The Malone University volleyball team will take part in the Midwest Region Volleyball Crossover this weekend at the Academy Volleyball Club in Indianapolis. The tournament features 38 teams from three conferences across the Midwest Region: the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC), the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC), and the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC). A total of 57 matches are scheduled to be played across the two days.
 
The Pioneers, who enter the week at 13-8, drew the #5 seed from the G-MAC and will face GLVC #5 Indianapolis and GLVC #8 Bellarmine on Friday before playing GLVC #7 McKendree on Saturday. At the conclusion of the event, an All-Tournament Team will be announced. For more information, fans can visit the 2018 Midwest Region Volleyball Crossover webpage.
 
Match Info
10/12 Malone vs. UIndy – 11:30 am (court 9)
Live stats: athletics.uindy.edu/sidearmstats/wvball/
 
10/12 Malone vs. Bellarmine – 5:30 pm (court 8)
Live stats: parksiderangers.com/sidearmstats/wvball
 
10/13 Malone vs. McKendree – 1:00 pm (court 7)
Live stats: mckbearcats.com/sidearmstats/wvball
 
Malone Notes 

• The Pioneers, coming off two road wins at Ohio Dominican and Ohio Valley, are 11-4 against Midwest Region competition this season, including a season-opening sweep over Friday opponent Bellarmine.
• Malone enters the tournament ranked 4th in the Region in both team digs (18.74 per set) and team blocks (2.26 per set).
• Pioneer middle hitters Mallory Adams (86) and Hannah Eliason (81) each rank among the top-5 in the Midwest in total blocks. Adams leads the team in kills per set (3.00) and hitting (.312) while Eliason is second in both (2.88 kills per set, .304 attack percentage).
• Outside hitter Veronica Gehring, who smashed her 1,000th career kill last weekend, has been heating up over the last four weeks, averaging 3.13 kills per set across the last 10 matches, a stretch in which Malone is 8-2.
• Setter Cathryn Miller has recorded at least 40 assists in five straight matches and seven of her last eight. Over those eight matches, she's handed out 11.09 per set. That number over the course of the season would rank among the top-5 in the Region.
• In the back row, freshman Abby Hasebein has moved into the role of libero in place of injured senior Maggie Hamrock who ranks 15th in the region in digs (4.86 d/s). Over the last 10 matches, Hasebein has averaged 3.30 digs per set and has a team-high 13 aces. Over the same time frame, Faith Lau has collected 3.03 digs per set while Sydney Black has added 11 aces.
• Malone did not participate in the Midwest Region Crossover in 2017 but went 0-3 in 2016 and a combined 2-7 from 2013-2015. Malone also has not played a match in the state of Indiana since 2011.

 
Indianapolis Notes

• The Greyhounds are 12-7 on the season, but are just 2-4 over their last six matches. Outside hitter Katie Furling is 2nd in the Midwest in kills (4.43 pet set), setter Alyssa Spears is third in assists (11.39 per set), and libero Olivia Martin is fourth in digs (5.76/s)

Bellarmine Notes

• The Knights are 12-8 on the season and winners of three straight. Libero Jordyn Kuchenbrod is 6th in NCAA Division II and 1st in the Midwest in digs (6.63 per set).

 
McKendree Notes

• The Bearcats are 10-9 on the season and 4-2 in their last six matches. Setter Morgan Melchert is 9th in the Midwest in assists (10.67 per set) while middle hitter Megan Marks is 8th in blocks (1.07 per set).