DUBUQUE, Iowa (Duhawks.com) - The Loras women's volleyball team takes their six-match winning streak to Storm Lake on Tuesday night for a showdown with Buena Vista. The Duhawks then travel to Naperville, Illinois on Friday for the Tiffany Robinson Memorial Tournament.
SCHULTZ AND KENNEDY LEADING THE CHARGE •••Juniors
Therese Schultz and
Danni Kennedy have been dominating the middle of the court for the Duhawks. Last Tuesday night, Schultz and Kennedy both tallied 14 kills in the victory over the Kohawks. Schultz has 175 kills for the season, while Kennedy has 152. Defensively, the play of Schultz and Kennedy was huge for Loras, as the two combined for 11 blocks (three solo) against Coe. The Duhawks' success throughout the remainder of the season will rely heavily on Schultz' and Kennedy's ability to be impact players.
BALANCED ATTACK SERVING LORAS WELL •••Playing a key role in the Duhawks six-game win streak is their balanced attack. The three Duhawks with the most attempts on the season is senior outside
Liz Jendra (21 percent), freshman right side/setter
Claire Ritchie (19 percent), and junior middle
Therese Schultz (16 percent). These three have combined for 56 percent of Loras' 2,653 attacks on the year.The versatile front row keeps their opponents guessing allowing Loras to not only have a well-rounded attack, but an efficient one. The Duhawks are currently third in conference in terms of hitting efficiency hitting .159 on the year as a team.
SEEING DOUBLE •••Several members of the women's volleyball team have performed well across multiple statistical categories. This has resulted in three particular Duhawks recording double-doubles this season. Junior
Danni Kennedy received her first double-double of the season against Wis.-Stout with 10 kills and 10 blocks. Junior
Jenna Erickson has recorded two doubles-doubles with her performances in digs and assists. The standout, however, is freshman
Claire Ritchie who has recorded seven double-doubles and five triple-doubles this season for her successes in assists, digs, and kills.
ALL-TIME SERIES AGAINST BUENA VISTA •••Since 2001, Loras owns a 10-4 all-time record against Buena Vista. Prior to last year's meeting, Loras had won the six previous matches, dating back to the 2007 season. The Beavers have never won a 3-0 match against the Duhawks, with three of their four wins coming as 3-1 decisions.
LAST TIME OUT AGAINST BUENA VISTA •••Last season, Buena Vista and Loras battled for five sets with each team showing extended runs of success. After dropping the first set 25-17, Loras powered back to take the next two sets 25-18, 25-22. The Beavers then took set four, 25-15, and used that momentum to steal the win in set five, 15-11.
Liz Jendra finished with 11 kills for teh Duhawks while
Haley Bergan led the defense with 17 digs.
SCOUTING THE BEAVERS •••Maddie Bardole and Jade Schaap will lead the Beaver attack on Tuesday night, entering with a combined 557 kills and an average of 7.14 per set. Laura Barry is the primary setter for Buena Vista, averaging 7.36 per set. The defensive effort for the Beavers is distributed fairly evenly, with no player averaging more than four digs per set.
ALL-TIME SERIES AGAINST PURDUE-NORTH CENTRAL •••Friday will be the first meeting between Loras and Purdue-North Central.
SCOUTING THE PANTHERS •••At 3-12 so far in 2015, the Panthers have struggled with their offense, hitting .065 as a team. Cami Webster is the top attacker for the Panthers, averaging 1.94 kills per set. Defensively, Robin Osmolski will be the target at the net, totaling 32 blocks (seven solo).
ALL-TIME SERIES AGAINST WASHU •••2014 marked the first time that Loras and WashU had met, which came during the first week of the season. At their home tournament, the Bears handed the Duhawks a 3-0 setback.
Tara Blake finished with eight kills and a .292 attack percentage.
SCOUTING THE BEARS •••WashU enters the week ranked No. 1 in the latest AVCA National Poll. With a 17-1 overall record, this Bears team has powered their way through the 2015 season with little resistance. Leading WashU's attack is Caroline DuPont who leads the nation with a .449 attack percentage. Allison Zastrow, the Bears primary setter, leads the nation with 11.66 assists per set.
ALL-TIME SERIES AGAINST NORTH CENTRAL •••Since 2001, Loras owns a 3-2 record over North Central. However, the Cardinals have won the last three meetings by identical 3-1 marks. From 2001-03, Loras and North Central met each season with the Duhawks winning all three matches.
LAST TIME OUT AGAINST NORTH CENTRAL •••In last year's meeting, North Central were 3-1 winners over Loras.
Danni Kennedy led the Duhawk effort with 12 kills, finishing with a .281 attack percentage. In addition to her team-leading 17 digs,
Tara Blake contributed to the offensive effort with nine kills.
SCOUTING THE CARDINALS •••North Central currently sits at 14-7 entering the week and currently are on a four-game losing streak. Cara Howell leads the offense with a .215 attack percentage and is averaging 3.27 kills per set. Laura Kluk, the primary setter for the Cardinals averages 9.38 assists per set while Jill Galovic anchors the defense with her average of 5.30 digs per set.
ALL-TIME SERIES AGAINST ROBERT MORRIS •••Since 2001, Loras owns a 2-0 record all-time against Robert Morris, taking six out of seven sets.
LAST TIME OUT AGAINST ROBERT MORRIS •••The 2007 season began with Loras squaring off against Robert Morris and the Duhawks came flying out of the gates. Loras took the first set 30-10 and combined to hit .567 as a team. Julianne Lord and Jenna Kollasch finished the match with 11 kills a piece, with Lord operating at a .688 attack percentage.
SCOUTING THE EAGLES •••Entering the week with a 6-14 overall record, the Eagles lost their first six matches of the year before winning three of their next four. Katie Rotkovitch leads her team with 197 kills, averaging 3.65 per set. Grace Konovodoff is the primiary setter for the Eagles, averaging 5.84 assists per set.
