The Basics
Drake enters the weekend with a 14-6 overall record and a 5-2 tally in Valley play. The Bulldogs are currently tied with this weekend's opponents, Valparaiso and UIC, in second place in the conference standings.


Bulldogs by the Numbers
Haley Bush has been a force for the Bulldogs this season with a team-high 258 kills. Bush is also in the team's top five leaders for digs (161), blocks (29), service aces (13), and assists (8). Mariana Rodrigues has also been stellar with 222 kills.
 
Addison Beagle has had a tremendous freshman campaign with a team and league best 847 assists. She also leads Drake with 24 service aces and has logged 171 digs.
 
Defensively, Jada Wills' 372 digs pace the Dogs while Kacie Rewerts has recorded 89 blocks, the most in the MVC.
 
Rivalry Recap
Drake's most recent match renewed their rivalry with the Panthers of Northern Iowa. The Bulldogs traveled to Cedar Falls on Tuesday, Oct. 11 for a mid-week matchup between the top two teams in the MVC standings.
 
Drake suffered from a slow start as the Panthers built an early lead and held on despite late effort from the Bulldogs. UNI defeated Drake 3-1 to remain unbeaten in the conference season.
 
Scouting Valparaiso
Valparaiso has had a remarkable run so far in the 2022 season. The Beacons boast a 17-2 record with both losses coming in MVC action. They are one of the two teams tied with Drake in second place in the league standings.
 
Valpo has won their last four matches including two five-set marathons at Bradley and versus Belmont. They also earned a 3-1 victory over Illinois State and swept Murray State. The Beacons' last loss came at UIC on Sept. 26 in straight sets.
 
Valparaiso benefits from a balanced offensive attack. Five players have recorded triple-digit kills including the team's leader Kara Cooper (166), Mallory Januski (145), Bella Ravotto (144), Elise Swistek (144), and Maddy Boyer (133). The Beacons also have a pair of stellar distributors as Addy Kois and Victoria Bulmahn have recorded 420 assists and 381 assists, respectively. Bulmahn also leads the team with 20 aces. Defensively, Emma Hickey's 416 digs top the Valpo roster while Januski and Cooper have combined for 105 blocks.
 
Valpo head coach Carin Avery is in her 21st season at the helm of the Beacon volleyball program and 23rd year overall. During her time at Valparaiso, Avery has posted a record of 466-219.
 
The Beacons lead the all-time series with Drake by a 13-4 margin. Valpo has won the last five matches, including the first installment earlier this season, with Drake's last victory coming in the 2019 season.
 
Scouting UIC
The Flames of UIC bring another 5-2 MVC mark into the weekend. UIC has posted a 13-6 overall record with a five-game winning streak. Four of the Flames' five most recent wins have come by sweep with their only dropped set at Illinois State on Oct. 2.
 
Martina Delucchi has been the statistical leader for UIC with team-highs in kills (258) and service aces (25) and the second-most digs (187). Elsewhere, Sohila Wafeek has recorded 665 assists to pace the Flames and add 20 aces. Defensively, Jaclyn Oblena leads the team with 228 digs while Zahira Woodard tops the roster with 74 blocks.
 
Head coach Justin Ingram, a 1995 Iowa State graduate, is in his 14th season as an NCAA head coach and sixth season leading UIC. Ingram has led the Flames to a 102-58 record during his tenure.
 
UIC holds a narrow advantage in their all-time series with Drake. The Bulldogs won the most recent match, a 3-1 final in Chicago earlier this season, but the Flames still lead the series 3-2 overall.
 
Up Next
Drake will be on the road for their next weekend back-to-back with matches at Evansville on Friday, Oct. 21 and Indiana State on Saturday, Oct. 22.