The Malone University volleyball team will be put to the test this weekend in a pair of challenging matches. The Pioneers, winners of six straight, will visit Walsh University on Friday, September 28th at 7:00 pm for a pivotal Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) rivalry clash. They then return home to host NCAA Division II #20 Wheeling Jesuit University in a non-conference match on Saturday, September 29th at noon.
 
The Pioneers, who enter the weekend with an 11-6 overall record and a 7-2 mark in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference, are currently in first place in the G-MAC East Division Standings, just one game ahead of Walsh. Malone has not beaten its rival since 2015 and is 0-6 in the last six tries overall.
 
Match Info
9/28 Malone at Walsh – 7:00 pm
Live Video: portal.stretchinternet.com/malone
Live Stats: walsh.prestosports.com/sports/wvball/2018-19/boxscores/20180928_5byu.xml
 
9/29 Malone vs. NCAA DII #20 Wheeling Jesuit – 12:00 pm (Homecoming)
Live Video: livestream.com/maloneuniversity/volleyball
Live Stats: portal.stretchinternet.com/malone

Malone Notes 

• The Pioneers are coming off of a momentous five-set victory over reigning G-MAC East Champions Lake Erie on Tuesday night when they overcame a two-sets-to-one deficit.
• Malone, whose defense already leads the conference in digs per set (19.25) and opponent hitting percentage (.147) and ranks second in blocks (2.18 per set), saw its attack climb to 4th in the G-MAC in both kills (12.77 per set) and assists per set (11.57) following its performance on Tuesday.
• Senior setter Cathryn Miller distributed 54 assists in the win, two shy of a career-high. Miller, who went over 750 career digs in the last match, is just 73 assists away from reaching 3,000 in her career.
• Junior middle hitter Hannah Eliason delivered her best collegiate match on Tuesday night, smashing a career-high 21 kills. On the season, Eliason is averaging 2.80 kills per set, she leads the team with a .309 attacking percentage, and in third in the G-MAC in blocks (1.05 per set).
• Senior middle Mallory Adams has produced nearly identical numbers: 3.09 kills per set, .308 attacking percentage, and 1.02 blocks per set. Adams is fourth in the G-MAC in blocks and fourth in total points (3.93 per set).
• Senior outside hitter Veronica Gehring equaled her career-high with 17 kills in Tuesday's match and now has double digit kill totals in five straight. With 956 in her career, Gehring needs just 44 kills to reach the 1,000 milestone.
• Senior libero Maggie Hamrock continues to play the best defense of her career, anchoring the league's top unit from the back row. She is currently fifth in the G-MAC in digs (4.80 per set).
• Up-and-coming freshman defensive specialist Abby Hasebein, who averages 2.77 digs per set, collected 26 digs in Tuesday's victory, equaling the most by a Pioneer in a match over the last two seasons.
• Hamrock, Hasebein, Miller (2.46 digs per set), Faith Lau (2.96), and Sydney Black (2.63) make up the only back row in the G-MAC with five players averaging at least 2.4 digs per set.

Walsh Notes - Roster | Schedule | Stats

• The Cavaliers, 9-8 overall and 6-3 in the G-MAC, are coming off of a three-set loss to Findlay on Tuesday. Of Walsh's eight losses this season, seven have come in straight sets.
• As a team, Walsh is 3rd in the G-MAC in team hitting percentage (.224), but 10th in opponent hitting percentage (.201). The Cavs totaled a season-low 32 digs and let Findlay hit .337 in the loss Tuesday.
• The Walsh attack is led by All-Conference outside hitter Lauren Loucks, who is second in the G-MAC with 3.60 kills per set.
• All-Conference setter Olivia Zanolli is third in the G-MAC in assists (10.22 per set) and libero Amanda Adoranti is fourth in digs (4.85 per set)
   

  Wheeling Jesuit Notes - Roster | Schedule | Stats

• The Cardinals, members of the Mountain East Conference, are 14-3 on the season and winners of six straight. Head coach Christy Benner, who has a 2015 National Championship on her resume, is 533-123 (.812) during her tenure at the University.
• WJU is second in the nation in digs per set (21.11) and assists per set (14.02) and 3rd in kills per set (14.66). Jesuit is also third in the Atlantic Region in hitting (.234).
• All-American setter Stephanie Sylverster is second in the nation in assists per set (12.58).
• 2017 Atlantic Region Freshman of the Year Cassie Meyer leads the team with 4.13 kills per set from the outside while All-American middle Haley Kramer averages 3.38 kills, a team-high 1.03 blocks, and a team-best .361 hitting percentage.
• Libero Audrey Francis ranks 7th in the nation in digs per set (6.74)