The Basics
The Drake volleyball team is back on the road this weekend for a pair of matches against Belmont and Murray State. The Bulldogs will take on the Bruins from Nashville in their first game of the weekend on Friday night at 6 p.m. and then head over to Murray for a matchup against the Racers on Saturday at 5 p.m. There will be no stream available for the Friday night contest against Belmont.
Bulldogs by the Numbers
With six games remaining in the regular season, Drake is tied for fourth with UIC and Bradley holding a league record of 6-4 in the conference standings and is 11-11 overall. The Bulldogs will look to continue their winning ways and are currently riding a three-game winning streak after defeating Bradley and Evansville last weekend.
A pair of outside hitters in
Caroline Smith and
Shay McMillen led the Drake attack last weekend in the wins over Bradley and Evansville. Smith got the weekend started setting a new career high with 24 kills against the Braves. McMillen then followed by setting her career high with 22 kills against the Purple Aces.
Drake Leaders
Kills |
Caroline Smith – 199,
Lisa Melenciano – 187,
Kamryn Behrns – 152
Assists |
Katie Quick – 560,
Carolyn Maser – 309
Digs |
Jasmine Dulan – 458,
Katie Quick – 177,
Matthea Dalton – 160
Blocks |
Aniyah Davis – 81,
Bliss Beck – 69,
Lisa Melenciano – 45
Service Aces |
Jasmine Dulan – 18,
Bella Faria – 16,
Katie Quick – 14
Scouting Belmont
The Bruins have been one of the hottest teams in the Missouri Valley Conference ever since conference play began. Belmont is currently second in the league standings at 9-1 and has won four-straight matches. Overall, the Bruins own a record of 12-9. Senior Brenna Kauffeld leads Belmont with 230 kills this season while ranking third on the team in service aces (17) and blocks (41). She also ranks fourth on the team with 115 digs.
The Bulldogs are a perfect 6-0 all-time against Belmont with five of the matches resulting in a sweep. Drake won both meetings from Des Moines last season taking a 3-0 win during the regular season and a 3-2 win in the quarterfinals of the MVC Tournament.
Belmont Leaders
Kills | Brenna Kauffeld – 230, Erin McMullen – 192, Emily Warmenhoven – 152
Assists | Jordan Czajkowski – 464, Alivia Keegan – 368
Digs | Mya Bolton – 322, Lauren Evans – 179, Jordan Czajkowski – 157
Blocks | Erin McMullen – 66, Lucy Kay – 44, Brenna Kauffeld – 41
Service Aces | Mya Bolton – 22, Lauren Evans – 22, Brenna Kauffeld – 17
Scouting Murray State
The Racers recently erased their winless mark in league play and have won two of their last three matches both coming against Southern Illinois. Murray State's league record now sits at 2-8 with its overall record improved to 4-18. The Racers have a relatively young squad and have relied on a five-player freshman class that has accounted for 40-percent of the Racers' digs.
Drake also has a perfect all-time record against Murray State at 7-0. The Bulldogs and Racers matched up earlier this season at the end of September from Des Moines and Drake took home the victory, 3-0.
Murray State Leaders
Kills | Anne Makowski – 260, Lily Evans – 143, Maezi Snyder – 140
Assists | Paige Brock – 432, Katie Titus – 291
Digs | Ada Tamturk – 248, Mija Pristovnik – 164, Samantha Nelson – 116
Blocks | Lily Evans – 61, Maezi Snyder – 51, Alexa Watts – 41
Service Aces | Lily Evans – 16, Ceren Durak – 16, Paige Brock – 15
Up Next
Drake returns to the Knapp Center for its final two home games of the regular season against Southern Illinois on Friday, Nov. 6 and a rematch with Belmont on Saturday, Nov. 7. First serve versus the Saluki's is set for 6 p.m. while Saturday's contest against the Bruins is set for 5 p.m.
