The Malone University volleyball team heads out on the road this weekend for a pair of Great Midwest Athletic Conference challenges against the University of Findlay and Hillsdale College.
 
The Pioneers, who have just four games remaining on their schedule, enter the weekend in seventh place in the G-MAC Standings, so a win over eighth-place Findlay on Friday night will go far in terms of potential postseason position. Malone will face its toughest test of the season at nationally-ranked Hillsdale on Saturday, taking on a team which has won 42 consecutive G-MAC Regular season contests.
 
Match Info
11/8 Malone at Findlay - 7:30 PM
11/9 Malone at NCAA DII #11 Hillsdale – 1:00 pm
Live video: portal.stretchinternet.com/malone

Team Comparison (as of 11/7)

Category	Malone	UF	HC
Record (G-MAC)	9-18 (4-4)	6-18 (3-5)	19-3 (8-0)
Attacking. %	.194	.175	.241
Opponent att. %	.200	.222	.121
Kills per set	12.3	11.5	13.6
Digs per set	17.0	14.3	18.4
Blocks per set	1.21	1.66	2.29
Aces per set	1.43	1.40	1.66

Malone Notes

• The Pioneers are coming off of their two best matches of the season in last week's sweeps of Ohio Valley and Alderson Broaddus. Malone hit a season-high .388 against OVU and .346 vs. AB.
• Pioneer senior Hannah Eliason produced 21 kills and five blocks while adding a .514 attacking percentage. She leads Malone with a .261 hitting average this season.
• Freshman Anna Mallette totaled nine kills on just 14 swings in the win over Ohio Valley; her .643 attack percentage was the highest by a Pioneer this season.
• Freshman Kayla Jarosz leads Malone with 2.69 kills per set and totaled 20 in the two wins last weekend.
• Senior Faith Lau also totaled 20 kills and reached 1,000 career digs over the weekend. She enters the final stretch of her Pioneer career 48 kills shy of 1,000.
• Senior libero Sydney Black leads the G-MAC with 468 digs this season and ranks fourth in the G-MAC with 4.46 per set. She also leads the team with 34 aces in 27 matches.
• Pioneer setters Elizabeth Selleny (5.34) and Abbie Swaino (4.45) lead the Pioneers in assists per set. The duo has also combined for 46 aces with 22 and 24, respectively.
• Against Findlay, Malone has lost nine straight, including three postseason losses. Malone's last victory over the Oilers came in 2012.
• The Pioneers have yet to defeat Hillsdale in eight tries since joining NCAA Division II.
   

Findlay Notes

• A year after reaching the G-MAC Championship and two years after reaching the Midwest Regional semifinal, the Oilers have struggled this season against the 13th toughest schedule in DII. Findlay enters the weekend having lost nine of the last 10 matches.
• Outside hitter Shelby Kin leads the Oilers and ranks fifth in the G-MAC with 3.51 kills per set.
   

Hillsdale Notes

• The 11th ranked Chargers will meet Walsh before hosting Malone, but come into the weekend with 12 wins in the last 13 matches.
• Middle hitter Allyssa Van Wienen leads the team with 4.06 kills per set and her .436 attacking percentage is third-best in the nation. Setter Lindsey Mertz (11.2 assists per set) and libero Taylor Wiese (5.89 digs per set) lead the league in their respective statistical categories and were All-Conference picks a season ago.