RICHMOND, Ind. — The Midway women's volleyball team returns to River States Conference action Saturday afternoon when it travels to Richmond, Indiana, for a matchup with IU East.

First serve is scheduled for 1 p.m.

Midway enters the matchup at 2-12 overall and 0-1 in RSC play, while IU East sits at 7-9 overall with a 1-0 conference record. Saturday continues a series that dates back to 2007, with the Eagles looking for their first victory over the Red Wolves since 2021.

Eagles Showing Signs of Progress

While Midway is looking to get back into the win column, the Eagles have shown signs of improvement in recent matches.

Midway is coming off a four-set loss at Union Commonwealth on Wednesday. After dropping the opening set 25-18, the Eagles battled through an extended second set and came away with a 32-30 victory. Union responded by taking the final two sets 25-16 and 25-21.

Freshman Allie McClanahan has led the Midway attack through the opening 14 matches. McClanahan has recorded a team-high 112 kills, averaging 2.24 per set while hitting .185. Mayson Delong follows with 87 kills, while Alyssa Medeiros has added 83 and Nyla Gaines has recorded 67.

The Eagles have utilized multiple options at setter. Mayme Powell leads the team with 225 assists and averages 4.50 per set, while Peyton Osteen has dished out 174 assists at a 4.05-per-set clip. Powell has also been one of Midway's top threats from the service line, leading the Eagles with 18 aces.

Defensively, Blair Riney leads Midway with 145 digs and averages 2.90 per set. Marlee Laycock has added 115 digs, while Aubry Kamholz has 94. At the net, Morgan Broderick leads the Eagles with 22 total blocks, with Delong close behind at 21.

Scouting IU East

IU East enters Saturday at 7-9 overall after beginning RSC play with a victory. The Red Wolves have produced 11.52 kills per set while hitting .157 as a team, compared with Midway's 10.02 kills per set and .108 hitting percentage. The two teams have been nearly even defensively, with IU East averaging 14.73 digs per set and Midway averaging 14.30.

Payton Schultheis and Amyra Lockett have formed a strong one-two punch for the Red Wolves. Schultheis leads the team with 152 kills and averages 2.76 per set, while Lockett has 148 kills at 2.64 per set and owns a team-best .258 hitting percentage among players with at least 100 attempts.

Freshman setter Olivia Barber has directed the IU East offense, recording 491 assists and averaging 8.77 per set. Defensively, Abby Herman has totaled 282 digs through 16 matches, an average of 5.04 per set.

IU East is led by eighth-year head coach Kim McConaha. She was named the RSC Coach of the Year in 2020 after taking over the program in 2019 following two seasons as an assistant. McConaha played collegiately at Purdue, earning First Team All-Big Ten honors before playing professionally overseas.

Series History

Saturday will add another chapter to a matchup that has been played for nearly two decades. The programs first met in 2007, and IU East owns a 35-2 advantage in the all-time series. Midway will be looking to snap its current skid against the Red Wolves and pick up its first RSC victory of the season.

Following Saturday's contest, Midway returns home Tuesday, Sept. 22, when it hosts Alice Lloyd at 7 p.m. inside Marshall Gymnasium.

About Midway University Athletics

Midway University competes in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and its 29 athletics teams are part of the River States Conference, Mid-South Conference, the 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.