The Basics
The Drake volleyball team will continue their Missouri Valley Conference schedule with two more road matches this weekend. The Bulldogs will travel to Southern Illinois for a contest on Friday, Sept. 30 at 6 p.m. before visiting Missouri State on Saturday, Oct. 1 at 5 p.m.
Bulldogs by the Numbers
Drake sits at 10-5 overall and 1-1 in league play.
The Bulldog offense is led by a trio of triple-digit killers in Mariana Rodrigues (185), Haley Bush (176), and Taylor Oberpriller (121). Freshman Addison Beagle leads the Dogs, and the MVC, with 626 assists. She also tops the Drake roster with 14 service aces.
Defensively, Jada Wills leads the team with 271 digs followed by Beagle with 121 and Bush with 114. On Drake's front line, Kacie Rewerts has logged 66 blocks to lead both Drake and the MVC.
MVC Opener Recap
Their last time on the court, Drake opened the 2022 conference slate with a pair of road contests. The Bulldogs opened MVC play at UIC (9/24) with a 3-1 victory before falling in five sets at Valparaiso (9/24).
Nearing a Milestone
Haley Bush is closing in on recording her 1,000th-career kill. The senior hitter is currently sitting at 969 career kills and has a chance to reach that historic mark this weekend.
Scouting Southern Illinois
Southern Illinois enters the weekend with a 9-5 overall record and an undefeated 2-0 mark in league action. The Salukis outlasted Murray State (9/23) and Belmont (9/24) in a pair of five-set victories to begin their conference season.
Four Salukis have recorded triple-digit kills led by Tatum Tornatta with 168. Nataly Garcia (149), Imani Hartfield (140), and Ceci Buhlman (120) are close behind. Anna Jaworski leads SIU with 577 assists while Bailey Neuberger and Annabelle Sulish are tied with 16 service aces each. Defensively, Claudia Bobb leads the team by a wide margin with 213 digs. Brinley Burdette, along with Tornatta and Hartfield, have logged 30+ blocks.
Southern Illinois is coached by Ed Allen. In his fourth year at SIU, and 31st season as an NCAA head coach, Allen has logged 678 total wins. He currently owns a 30-67 record during his time leading the Salukis.
The Salukis lead the all-time series with Drake by a 42-25 margin. Despite SIU's advantage, Drake has won the last four meetings including a sweep in the most recent match.
Scouting Missouri State
Missouri State brings a 5-9 overall record and 2-0 MVC record into this weekend's action. The Bears took down league newcomers Belmont and Murray State in their last time out. Missouri State will face UNI on Friday evening before hosting Drake on Saturday.
The Bears are led by hitters Manuela Ibarguen and Maddy Bushnell with 167 kills and 140 kills, respectively. Morgan Sprague leads the team with 490 assists and has the second-most aces with 15. Kate Owen paces the Bears with 16 service aces and 206 digs. Azyah Green's 52 blocks lead the team in that category.
Steven McRoberts is in his third season at Missouri State and 26th season as a collegiate volleyball coach. McRoberts has won 624 total matches in his career and posted a 37-29 record at Missouri State.
The Bears hold a 54-10 advantage in the all-time series with Drake. Missouri State won 19-straight contests dating back to 2011 before Drake's win in the most recent match during the 2021 season.
Up Next
Drake's next contest will be back in Des Moines at the newly renovated Knapp Center. The Bulldogs will host Illinois State on Friday, Oct. 7 and Bradley on Saturday, Oct. 8.
