PITTSBURG, Kan. -- The Pittsburg State Volleyball team takes the court in Oklahoma this weekend for the final non-conference warmup at the GAC-MIAA Crossover in Shawnee and Edmond. The Gorillas begin tournament play on Friday (Sept. 16) against Oklahoma Baptist at noon and Southeastern Oklahoma at 6 p.m. in Shawnee, Okla. Saturday's games will take place at UCO's Hamilton Fieldhouse in Edmond, Okla. with the Gorillas taking on Southern Nazarene at 9 a.m. and East Central at 3 p.m.

Pittsburg State is looking for its first win on the season. The Gorillas hit .146 as a team, while averaging 10.7 kills, 15.0 digs and 1.7 blocks per set. Opponents are hitting at a .227 clip and put down 13.2 kills and 1.7 blocks per set.

Peyton Walker leads the Gorillas with 2.89 kills per set, with Maggie Highberger adding 2.30. Lauren Regier is just under two kills per set with 1.90. Taylor Wright and Cal VanBuskirk lead the team with seven service aces a piece. VanBuskirk and Kylie Farris have shared the setting duties for the Pitt State offense. VanBuskirk averages 6.46 assists per set, while Farris adds 5.38. 

Defensively, Ashlem Schwartz leads the back court with 4.00 kps. Kajohna Davis adds 3.00, Lauren Maisberger, 2.19, Farris, 2.06, Wright 2.04 and Raven Lawlor, 2.00 dps. At the net, Taylor Unke leads the team with 21 blocks through 8 matches, including seven solo blocks. Regier adds 16 blocks, Madi Denton, 13, and Noelle Dooley and Walker each have 11. 

Oklahoma Baptist opens the weekend with a 3-6 record. The Lady Bison dropped all four matches to Missouri Western, Missouri S&T, Northwest Missouri, and No. 24 Rockhurst at the Gold and Green Challenge.
 
The team is hitting a .163 clip with 11.7 kills per set. Nicole Fleitman and Mikayla Watson headline the young Lady Bison offense, each with 99 and 93 total kills this season with a combined 3.15 kills per set. Sophomore Kynnedy Myers assumes setting duties with 8.57 assists per set and leads with 10 service aces. Cadyn Laing has 26 total blocks and Fleitman and Taylor Williams have 18 apiece. Myers and Sierra VeraCruz add to the team's 16.7 digs per set with 3.05 dps combined.
 
Southeastern Oklahoma is 5-3 entering the GAC-MIAA Crossover. The team split at the MSU Hampton Inn-vitational the previous weekend, defeating Fort Lewis and Cameron and faced losses against Dallas Baptist and Midwestern State.
 
The Savage Storm collectively hits a .181 clip, while holding opponents to .171, led by Karine Cavalcante (3.17 kps, 15 service aces) and Abby Jameson (3.16 kps). Julia Benford and Arianna Baker add just over 2 blocks per set each Caitlin Cosby leads the back row with 5.34 dps. Alissa Benson dishes out 10.7 aps as the team's lone setter and Baker leads with 18 total blocks this season.
 
Southern Nazarene stands at 3-1 after their season debut at the MSU Hampton Inn-vitational last weekend. The team was victorious against St. Edwards, Cameron, and Fort Lewis, but fell to Dallas Baptist in the tournament cap.
 
Three Crimson Storm hitters contribute to the team's 14.4 kps and hold opponents to just a 10.7 kps. McKayla Benner leads all players with 3.36 kps, Bailee Turang with 2.64 kps, and Makenna Hunter, 2.36 kps. Hunter and Benner also have 10 blocks apiece to lead the defensive attack and Turang has a team-high six service aces. Elyse Berlin is a big contributor to the team's 13.6 aps with 11.9 aps.
 
East Central is 2-6 entering the tournament. Northwest Missouri, No. 24 Rockhurst, Missouri Western, and Missouri S&T handed the Tigers losses in the Gold and Green Challenge last weekend.
 
Madeline Mayer is the team leader in kills thus far, recording 2.13 kps. She also records a team-high 10 service aces and 25 total blocks. Madyson Gill (1.87 kps), Kaci Harrison (1.82 kps), and Alex Campbell (1.72 kps) also play key roles in the team's offensive attack. Checking in as the team's setter is Taylor Turner with 6.27 aps. Lily Porsa leads the back row with 3.90 digs per set.