PITTSBURG – The Pittsburg State University volleyball team will hit the road to battle a pair of in-state rivals this weekend as the Gorillas face Emporia State University Friday (Oct. 8) and No. 1 ranked Washburn University Saturday (Oct. 9).
The Gorillas and the Lady Hornets will take the court at 7 p.m. (CDT) Friday, while the match-up with the undefeated and top-ranked Ichabods is set for 6 p.m. at Lee Arena. Pitt State's battle vs. ESU originally was scheduled for a 6 p.m. start but the time was moved back an hour this week.
The Match-ups
- Pitt State brings a 9-5 overall record and a 3-3 MIAA mark into Friday's contest against ESU. The Gorillas split a pair of conference matches last week, defeating Newman University, 3-0, before falling to No. 5 University of Central Missouri, 3-1, last Thursday.
- ESU is 2-11 overall and 0-6 in the MIAA heading into Friday's tilt. The Lady Hornets are seeking to halt a six-match losing streak
- WU is 14-1 overall, 6-0 in the MIAA and ranked No. 1 in the most recent AVCA/NCAA Division II Top 25 poll. The Ichabods have won 14 straight matches entering a Friday home contest against Missouri Southern.
Scouting the Gorillas
- Junior outside hitter Meg Auten ranks 4th in the MIAA in kills with a total of 162 in 50 sets.
- Junior setter Brianna Richard once again finds herself ranked 2nd in assists with 512 in 50 sets for the Gorillas.
- Pitt State libero Marissa Bates sits in the top 10 in digs in the MIAA. The junior from Silver Lake, Kan., has notched 199 digs in 49 sets.
Scouting the Lady Hornets
- Junior libero Rylie Fornelli, daughter of Pitt State baseball coach Bob Fornelli, ranks second in the MIAA for digs with 261 in 45 sets.
Scouting the Ichabods
- The Ichabods lead the MIAA in eight categories, including: hitting percentage, assists, opponent assists, kills, opponent kills, blocks, opponent blocks and opponent serving aces.
- The Ichabods hold the top three spots in individual hitting percentage as well.
