DUBUQUE, Iowa (Duhawks.com) - The Duhawks (9-11, 1-5 IIAC) travel to Waverly on Tuesday evening to face off with the Wartburg Knights (14-5 overall, 3-1 IIAC) in a rematch of last year's Iowa Conference Championship Game. Wartburg currently sits at second place in the Iowa Conference, tied with Luther at 3-1, while Loras finds itself at the bottom of the table following two losses to Buena Vista and Nebraska Wesleyan.

SERIES HISTORY VERSUS WARTBURG
The Duhawks are 4-14 since 2001 against the Knights, losing their last meeting in the 2015 Iowa Conference Championship, 3-1. Offensively, Loras featured a balanced attack in the match, as four different Duhawks totaled at least eight kills in the defeat. 

KNIGHTS TO WATCH
Wartburg welcomes the Duhawks to Waverly in the midst of a dominant stretch in which the Knights have won 10 of their last 11 matches. Leading the way for Wartburg on offense is junior Aryn Jones, whose .325 attack percentage leads the Iowa Conference. Senior Claire Willenbring provides a secondary option for the Knights, as well, averaging 2.92 kills per set in IIAC play. As a team, Wartburg leads the IIAC in both kills per set and assists per set with 11.65 and 12.40 respectively.

SERIES HISTORY VERSUS MACALESTER
Loras is 4-2 all-time against Macalester, dating back to the 2003 season. After dropping the first two meetings in 2003 and 2004, the Duhawks have won the last four meetings.

SCOTS TO WATCH
Macalester comes into the week sporting an 8-11 record and are 1-5 in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, almost identical to Loras. Clara Baumann leads the offensive attack with 188 kills, averaging 2.76 per set. The Scots have three players with over 100 kills with India Medaris and Brooke Hunter adding 173 and 113 kills respectively. Macalester utilizes a two-setter offense, led by Hunter's 332 assists and Samantha Bongiorno with 151. Defensively, the Scots are anchored on defense by Hoai-Nam Bui, who averages over five digs per set.

SERIES HISTORY AGAINST ST. KATE'S
Loras is 7-1 all-time against St. Kate's, dating back to the 1995 season. Prior to 2013, Loras had won the first five matches between the two sides and after a 3-0 loss, have won the last two meetings by identical 3-0 scores.

WILDCATS TO WATCH
St. Kate's enters the week with an 11-12 overall record, which includes a 0-6 mark in MIAC play. The Wildcats are undefeated at home this season in non-conference play. Abby Palmer leads her team with 175 kills, while adding 26 service aces and 27 total blocks. She also ranks second on the team in digs with 263. Like Macalester, St. Kate's operates using a 6-2 offense with Johna Radke and Lariss Kisch serving as the primary setters.

BIG NUMBERS FROM BOGE
Freshman Kelly Bogue continues to put up impressive numbers in her rookie season, recording her third match of double-digit kills in 2016 against Buena Vista last week. Boge, who also totaled four kills against Nebraska Wesleyan on Saturday, stands at 128 kills this season, which is tied for third place on the team with sophomore Claire Ritchie. Boge also ranks among the team leaders in blocks this season, as her 37 combined blocks trail only senior Danni Kennedy for the Duhawks.

BUDDEN BREAKING OUT
Freshman Michelle Budden has begun to hit her stride with the Loras women's volleyball team in her first year with the Purple & Gold. Budden played predominantly at the middle position in high school, but head coach Jenna Ness has found her to be effective at several different positions on the court. As a primary attacker for the Duhawks from all three front-row positions, Budden has made the most of her opportunities, posting a team-high .247 attack percentage. Recently, the Hazel Green, Wis. tallied a career-high in 16 kills versus Buena Vista, while operating at .385 attack percentage. 

CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT HOPES
As the season winds towards completion, the Duhawks currently sit at 1-5 in IIAC play and are on the outside-looking in for conference tournament qualification. With two matches remaining against Luther and Wartburg, who are currently tied for second place, the Duhawks will have to win out to keep their hopes of sneaking into the postseason alive. Last season, Loras found success during tournament time, claiming victory over Buena Vista in the semifinal before losing a hard-fought tilt to the Knights in the IIAC Championship.