The Malone University volleyball team will play its first ever Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) matches this Friday and Saturday when it welcomes Kentucky Wesleyan College and Trevecca Nazarene University to Osborne Hall. The Pioneers will also hold a Make-A-Wish Night during Friday night's match. Fans will be encouraged to donate to the Make-A -Wish Foundation and compete in a spike contest in between sets.
 
Matches
(9/23) Malone vs. Kentucky Wesleyan – 7:00 pm*
(9/24) Malone vs. Trevecca Nazarene – 2:00 pm
 
Media
Live Video: livestream.com/maloneuniversity
Live Stats: sidearmstats.com/malone/wvball
 
Team Notes (Records as of 9/22)
Malone Pioneers (3-9): Roster | Schedule | Statistics
Despite going 1-3 last weekend at the Urbana Invitational, several Malone players reached career milestones in the process. Senior libero Lynsey Trusty, who is sixth in the conference with 4.29 digs per set, collected her 500th career dig. Fellow senior Haley Kool reached 200 career blocks and cracked the Malone all-time top-10 block assists list where she currently sits with 172. Kool, who is 5th in the G-MAC with 0.86 blocks per set, is just three block assists away from moving into ninth all-time.
 
Sophomore setter Cathryn Miller moved into seventh on the all-time assists list with 1380. Miller is currently fourth in the conference with 8.80 assists per set. Fellow sophomore Veronica Gehring set a career-high with 17 kills against Urbana. Gehring is second on the team with 2.52 kills per set.
 
Sophomore Mallory Adams currently leads the squad and is 10th in the G-MAC with 2.82 kills per set. She holds the single-game high on the season with 18 kills against Notre Dame.
 
Freshman Faith Lau owns the single-game three-set high with 11 kills in the win over Kutztown. Lau averaged 2.42 kills per set at the Urbana invite. Freshman Hannah Eliason is sixth in the conference with 0.80 blocks per set after totaling 12 blocks last weekend.
 
Backrow contributors Julia Marino, Maggie Hamrock, and Sydney Black have combined for 211 digs and 34 services aces through 12 matches this season.

Kentucky Wesleyan Panthers (5-5): Roster | Schedule | Stats
The Panthers have won each of their last three matches, including a pair of three-set wins over Salem International and West Virginia Wesleyan last Saturday. KWC is second in the G-MAC in both opponent hitting percentage (.149) and digs per set (15.34).
 
Sophomore defensive specialist Nicole Venema leads the conference with 5.17 digs per set. Junior hitter Gabrielle Gallois leads a balanced offensive attack with a team-high 2.32 kills per set. Freshman middle hitter Sierra Morrow (1.86 k/s) ranks 7th in the G-MAC in hitting percentage (.261) and leads the team with 10 service aces and 23 blocks.
 
Trevecca Nazarene Trojans (6-6): Roster | Schedule | Stats
The Trojans, the defending G-MAC Champions, are coming off of a three-set victory over Maryville-St. Louis on Tuesday in which they produced 44 kills. TNU enters the weekend fourth in opponent hitting percentage and third in kills per set (11.73).
 
Senior Katelyn Atkinson, the 2016 G-MAC Co-Player of the Year, leads the Trojans and is 6th in the conference with 3.00 kills per set. Freshman setter Hanna Mathews is 2nd in the G-MAC, with 9.40 assists a set. Junior libero Ashleigh Lozier leads the backrow with 3.30 digs per set.
 
Looking Ahead: Malone will make the short trip to North Canton to meet Walsh on Tuesday, September 27th