MIDWAY, Ky. — With postseason positioning on the line, the Midway University women's volleyball team travels to Grayson, Kentucky, on Friday, Oct. 23, to face Kentucky Christian University in the River States Conference Game of the Week.
First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m. as the Eagles and Knights battle for valuable conference positioning with the regular season winding down.
Midway enters Friday's contest with a 6-20 overall record and a 2-7 mark in conference play, while Kentucky Christian comes into the matchup at 1-21 overall and 1-8 in the RSC.
Both teams remain in contention for the final spot in the River States Conference Tournament, making Friday's matchup an important opportunity to improve their postseason chances.
The contest will also serve as Senior Night for Kentucky Christian, as the Knights celebrate their graduating student-athletes.
Friday marks Midway's final road conference match of the regular season.
Last Time Out
The Eagles enter Friday's matchup looking to bounce back following a pair of conference losses in Indiana last weekend.
Midway opened the weekend on Friday, Oct. 16, with a three-set loss to IU Southeast in New Albany, Indiana.
Sophomore Lanie Cornelius led the Eagles with six kills while hitting .333. Nyla Gaines added four kills, while Emma Figgins finished with three.
Blair Riney and Marlee Laycock recorded 12 digs apiece, while Peyton Osteen contributed eight assists.
Midway closed the weekend on Saturday, Oct. 17, against IU Columbus, falling in straight sets by scores of 29-27, 25-13 and 25-14.
The Eagles battled throughout the opening set before narrowly falling 29-27.
Alyssa Medeiros led Midway with seven kills, while Mayson Delong and Cornelius added six apiece.
Laycock recorded a team-high 13 digs, while freshman setter Mayme Powell finished with 10 assists and eight digs.
Eagles Offensive Leaders
Under first-year head coach Sam Young, Midway has recorded 927 kills through 26 matches, averaging 10.3 kills per set.
Freshman Allie McClanahan leads the Eagles with 192 kills, averaging 2.31 per set while hitting .192.
Sophomore Mayson Delong follows with 174 kills and has also made an impact defensively, leading Midway with 40 total blocks.
Junior Alyssa Medeiros has contributed 127 kills, while Cornelius and Gaines have added 104 and 100, respectively.
The Eagles have relied on a combination of setters to generate offensive opportunities throughout the season.
Freshman Mayme Powell leads the team with 421 assists, averaging 4.68 per set. Junior Peyton Osteen has added 298 assists, averaging 3.73 per set.
Defensively, Laycock leads Midway with 264 digs, averaging 3.11 per set. Riney follows with 237 digs, while Aubry Kamholz has recorded 171.
Kamholz also leads the Eagles with 29 service aces, followed by Powell and Laycock with 25 apiece.
Last Meeting
Midway and Kentucky Christian previously met on Oct. 2 at Marshall Gymnasium, where the Eagles earned a four-set victory on Senior Day.
Midway won the match by scores of 25-10, 21-25, 25-19 and 25-9 to secure its second conference victory of the season.
After splitting the opening two sets, the Eagles responded with a strong third set before dominating the fourth to complete the victory.
The win also snapped a 13-match losing streak against Kentucky Christian, giving Midway its first victory over the Knights in that stretch.
Friday's rematch gives the Eagles an opportunity to complete the regular-season sweep.
Scouting Kentucky Christian
Kentucky Christian enters Friday's contest under head coach Darby Walker.
The Knights have struggled to find consistency this season, posting a 1-21 overall record and a 1-8 mark in conference play.
Kentucky Christian is averaging 7.74 kills, 7.24 assists and 13.85 digs per set while hitting .052 as a team.
Senior middle blocker Elizabeth Rigsby leads the Knights offensively with 174 kills, averaging 2.42 per set while hitting .234.
Rigsby has also contributed 27 total blocks, making her a key presence at the net.
Breanna Schiwart follows with 102 kills, while Amber Nelson has recorded 95 kills and a team-high 29 blocks.
Junior setter Mary Ansley Herrington directs the Kentucky Christian offense, recording 392 assists and averaging 5.60 per set.
Defensively, sophomore Kendall Tucker leads the Knights with 242 digs, averaging 3.36 per set.
About Midway University Athletics
Midway University competes in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), and its 29 athletic teams are part of the River States Conference, Mid-South Conference, Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association and USA Archery. For more information about Midway University Athletics, please visit www.gomidwayeagles.com or contact Tyler Beck at 859-846-5366.
