DUBUQUE, Iowa (Duhawks.com) - Loras Women's Volleyball opens their 2015 campaign on the road against Grinnell College on Tuesday, Sept. 1. The road trip will continue through the weekend when the Duhawks travel to Minnesota for the Northwestern Labor Day Tournament, hosted by Northwestern University.

LAST MEETING VERSUS GRINNELL •••
Loras last met the Pioneers one year ago, coming off a (1-2) performance in St. Louis, Missouri. The Duhawks defeated Grinnell rather easily, allowing the Pioneers just one set in a 3-1 (25-12, 25-9, 21-25, 25-16) victory. Leading the Duhawks in victory were returning starters junior Danielle Kennedy and junior Jenna Erickson. Kennedy finished the match with 11 kills alongside a .350 hitting percentage and three blocks, while Erickson set-up 25 of the teams 48 kills on the night. Six starters from last season's match will be returning for this match with sights set on earning their first victory of the season.

SCOUTING THE PIONEERS •••
Grinnell graduated four key players from their 2014-2015 squad this past off-season and will look for junior Evelyn Weidman and sophomore Sydney Vrecenar to fill the offensive void left by the departures of Claire Weidman and Natalie Duncombe who combined for 491 kills last season. Sophomore Margaret Giles will also return for the Pioneers looking to build upon her 710 assist performance as a freshman. With the loss of Lindsay Fujimoto, Grinnell will open the season in search of somebody to make up for the 454 digs she contributed last season.

LAST MEETING VERSUS ST. SCHOLASTICA •••
2015 will bring the first meeting between the Duhawks and the Saints.

SCOUTING THE SAINTS •••
St. Scholastica will enter this tournament having already played two regular season matches again UW-River Falls and Hamline. The Saints return a majority of their leaders in sets played from a season ago, with the exception of Erika Birkeland. Birkeland led the team in assists last season with 585, as well as service aces with 36. Key returners for the Saints include junior Kortney Morrin, junior Danielle Benusa, and sophomore Noelle Elvehjem. Morrin, an outside hitter, led the team in kills last season with 327 while also providing 330 digs and 32 blocks on the defensive end. Benusa led the team in digs with 366 and excelled in service with 24 aces. Elvehjem returns as the teams second leading scorer behind Morrin from last season. As a freshman she tallied 200 kills.

LAST MEETING VERSUS DOMINICAN •••
The Duhawks last saw Dominican in last years IIAC-NACC Crossover Challenge held in the Athletic & Wellness Center. Loras enjoyed a strong performance against the Stars, winning by a final score of 3-1 (26-24, 25-17, 21-25, 25-23). Offensively the Duhawks were paced by now junior Miriam McKee, tallying 15 kills in just her fourth game with the varsity squad. Loras held Dominican to a low .108 hitting percentage across four sets in one of the teams best defensive performances of the season.

SCOUTING THE STARS •••
Dominican returns all seven of last years predominant starting line-up, despite losing five seniors to graduation. The biggest losses for the Stars include defensive specialists Cheyanne Kelly and Becky Honerlaw who combined for 702 digs last season. To counteract this loss, the Stars return three players that recorded 300+ digs last season in Christina Wilson, Caitlen Foote, and Carri Chambers. Foote and Chambers are also mainstays offensively, with 368 and 301 kills respectively.

LAST MEETING VERSUS NORTHWESTERN •••
A rematch now five years in the making, the Duhawks will face off against Northwestern for the first time since September 17, 2010. Loras defeated the Eagles in a five set thriller in which they came back from two sets down (17-25, 20-25, 25-15, 25-23, 15-13).

SCOUTING THE EAGLES •••
Northwestern returns five of seven starters from last seasons 24-11 team. Leading the charge for the Eagles will be sophomore Lindsey Peterson who tallied 397 kills and 488 digs last season, and senior Lizzy Jonas who recorded 1,193 assists and 207 digs. Other women to watch include Faith Vander Galien, Leesa Hulstrand, and Shanay Gonder. All of which played significant time for the Eagles last season.

LAST MEETING VERSUS SAINT BENEDICT •••
These teams last met during the Battle of the Border Tournament on October 2, 2009. Loras was defeated by a final score of 3-0 (25-20, 25-22, 25-16). The Duhawks were held to a .102 hitting percentage, while allowing the Blazers to hit .236. Both teams have undergone coaching changes since their last meeting.

SCOUTING THE BLAZERS •••
The Blazers have won a combined 94 games in six seasons since head coach Nicole Hess took over in 2010 and will look to continue that trend in 2015. Saint Benedict lost seven seniors coming into this season so a much different team should take the court. Providing some consistancy from last season will be senior Laura Scmitt, Gabi Narvaez, and Mary Franz. All of which appeared in 31 matches last season for the Blazers.