PITTSBURG, Kan. -- The Pittsburg State Volleyball team (0-4) will continue early season play at the Rockhurst Invitational in Kansas City, Mo. on Friday and Saturday (September 11 and 12).

The four teams the Gorillas will be playing, Winona State, Oklahoma Baptist, Wayne State and Rockhurst, are a combined 12-4 after the first week of the season. Winona State is ranked No. 6 in the latest American Volleyball Coaches Association Division II Poll, while Rockhurst is No. 17. 

Winona State is 2-1 after opening their season in St. Paul last weekend. They earned victories against Central Washington and No. 15 Palm Beach Atlantic, while falling to No. 2 Concordia-St. Paul. The young Warrior squad will return five starting sophomores, including last season's AVCA's Central Region Freshman of the Year, Danielle Rampart, who records 3.23 kills per set. Taylor Goar leads the way in kills with 3.31 kills per set, while Maria Wrage adds a team leading .435 attack percentage.
 
Oklahoma Baptist is 3-2 for the season after going 3-1 in Fort Lauderdale last weekend and falling to Central Oklahoma on Tuesday. Junior Cadyn Laing and senior Priscilla Mendes lead the Bison in kills, recording 33 each. True freshman Kynnedy Myers posts 142 assists on the season, while senior Kaitlyn Lucy adds six aces and 68 digs in team highs. Laing also leads the team in blocks with 10.
 
No. 6 Wayne State squad is 4-0 after competing in the Southern Indiana Tournament last weekend. The Wildcats average 13.0 kills, 11.7 assists, and 1.5 blocks per set, while holding their opponents to 9.2 kills, 8.8 assists, and 1.2 blocks per set. Three players, Katie Hughes (3.15), Elizabeth Gebhardt (3.00), and Alyssa Frauendorfer (2.54) record over 2.5 kills per set. A 2014 AVCA Central Region honorable mention pick, Frauendorfer also adds a .400 attack percentage.
 
No. 17 Rockhurst Hawks post a 3-1 record after a season opening tournament in Anchorage, Ala. last weekend. As a team, the Lady Hawks average 13.08 kills per set and hit at a .216 clip. Defensively, they average 12.46 assists and 19.23 digs per set, led by sophomore libero Anne Hellwege. 2014 All-Americans Morgan Rietzke and Preecy Seever lead the team in kills and blocks, with 80 combined kills and 28 total blocks on the season. 

The Gorillas are 0-4 on the season, but played some very close matches on opening weekend. The team averages 11.4 kills and 15.4 digs per set, along with 1.4 blocks per set. The team has a .151 attack percentage. Four Pitt State players score two points or more per set. Maggie Highberger leads the team with 2.50 kills per set, including 2.36 kills. Lana DaSilva adds 2.39 points with 1.93 kills and a team leading 0.71 blocks. Taylor Unke and Lexi Fulghum each add 2.31 points. Fulghum is second in kills with 2.23 kills. Unke is second in blocks with 0.69 and adds 1.85 kills.

Ashlen Schwartz leads the G orillas with 4.43 digs per set. Noelle Dooley adds 3.27 dps. In the Gorillas two setter system, Hayley Hansford contributes 5.07 assists and Taylyn Schwartz adds 4.43 aps.