Who | Oral Roberts (0-4, 0-2) Western Illinois (0-3, 0-2)

When | Sunday, Feb. 7 (1 p.m.) & Monday, Feb. 8 (2 p.m.)

Where | Macomb, Ill. (Western Hall)

TV | ESPN 3/+ (Feb. 7) & Leatherneck All-Access (Feb. 8)

Twitter | @WIUVolleyball

 

Quick Hits

• Following a few trips out of state, Western Illinois volleyball will finally be on its own floor this weekend. Their next opponent comes in the form of Oral Roberts, which is tied with WIU at the eighth spot in The Summit League standings

• It has been a while since the Leathernecks suited up in their home uniforms. The team's most recent appearance in Western Hall happened back on Nov. 17, 2019

• Both teams will be seeking a first match victory of the 2021 season

• This series features two of the league's top leaders in digs - Gabby DePersio (WIU) and Sarah Thiessen (ORU)

Leatherneck Leaps

Named a preseason 'Player to Watch,' DePersio is off to a strong start defensively. The sophomore libero currently averages 4.8 digs per set - third-best in the league. Over on offense, Mariah Mitchell and Peyton Bowman stand at sixth in kills (3.5/set) and hitting percentage (.350), respectively. Mitchell, another 'Player to Watch,' is also fifth in points.

WIU ranks third in team blocks, as Kennedy Davis continues to contribute heavily in that area. The first-year middle blocker has rejected nine attacks thus far. Setters Jessie Connell and Cassie Hunt have placed in the league's top 10 for assists.

Gameday in Western Hall

At this time, in accordance with state and local guidelines, fans are not permitted to attend any event held inside Western Hall. Current season ticket holders maintain the right to their seats, and tickets will roll over to the next season.

Don't Miss Out on the Action!

Even with the current in-person restrictions for spectators, there are still ways to stay up to date with the Leathernecks.

• Follow the team's Twitter page, @WIUVolleyball, for live score updates and other important information.

• Western Illinois athletics continues its partnership with the WIU Broadcasting and Journalism Department to live stream select games via Leatherneck All-Access. 

Games streamed on Leatherneck All-Access can be accessed without charge.

Past Matchups

The last time these two programs faced each other was back on Nov. 8, 2019. ORU ended up victorious that night as the host team in a competitive five-set contest. In the last ten meetings, ORU is currently 9-1.

The Scout

Sarah Thiessen, a redshirt junior libero, leads the league in digs - having totaled 78 in four matches, including two 20+ dig efforts... her 4.59 digs per set average has helped ORU rank 39th nationally at 17.2 per set… The Golden Eagles have four players with at least 30 kills, led by Kaia Dunford's 44… Jeslyn Spencer (39), Aixa Vigil (34), and Jaxie Wakley (33) join that group of pacing the offense… Sylvia Lawson and Bryanne Soares have combined for 149 set assists… Lawson has tallied double-digit assists in all four matches… ORU was predicted to finish seventh in The Summit League coaches poll following a quarterfinal exit at last year's conference championships.