The Malone University volleyball team will make its first road trip of the season this weekend when it makes the lengthy trek to Salt Lake City, Utah to take part in the Westminster College Invitational. The Pioneers will play four matches in the two-day tournament as they put their unbeaten record to the test.
 

Matches 9/8 Malone vs. West Alabama – 12:00 pm ET (10:00 am MT) 9/8 Malone vs. Harding – 6:00 pm ET (4:00 pm MT) 9/9 Malone vs. Western New Mexico – 2:00 pm ET (12:00pm MT) 9/9 Malone vs. Westminster – 8:00 pm ET (6:00 pm MT)

Media
All matches will have live video and stats; links will be provided on the tournament webpage.
 
Malone Notes 

• The Pioneers' 4-0 record not only represents their best start to the season since 2010 but also their longest winning streak since November of 2012
• Malone has done well to limit mistakes both defensively and on the attack. The Pioneers allowed just 12 service aces over the first four matches while tallying 29 of their own. Despite landing nine fewer kills than their opponents, Malone committed 24 fewer attack errors.
• In a back-to-back victories over West Alabama and Mercyhurst, the Pioneers committed just 10 attack errors in each match, hitting .265 and .298 respectively. It was the first time since 2013 that Malone hit .250 or better in consecutive matches.
• G-MAC Player of the Week Mallory Adams is hitting a team-best .288 while leading the team in kills (3.14/s) and blocks (1.43/s) and ranking third in digs (2.29/s)
• Junior outside hitter Veronica Gehring has had a fine start to the season, hitting .279 while averaging 2.77 kills a set.
• Sophomore hitter Faith Lau is averaging 2.79 kills and 2.00 digs per set
• Junior setter Cathryn Miller is dishing out 9.71 assists per set while also averaging 3.5 digs and 0.86 blocks. She was named to the HOF City Challenge All-Tournament Team after recording three double-doubles and nearly posting a fourth last weekend.
• Maggie Hamrock, the Pioneers' junior libero was also named to the All-Tournament Team after collecting a team-high 4.5 digs/set. Her 26 digs in a four-set win over Northwood set a career-high.
• Hamrock has gotten help in the back from Sydney Black (2.00 digs/s, six service aces) and Julia Marino (1.93 d/s, eight aces).
• Freshman Rachel Santos added 29 kills and five blocks over 14 sets last week while classmate Brooklyn Sullivan collected 13 kills and six blocks in strong debut performances.

 
Opponent Notes
The Pioneers defeated Friday's first opponent, West Alabama (2-2), just last week in Canton at the Hall of Fame City Challenge in three sets (25-21, 25-20, 25-13). The Tigers are led by All-Conference outside hitter and HOF City Challenge All-Tournament Team selection Briana Sandifer.
 
Friday's second match features a difficult test against a 5-0 Harding University squad out of Searcy, Arkansas. The Bison average nearly 14 kills per set and allow only 8.6. Junior Zoe Hardin, a 6'3" middle blocker, was named the Great American Conference Player of the Year in 2016 after finishing third in the country with 1.6 blocks per set.
 
On Saturday, Malone will take on a Western New Mexico team that has lost twice to ranked opponents. The Mustangs went 16-16 last year, but are 0-4 to start the 2017 season. They have struggled against the block as opponents are collecting almost three blocks per set and holding WNMU to a .085 attacking percentage.
 
In the weekend's final match, Malone will face the host Westminster Griffins, who enter the Invitational winless through four matches. The Griffins are just 7-23 over their last 30 home games dating back to 2014 and have lost 10 straight overall matches dating back to last season.

Looking  Ahead
Malone opens up Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) play on Tuesday, September 12th with a home match against Walsh at 7:00 pm.