DUBUQUE, Iowa (Duhawks.com) - The Loras women's volleyball team gears up for their final two conference games of the year and their last tournament this weekend at UW-Whitewater.

ALL-TIME SERIES AGAINST SIMPSON •••
Both Loras and Simpson are level in their all-time series since 2001, with each team winning nine matches. Prior to last season's meeting, the Duhawks had won the previous five matches, dating back to 2010.

LAST TIME OUT AGAINST SIMPSON •••
In last year's meeting between Loras and Simpson, the Storm won in five sets (25-20, 15-25, 25-20, 15-25, 15-9). Jenna Erickson finished with 19 digs and 18 sets, but in the sets they lost, Loras was held to a .038 attack percentage.

SCOUTING THE STORM •••
Simpson is hoping to end their skid on Tuesday night as they have lost their last five matches. Additionally, Simpson has yet to win in conference play, entering Tuesday with a 0-5 record. Olivia Sulentic plays a large role in Simpson's defense, averaging 5.9 digs per set. Tabitha Blaser leads the Storm in kills with 272 and owns a .187 attack percentage.

ALL-TIME SERIES AGAINST ST. KATE'S •••
Dating back to 2001, Loras is 5-1 all-time against St. Kate's.

LAST TIME OUT AGAINST ST. KATE'S •••
When Loras and St. Kate's met last season, Danni Kennedy had herself a field day in the middle, finishing with 12 kills and two solo blocks. Kennedy finished with a .385 attack percentage.

SCOUTING THE WILDCATS •••
Alyssa Besch leads St. Kate's on offense, averaging 2.67 kills per set and owns a .274 attack percentage. Joining Besch in the attack is Sabrina Astar, who averages 2.12 kills per set. On defense, the Wildcat libero, Shanee Herd, averages 6.11 digs per set while Amber Zeiher is the block master, checking in with 89 total blocks.

ALL-TIME SERIES AGAINST WHITEWATER •••
The Warhawks hold a 15-4 record against the Duhawks all-time. These two sides last met in 2014 with UW-Whitewater coming away on top 3-0.

LAST TIME OUT AGAINST WHITEWATER •••
Last season the Warhawks defeated the Duhawks in the AWC by a final score of 3-0 (28-26, 25-21, 25-20). Loras was led in kills by junior Danni Kennedy who tallied eight. Kennedy also led the team in aces with two and blocks with three. The junior rounded out her day by adding eight digs. Junior Jenna Erickson paced the offense with 15 assists.

SCOUTING THE WARHAWKS •••
Ninth-ranked UW-Whitewater has been unbeatable at home this season, recording a 7-0 mark to date. Offensively, the Warhawks look to Lauren Pfeifer to pace the offense. Pfeifer leads the team with 292 kills, or 3.44 kills per set. Setting Pfeifer up is Staci Hasler. Hasler records an average of 9.76 assists per set, good for 820 on the season. Defensively, the Duhawks need to watch out as the Warhawks average 2.0 blocks per set. Leading the defensive charge is Courtney Wagner who averages 1.0 blocks per set and totals 84 blocks this season.

ALL-TIME SERIES AGAINST WEBSTER •••
Loras holds a 3-0 advantage over the Gorloks in an all-time series that dates back to 2006.

LAST TIME OUT AGAINST WEBSTER •••
The Duhawks last faced Webster in 2014, coming away with a 3-2 (25-17, 18-25, 13-25, 25-21, 15-11) victory at the UW-Oshkosh Women's Volleyball Invitational. Junior's Danni Kennedy and Jenna Erickson helped lead the team to victory. Kennedy notched 12 kills on .308 hitting while Erickson added 26 assists and 20 digs. Sophomore Haley Bergan also stood out with 28 digs.

SCOUTING THE GORLOKS •••
With a record of 13-10 the Gorloks haven't experienced their usual success in 2015. Webster also holds a neutral site record of 4-5 compared to 4-3 for the Duhawks. Offensively, the Gorloks look to Jory Siebenmorgen for kills. Siebenmorgen currently leads the team with 234 kills and a .274 hitting percentage over 23 matches. Setting her up this season has been a combination of Jilli Zimpfer, Emmi Murphy, and Kelsey Hamann who have combined for 588 assists. Defensively, Webster is led by Katie O'Toole with 357 digs, followed by Maria Soffner with 215.

SWEET HOME DUBUQUE •••
Playing at home has been kind for the Loras women's volleyball team so far in 2015. Heading into Tuesday's matchup against Simpson, the Duhawks own an 8-3 record in the AWC, including a 3-0 record against Iowa Conference opponents.

STRONG SIDE, RIGHT SIDE •••
The 2015 Loras women's volleyball team has a fresh, new energy that has carried them to an impressive 16-11 record thus far, matching their win total from a season ago. Much credit is due all around as the team has improved collectively, but it would be incomplete to talk about the Duhawks' success without mentioning a few of the new faces that have contributed to the new look Duhawk attack. Freshman right-sides Claire Ritchie and Jenna LaCorte have been an integral part of the Duhawk offense under Jenna Ness and have found success early on in their collegiate careers.

SENIOR SKILL •••
Senior Liz Jendra has showcased her leadership on the court with the performances she has posted so far in 2015. She currently leads the team in service aces with 20 on the season and ranks third in digs (192). With her final season as a Duhawk approaching its end, fans should expect to see impressive play from Jendra.

BERGAN LEADING THE DEFENSE •••
The Edgewood, Iowa native is starting her second consecutive year for the Duhawks as the team's libero. Bergan made a strong impact as a freshman by achieving 517 digs in the 2014 campaign. She is continuing her performance into this season by having 475 digs up to this point. With six games left in the regular season, she has a chance to eclipse her career high. To win a conference title, the Duhawks will definitely need Bergan to be the driving force for the Loras defense.

BREAKING DOWN THE SETS •••
In the 2015 season, the Duhawks have played 98 sets so far. Of those 98, 56 have been victorious. The Duhawks are most effective in their fourth-set, winning 63% of their fourth-sets. Loras has struggled the most in fifth-sets. Out of the five fifth-sets they have played, Loras has only won two. While they may see some troubles in fifth-sets, Loras has been smart to take early leads in matches. The Duhawks have won 17-out-of-27 first sets, resulting in a 63% first-set winning percentage.