PITTSBURG – The Pitt State Volleyball team will be playing three MIAA matches this week as the team travels to Edmond, Okla. to take on No. 10 Central Oklahoma at 7 p.m. on Tuesday (October 4), then returns home for 6 p.m. matches on both Friday and Saturday against Southwest Baptist and Missouri Southern. 

The Gorillas showed great fortitude in tow long matches against Northwest Missouri and Missouri Western last weekend. The Pitt State record stands at 2-14 and 0-4 in MIAA play. The team averages 10.8 kills per set and hit at a .147 clip. Opponents are tallying 12.7 kills per set and hitting .213. The Gorilla defense adds 14.7 digs pepr set and 1.6 blokcs per set. They have put down a total of 93.5 blocks this season. 

Peyton Walker and Maggie Highberger are the top point scorers for the Gorillas. Walker scored 2.82 points per set, including 2.58 kills per set. She has 19 blocks on the year. Highberger scores 2.78 points per set with 2.54 kills per set. She has 12 blocks on the season and also adds seven service aces. Zoey Qi puts down 2.15 kills per set and has also added 15 blocks in the seven matches she has played thus far. Lauren Regier scores 2.02 points per set w ith 1.67 kills per set to go along with 29 blocks. Taylor Unke is the team's blocks leader with 42 on the season, including 12 solo blocks. Taylor Wright and Cal VanBuskirk lead the team with nine services aces a piece, while Lauren Maisberger adds eight. 

Ashlen Schwartz continues to lead the Gorillas with 3.67 digs per set. Maisberger adds 2.44 dps and Wright records 2.31 dps. 

No. 10 Central Oklahoma hosts the Gorillas with a 16-1 overall and 3-1 conference record. The Bronchos swept Missouri Western and No. 18 Northwest Missouri in three sets last weekend. No. 11 Central Missouri handed the team their first loss on Sept. 23.
 
Taylor Bevis, the 2015 MIAA Volleyball Freshman of the Year, powers the offensive attack with 3.6 kills per set and a .262 clip. Ijeoma Njenje and Fulani Petties contribute 2.7 and 2.5 kps, respectively. Allison Barr tallies 44 total blocks and Jordan Spence adds 37 on the season. Katy Davis ranks second in the MIAA with 11.3 assists per set. Mehana Fonseca tabs a conference-high 23 total service aces and Dominique Lipari adds 4.4 digs per set.
 
As a team, UCO hits a .262 clip (13.3 kps) and holds opponents to a .102 clip. They top the conference with 17.4 dps and also record 12.3 aps, 1.9 bps and 1.5 aps.
 
Southwest Baptist is 3-14 overall and is seeking its conference win. The team suffered losses on the road against No. 17 Washburn and Emporia State this past weekend. The Bearcats will host Missouri Southern on Oct. 4 before trekking to Pittsburg.
 
Dana Neal (2.6 kps) and Katie Robinson (.218 clip) headline the Bearcat offense. Kalyn Sotomayor adds 1.7 kps and a .207 clip. Setters Serena Mar and Brea Freeman pace the Bearcats with 4.2 and 3.4 aps, respectively. Robinson goes up strong with 50 total blocks and Mar records a team-high 20 service aces this season. Bailey Baumann leads the back row with 4.2 dps.
 
Southwest Baptist collectively hits 10.0 kps and a .127 clip. They also tally 92 total service aces this season, which is second in the MIAA. Additionally, the team averages 14.9 dps, 9.0 aps and 1.9 bps.  
 
Missouri Southern holds a 3-14 record and has yet to win a conference game. The Lions fell to Emporia State and No. 17 Washburn this weekend in three sets. They will go head-to-head with Southwest Baptist and Central Oklahoma prior to Saturday's matchup.
 
The young Missouri Southern team features freshmen Christina Perlinger, who hits 2.2 kps, and Alicia Pickett, who records a team-high .232 clip and 52 total blocks. Junior Bailey Rexford contributes 1.82 kp. The team's setting duo, freshman Whitney Harrison and sophomore Bradyn Wall, collectively dish out 13.9 aps. To lead the back row unit, freshman Kat Gries records 16 service aces and 3.4 dps.
 
The Lions record 9.6 kps and a .108 team clip. They also average 12.1 dps, 8.8 dp and 1.7 bps.