The Basics
Drake volleyball will hit the road for its sixth weekend of action this season as they take on Indiana State on Friday, Oct. 6 at 5 p.m. and Evansville on Saturday, Oct. 7 at 5 p.m.
Bulldogs by the Numbers
Drake will take a 10-6 record with them this weekend after splitting the opening homestand in the Knapp Center. They fell in 3-2 to UIC to open the home slate (9/29) and bested Valparaiso by a 3-1 margin (9/30).
Taylor Oberpriller has led a high-powered Bulldog offense this season with 236 kills, which is good for third in the Missouri Valley.
Macy Daufeldt (196) and
Haley Bush (176) have also played an integral part. Setter
Addison Beagle continues to lead the entire MVC with 665 assists.
Defensively,
Jada Wills leads the Missouri Valley Conference with 365 digs.
Kacie Rewerts has continued to shine at the net, racking up 84 total blocks, good for the second-most in the Valley, and 1.42 blocks per set.
Scouting Indiana State
The Sycamores come into the weekend with a record of 2-12 overall. Their two wins on the year came against Alabama State (8/26) and UL-Monroe (9/1).
The team is led offensively by Kira Holland with 126 kills. Their balanced attack also runs through Kaitlyn Hamilton and Ella Scott with 117 and 113 kills, respectively. Hannah Baudin has lent a helping hand, racking up a team-high 324 assists to this point.
Drake leads the all-time series with Indiana State by a 39-29 margin, including a win in three of the last five. Most recently, Drake defeated the Sycamores 3-0 on the road in 2022.
Scouting Evansville
The Purple Aces bring a 6-9 overall record and 1-3 MVC record into the weekend. Evansville's lone win in MVC play came in a 3-1 fashion over Belmont on the road. They will play host UNI on Oct. 6 before playing Drake on Saturday.
The Purple Aces' attack is paced by junior Giulia Cardona with 291 kills. Melanie Feliciano has added 173 kills to the Evansville attack. Kora Ruff is tied for the third most assists in the Missouri Valley at 545.
Drake leads the all-time series over Evansville, 34-26, and they hold a 15-13 advantage on the road. Last season, the Bulldogs swept the Purple Aces, 3-0, on the road.
Up Next
Drake will return to the Knapp Center for a three game home stand, when they will host SIU (10/13), Missouri State (10/14) and UNI (10/16).
