SLIAC Game of the Week: MacMurray Hosts Quad

SLIAC Game of the Week: MacMurray Hosts Quad

This week's SLIAC Game of the Week is the volleyball quad hosted by MacMurray College. Not only will the day's events include four conference teams battling it out but MacMurray is holding a fundraising event for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

At a Glance

The MacMurray volleyball quad will be held Saturday, September 17th in Jacksonville, Illinois on the campus of MacMurray College. Game times are set for 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. with two matches being played simultaneously at each start time. The 11 a.m. matches will feature Greenville vs. Webster and Iowa Wesleyan vs. MacMurray while the afternoon matches pit Greenville against Iowa Wesleyan and Webster against MacMurray.

In addition to the matches on the court MacMurray will be collecting money for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. There will be silent auction items, a 50/50 raffle, and donations will be accepted throughout the day. All proceeds will benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Gateway Chapter in St. Louis. For more information on Cystic Fibrosis Foundation fundraiser click HERE


About the Greenville College "PANTHERS"

Greenville has picked up the 2016 season right where they left off last year, opening the year with a 7-1 record. The defending SLIAC champions are 3-0 in conference play this season and have won seven straight after dropping their season opener. The Panthers are hitting .175 as a team and led by the duo of Allyson Mitchell (3.69 k/s) and Savannah Sells (2.41 k/s). Running the attack is senior setter Kirsten Laune (7.8 a/s) while Sells is second in the league in blocks with 32.


About the Iowa Wesleyan University "TIGERS"

Iowa Wesleyan jumped their season off with a 2-1 record last week and will face Grinnell on Tuesday before taking on Blackburn on Friday night. The Tigers are hitting .133 as a team and rank second in the SLIAC in digs per set at 18.8. Sophomore Cassandra Schwamborn leads the Tigers at 2.92 kills per set while Maggie Earney is averaging 7.75 assists per set. Libero Cierra Howard is off to a hot start averaging 6.42 digs per set this season.


About the MacMurray College "HIGHLANDERS"

MacMurray has been the busiest team in the conference this season, tying for the league lead with eight matches played. They are 0-8 and will open up conference play on Tuesday against Fontbonne before hosting the quad on Saturday. The Highlanders have struggled to get their offense going, hitting just .033 as a team this season. The youthful Highlanders are led by freshman Olivia Wall (2.16 k/s) and has split time at setter between senior Emily Lascody and freshman Janelle Benson.

About the Webster University "GORLOKS"

Webster is off to a strong start this season, beginning the week with a 6-2 overall record. They will face Principia in a conference match on Tuesday night and travel to Illinois Wesleyan on Friday before Saturday's quad in Jacksonville. The Gorlok attack is balanced but powerful, ranking first in the league in kills per set (12.75). Not to be outdone is their strong defensive mindset, leading the league at 20.6 digs per set. Senior Jory Siebenmorgen leads the Gorloks with 79 kills this season and is hitting .289 on her attempts. The setting rotation of Kelsey Hamann and Ashley Robinson has been effective as the Gorloks rank second in the league in team hitting percentage (.203).

Game Notes

  • Greenville's Allyson Mitchell is just as dangerous at the service line as she is on a set, leading the SLIAC in aces with 26.
  • Iowa Wesleyan's Cierra Howard recorded back to back 30 dig matches last week, earning her SLIAC Volleyball Defensive Player of the Week honors.
  • MacMurray has a conference high eight freshman who have already seen playing time this season.
  • Webster's Jory Siebenmorgan is one of just two players in the SLIAC to rank in the conference top five in both kills per set and hitting percentage.
  • There should be plenty of rallies kept alive this weekend by the teams defensive specialists. Three of the top five liberos in the conference ranking in digs will be playing on Saturday at MacMurray (Katie O'Toole, Webster; Cierra Howard, Iowa Wesleyan; and Allison Grabowski, Greenville).
  • This weekend will be an early test for two of the more dominant teams over the last decade. Webster and Greenville have either outright won or at least shared the SLIAC regular season title each season dating back to the 2006 season.