MIDWAY, Ky. — The Midway University women's volleyball team will host three matches over two days at Marshall Gymnasium, beginning Friday night against Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College before welcoming IU Kokomo and Lindsey Wilson for a Saturday tri-match.
The Eagles will open the weekend against the Pomeroys on Friday, Oct. 9, at 6 p.m. in River States Conference play.
Saturday's action begins at noon when Midway faces IU Kokomo in another RSC matchup. IU Kokomo and Lindsey Wilson will then meet at 2 p.m. before the Eagles return to the court at 4 p.m. to face Lindsey Wilson in nonconference action.
Midway enters the weekend with a 5-15 overall record and a 2-3 mark in RSC play under first-year head coach Sam Young.
LAST TIME OUT
The Eagles enter the weekend following a 3-1 victory over Kentucky Christian on Oct. 2 at Marshall Gymnasium.
Midway took the opening set 25-10 before Kentucky Christian responded with a 25-21 victory in the second. The Eagles regained control with a 25-19 win in the third set before dominating the fourth, 25-9, to secure their second conference victory of the season.
One of the biggest moments came in the fourth set when Midway fell behind 5-0 before scoring 14 consecutive points to take a 14-5 advantage.
Mayson Delong led the Eagles with 12 kills, while Nyla Gaines added nine. Elli Streutker and Lanie Cornelius each contributed eight kills.
Aubry Kamholz helped lead the Eagles from the service line with seven aces as Midway finished with 16 as a team.
The victory capped off the Eagles' Senior Day celebration, honoring Taylor Sobieck, Kaylen Gallenstein, Jessica Edwards, Paige Miles, Danica Clark and Nyla Gaines.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Through 20 matches, Midway has recorded 732 kills, averaging 10.46 per set, while hitting .118 as a team.
Freshman Allie McClanahan leads the Eagles with 155 kills, averaging 2.25 per set. Delong follows with 130 kills, while Alyssa Medeiros has contributed 104.
Mayme Powell has handled much of the setting responsibilities, recording a team-high 328 assists. Peyton Osteen follows with 237 assists.
Defensively, Blair Riney leads the team with 195 digs, while Marlee Laycock has collected 190. Powell has also contributed 125 digs.
At the net, Delong leads Midway with 29 total blocks, followed by Morgan Broderick with 28 and Cornelius with 25.
The Eagles have recorded 115 service aces this season, with Powell leading the team with 22. Kamholz follows with 21, while Laycock has added 18.
SCOUTING SAINT MARY-OF-THE-WOODS
Friday's matchup presents a significant challenge for the Eagles as Saint Mary-of-the-Woods enters with a 29-1 overall record and a perfect 6-0 mark in RSC play.
The Pomeroys have lost just once this season, falling 3-2 to Kansas Wesleyan on Sept. 19. They are led by head coach Ashley Harris, who has guided the program since 2021.
Saint Mary-of-the-Woods has been one of the most productive offensive teams in the conference, averaging 12.8 kills per set while hitting .270 as a team.
Senior Karla Melendez Martinez leads the Pomeroys with 265 kills, averaging 4.02 per set. Masa Pesic has contributed 191 kills, while Ryan Canter has added 142.
Lily Richards leads the team with 333 assists, averaging 5.12 per set. Defensively, Gaby Fernandez has recorded 402 digs.
The Pomeroys hold a 7-5 advantage in the all-time series against Midway.
SCOUTING IU KOKOMO
Midway will open Saturday's tri-match against an IU Kokomo team that enters with a 14-6 overall record and a 5-1 mark in RSC play.
The Cougars have been one of the conference's most successful programs under head coach Heather Hayes, who is in her 14th season. Hayes has guided IU Kokomo to eight RSC regular-season championships, six conference tournament titles and seven consecutive NAIA National Tournament appearances.
IU Kokomo is led offensively by junior Mya Grigsby, who has recorded 339 kills and averages 4.77 per set. Grigsby is hitting .283 and has added 239 digs.
Mia Niekamp follows with 210 kills, averaging 2.96 per set.
Claire Campanello leads the Cougars with 273 assists, while Avery Littrell has recorded a team-high 316 digs.
IU Kokomo is averaging 12.7 kills per set and hitting .207 as a team.
The Eagles will look to improve their record in the all-time series, having defeated IU Kokomo once in the previous 25 meetings.
SCOUTING LINDSEY WILSON
The Eagles will conclude Saturday's action against Lindsey Wilson, which enters the weekend with a 13-12 overall record.
The Blue Raiders are led by head coach Josh Kreiner, who previously spent five seasons at Northwestern Ohio.
Lindsey Wilson has recorded 1,063 kills this season, averaging 11.8 per set, while hitting .193 as a team.
Junior Luisina Sandrone Tais leads the Blue Raiders with 255 kills, averaging 2.87 per set. She has also contributed 35 service aces.
Gabi Zuquelo follows with 202 kills, while Tully Bew has added 165.
Freshman Addison Janes leads the team with 499 assists, averaging 5.54 per set. Defensively, Momo Hampton has recorded 395 digs, averaging 4.54 per set.
The Blue Raiders have also been effective at the net, recording 154 total blocks.
Saturday will mark just the fourth meeting between Midway and Lindsey Wilson. The Eagles will be looking for their first victory in the series.
WEEKEND SCHEDULE
All four matches will take place at Marshall Gymnasium.
|
Date
|
Match
|
Time (ET)
|
|
Friday, Oct. 9
|
Midway vs. Saint Mary-of-the-Woods
|
6 p.m.
|
|
Saturday, Oct. 10
|
Midway vs. IU Kokomo
|
Noon
|
|
Saturday, Oct. 10
|
IU Kokomo vs. Lindsey Wilson
|
2 p.m.
|
|
Saturday, Oct. 10
|
Midway vs. Lindsey Wilson
|
4 p.m.
|
TICKETS
Admission for all Midway Volleyball matches are $5.00. You can get your tickets
here.
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.