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Valley teams combined to post an 11-18 (.379) record during the second weekend of the season. UNI and Missouri State each claimed a win over a Top 25 team, while Evansville improved to a conference-best 5-1 on the season.

Two More Top-25 Victories
The Valley earned a pair of Top 25 wins on Friday night and already have three such wins this season.  UNI claimed its second win over a ranked foe with a 3-1 win over #18 USC, while Missouri State won at #20 Ohio State, 3-1.

It was the first time the MVC won two matches vs. Top 25 foes on the same day since Missouri State beat #14 Illinois and Wichita State beat #18 Creighton on August 27, 2016.

This week, Missouri State will face #8 Washington and Loyola will battle #13 Kentucky on neutral courts.

Wins Over Top 25 Teams in 2017
Aug. 25: UNI beat #19 Missouri, 3-2
Sept. 1: UNI beat #18 USC, 3-1
Sept. 1: Missouri State beat #20 Ohio State, 3-1

Tourney Success for Bulldogs
Drake played in a tournament title game for the second straight weekend as the Bulldogs went 2-1 on the weekend with the lone loss coming to 2016 NCAA Tournament participant JMU in the title game of the JMU Invitational … the tournament championship appearance came just one weekend after claiming the Fullerton Titan Tournament title to open the season.

Strong Start for Aces
Evansville was within a point of going 6-0 in a 5-set nail-biter against Southeast Missouri State.  UE enters its home schedule with a 5-1 record, matching its start from the 2011 campaign.

Wright Joins 1,000 Kill Club
Lynsey Wright became the 21st player in Missouri State history with 1,000 career kills during the first set of MSU’s sweep of Oakland on Saturday. Wright reached the milestone on an efficient .284 career hitting percentage, including .300 or higher in 48 of her 103 career matches.

Hook Joins 3,000 Assist Club
Senior setter Heather Hook became the seventh UNI player to record 3,000 or more assists in her career. Hook surpassed the 3,000 mark in UNI’s 3-1 win over No. 18 USC. Hook has registered 3,036 assists.

AVCA Top-25
UNI and Missouri State are both receiving votes in this week’s AVCA Top 25 poll. The Panthers sit No. 27 nationally with 60 votes and the Bears stand No. 31 with 10 votes.

Mid-Major Top 25
The Valley has two teams ranked in the top 10 of this week’s VolleyballMag.com Mid-Major Top 25 Poll*. UNI (5th) and Missouri State (10th) each make an appearance this week. Illinois State is receiving votes.
*Includes all teams note in the “power-five” conferences

MVC Career Kills Watch
Missouri State senior Lily Johnson sits in third place on the all-time MVC career kills list.  Johnson pounded out 38 kills in matches vs. Ohio State, Lipscomb and Oakland over the weekend. Johnson is 99 kills away from passing Missouri State’s Michelle Witzke (1994-97) and 128 kills away from breaking the MVC record held by Bradley’s Lindsay Stalzer (2002-05)

Career Kills
    1.    1,948 - Lindsay Stalzer, Bradley    2002-05
    2.    1,919 - Michelle Witzke, Missouri State    1994-97
    3.    1,821 - Lily Johnson, Missouri State    2014-pres.
    4.    1,779 - Molly O’Brien, UNI    2000-03
    5.    1,773 - Chris Rehor, Illinois State    1985-88

NCAA Active Career Digs Leader
Illinois State junior Courtney Pence leads the NCAA active career digs per set chart.  Pence is averaging 5.51 digs per set during her career in Normal and is one of only three active players averaging more than 5.00 digs per set during their career. Pence currently leads the nation, averaging 7.45/set this season.

NCAA Active Leaders, Digs Per Set
1.        Courtney Pence, Illinois State    5.51
2.        Challen Geraghty, Kent State    5.28
3.        Jessie Thornton, Wright State    5.05

Digs Leaders
Currently, the MVC has three teams ranking Top 10 nationally in digs per set, including Valparaiso leading the nation with 20.95 per set.

Digs per Set
    1.    Valparaiso                  20.95
    2.    North Dakota State      20.05
    3.    Towson                      19.91
    4.     Notre Dame               19.81
    5.    Chattanooga                19.65
    6.     Illinois State               19.64
    7.    UC Riverside                19.55
    8.    Bradley                       19.13

This week's Missouri Valley Conference Volleyball Players of the Week are Missouri State's Lynsey Wright, Illinois State's Courtney Pence and Valpo's Rylee Cookerly.

MISSOURI VALLEY CONFERENCE PLAYER OF THE WEEK:
Lynsey Wright, Sr., MB, Missouri State
Missouri State’s Lynsey Wright earned tournament MVP honors at the D.C. Koehl Classic hosted by Ohio State, averaging 3.08 kills and 0.92 blocks per set with a .462 attack efficiency and .569 kill percentage. Wright was brilliant in Missouri State’s Friday victory at 20th-ranked Ohio State, finishing with 15 kills and no errors to hit .577 while adding four blocks. Wright hit .333 with 13 kills and four blocks Saturday versus Lipscomb, a team ranked just outside the AVCA’s top 25, and became the 21st player in school history with 1,000 career kills in Saturday’s sweep of Oakland, hitting .467 with nine winners and three blocks.

Other Notable Performances: Erica Haslag (BRAD); Kyla Inderski (DU); Rachel Tam (UE); Jaelyn Keene (ILS); Morgan Gresham (LUC); Karlie Taylor (MSU); Kolby Meeks (SIU)

MISSOURI VALLEY CONFERENCE DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK:
Courtney Pence, Jr., DS, Illinois State
Illinois State junior Pence was named to an all-tournament team for a second-straight weekend, this time at Saint Louis’ Marcia E. Hamilton Classic. Pence averaged 7.18 digs per set over Illinois State’s three matches at SLU, while adding 13 assists and a pair of aces. Pence recorded her best performance Saturday against Kennesaw State, tallying 36 digs in the match, a total tied for the sixth most in a match in program history. Pence currently leads the MVC and leads the nation in digs, currently averaging 7.45 per set.   

Other Notable Performances: Hannah Angeli (BRAD); Courtney Morehead (UD); Erlicia Griffith (UE); Alex Nunez (LUC); Emily Butters (MSU): Kendyl Sorge (UNI); Ashley Edelen (SIU)

MISSOURI VALLEY CONFERENCE FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK:
Rylee Cookerly, Fr., Libero, Valparaiso
Valparaiso’s Rylee Cookerly continued the strong start to her rookie season as she averaged 7.10 digs/set over three matches last weekend at South Dakota State’s Jackrabbit Invitational. She opened the weekend with 28 digs in a four-set match against CSU Bakersfield, and then posted 28 digs in a three-set match with Northern Arizona - just two digs shy of cracking Valpo’s top-five all-time for a three-set match. She closed the weekend with 15 digs and a pair of aces in a sweep of the host Jackrabbits.

Other Notable Performances: Natalie Fry (DU); Allana McInnis (UE); Stef Jankiewicz (ILS); Elle Van Grinsven  (LUC); Emelie Orlando (MSU); Maggie Nedoma (SIU)