PITTSBURG – The Pitt State Volleyball team (5-18, 3-8 MIAA) will play its final weekend of home games on Friday (October 28) against Lindenwood at 6 p.m. and Saturday (October 29) at 3 p.m. The team will celebrate its four seniors, Maggie Highberger, Ashlen Schwartz, Lana DaSilva and Taylor Wright, on Friday evening immediately before the match.
Following the weekend's matches, the Gorillas will have its final home game on Tuesday, November 1 at 6 p.m. against Central Oklahoma.
Highberger is Pitt State's offensive leader with 2.63 kills per set. She also has nine service aces on the season and adds 1.52 digs per set to the team's defensive efforts. Peyton Walker is second on the team with 2.31 kills per set, though she has been slowed some by injury lately. Zoey Qi adds 2.00 kps, Lauren Regier 1.71 and Erika Ivkov 1.55 kps. Taylor Wright and Cal VanBuskirk lead the team with 13 services aces each, while Ashlen Schwartz and Lauren Maisberger also each have double figure services aces on the season. Cal VanBuskirk directs the offense with 7.62 assists per set.
Defensively, Taylor Unke leads the Gorillas with 57 total blocks, including 13 solo. Regier adds 39 and Qi, 32. Schwartz, Maisberger and Wright cover the back court well, with each getting over 2.00 digs per set. Schwartz leads wth 3.81, while Maisberger and Wright each get 2.16 dps.
The Gorillas are 3-3 in their last six matches, with two of the losses being to top 15 ranked teams. The team is ninth in the MIAA Standings, just behind Lindenwood.
Lindenwood travels to Pittsburg with an 8-13 overall and 4-7 conference record. The Lady Lions dropped their last two matches to Fort Hays State and No. 4 Nebraska-Kearney at home. The team will face the University of Illinois-Springfield on Tuesday prior to this weekend's match.
Two juniors headline the Lindenwood offensive attack: Jessica Krygsheld with 2.8 kills per set and 27 total service aces and Alex Dahlstrom with 2.5 kps. Allyson dishes 10.0 assists per set as the team's sole setter. On the defensive end, junior Megan Hellwege handles back row duties, digging up 4.6 digs per set. Freshman Alex Bogusz and senior Sarah Makowski have over 50 blocks apiece and also contribute 1.8 kps apiece.
The Lions are hitting a .153 clip with 12.1 kps. Additionally, they are averaging 15.6 digs, 11.3 assists and 1.7 blocks per set on the season.
No. 15 Central Missouri ranks fifth in the MIAA with a 16-7 overall and 6-5 MIAA record. The team split last weekend in Warrensburg with a sweep against Fort Hays State and a loss against No. 4 Nebraska-Kearney. Before heading to Pittsburg, the Jennies will battle another top-10 foe at No. 9 Central Oklahoma on Friday.
Cheyanne Lyons has been a prominent threat for Jennies' offense this season, recording 3.3 kps. Four other Jennies have been major contributors as well: Kasey Holden (2.7 kps, .348 clip), Maddie Jones (2.4 kps, 37 total blocks), Molly Lawrence (2.4 kps, 48 total blocks) and Kylie Hohlen (2.3 kps, 17 aces). Kourtney Thompson and Tyler Downs dish out 9.5 aps while sharing the setting role. Mackenzie Harding adds 43 blocks.
Central Missouri is hitting 13.9 kps and a .238 clip, while holding opponents to 11.3 kps and a .166 clip. The team also compiles 16.3 kills, 12.6 assists, 1.7 blocks and 1.1 service aces per set.
