (707-660), assists (645-613), and blocks (123.0-103.0). Two-way threat Crystal Burke is SDSU's best in kills (216), digs (132), and aces (20). 

Chosen as the favorites to claim the league title this year, South Dakota (6-7, 3-1) has placed fourth in the Summit standings. The Coyotes returned 14 players from the 2020-21 championship team, including All-League first-teamers Elizabeth Juhnke, Madison Harms, Sami Slaughter, and All-League honorable mention nod Madison Jurgens.
 

What's Next? | WIU begins a home stretch on Oct. 14, first taking on Kansas City.