The Basics
Drake volleyball will continue their 2023 season with their second-straight trip to the NIVC. The Bulldogs will serve as a host for the first and second rounds from Wednesday, Nov. 29-30. The full two-day schedule is listed below.
 
NIVC Schedule – Rounds 1 & 2
Wednesday, November 29:
3 pm – DePaul vs. Southern Illinois
6 pm – Drake vs. Chicago State
 
Thursday, November 30: 
6 pm – Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2
 
Bulldogs by the Numbers
Drake currently holds a 22-10 overall record and posted a 14-4 mark in league play so far this season. The Bulldogs recently went 1-1 at the MVC Tournament with a 3-0 sweep of UIC to avenge two earlier losses and a dramatic 3-2 defeat to No. 1 seed UNI in the league title match.
 
Senior defensive specialist Jada Wills earned the MVC Libero of the Year award and currently boasts a league-high 683 digs and average of 5.74 digs per set. Kacie Rewerts is also a defensive standout with 171 total blocks, the second-most in The Valley.
 
Wills was joined on the All-MVC First Team by hitter Taylor Oberpriller and Haley Bush. Oberpriller leads Drake with 451 kills followed by Bush's 400. Elsewhere, setter Addison Beagle has dished out 1,005 assists and leads the Bulldogs on the service line with 27 aces.
 
Scouting Chicago State
The Cougars of Chicago State have put together a solid 2023 campaign with a 13-8 record as an independent. Chicago State finished the year on a 2-1 streak with a pair of sweeps over Hartford and a road loss at Florida State.
 
Yanlis Feliz leads the Cougar offense by a wide margin with 345 kills. She is also tied for second on the team with 17 aces and alone in second with 217 digs. The Chicago State offense leans on a twosome of setters in Jaclyn Inclan and Yunju Lee have posted 413 assists and 365 assists, respectively. Defensively, Andrea Calderon leads the team with 326 digs while Mesalina Severino, Berenice Almeyda, and Julieta Sandez have all recorded 60+ blocks.
 
Tony Trifonov is in his 25th total season coaching Division I volleyball and fourth year at the helm of the Cougars. He has posted a 39-43 record at Chicago State.
 
Drake leads the all-time series against Chicago State by a 5-0 margin. The Bulldogs have won two games in Des Moines, two in Chicago, and a neutral site tilt in Green Bay, Wis. Drake's last win came in 2018.
 
Scouting DePaul
DePaul has posted a 17-14 overall record and an even 9-9 mark in Big East Conference play. The Blue Demons were ousted from the Big East tournament by No. 1 seed Creighton after taking down Xavier in the opening round.
 
Jill Pressly leads DePaul as the only 400+ killer on the roster with 483 kills on the season. She also paces the team from the service line with an impressive 31 aces and has 340 digs, good enough for second on the roster. DePaul also boasts two 500+ assist distributors in Maggie Jones and Ashley Cudiamat. Defensively, Rachel Krasowski leads DePaul in digs while Meghan Scholz has a team-high 86 blocks.
 
The Blue Demons are led by head coach Marie Zidek in her seventh season leading the volleyball program. She currently has a 79-113 overall record.
 
Drake trails in the all-time series with DePaul by a 6-1 margin. The Blue Demons won the first six installments between 1986-2013 until 2015 when Drake picked up its first win in the series in a neutral site match in Macomb, Ill.
 
Scouting Southern Illinois
The Bulldogs could potentially meet up with MVC rival Southern Illinois in the second round of NIVC bracket play. The Salukis are 20-11 overall and posted an 11-7 record in the Valley season. SIU also went 1-1 at the MVC Tournament with a first-round win over Belmont and a loss to eventual champion UNI.
 
Nataly Garcia leads SIU with 410 kills and earned an All-MVC First Team nod because of it. She also leads the team with 53 service aces and has 320 digs, the second-most on the team. Setters Anna Jaworski and Ema Stermenska have each dished out more than 600 assists. Defensively, Cecilia Bulmahn has a team-high 443 assists and Imani Hartfield boasts 101 blocks.
 
Ed Allen coaches the Salukis and is in his fifth season at the helm of the SIU volleyball program. He holds over 700 career wins in his 32 years of coaching with an exact record of 59-86 at Southern Illinois.
 
Southern Illinois leads the all-time series over Drake, 42-28. The Bulldogs have owned the series of late with seven-straight wins and 10 victories in the last 12 meetings.
 
Up Next
The winner of the Des Moines portion of the NIVC bracket will advance to the third round between Dec. 5-7.