SETTING THE SCENE
The UMSL volleyball team will conclude the regular season this week with three road matches, beginning Wednesday night at McKendree in non-conference play. The Tritons then travel to Quincy and Truman State on Friday and Saturday, respectively, in GLVC play.
 
SCOUTING THE TRITONS
The Tritons are 15-9 overall and 10-6 in the GLVC and sit in fourth place in the West Division standings, one game behind Missouri S&T. UMSL has already clinched a spot in the 2014 GLVC Tournament Championship, to be played next weekend in Peoria, Ill.
 
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
Junior Lindsay Meyer averages 9.52 assists and 2.90 digs per set and has recorded 15 double-doubles this season, including one in each of last weekend's matches against Southern Indiana and Bellarmine. She ranks eighth in the GLVC in assists per game.
 
Sophomore Jory Siebenmorgen averages 2.23 kills per set. She also adds 1.84 digs per set, but averaged 3.9 per set last weekend.
 
Junior Carly Ochs averages a team-best 2.46 kills per set and is one of four players to average two or more kills per set. Junior Hannah Miller adds 2.10 kills per set and is hitting .295. She also tops the squad with 24 service aces.
 
Defensively, senior libero Emily Bragaw averages 4.80 digs per set, which ranks seventh in the league.
 
SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
McKendree is 16-11 overall, including 10-6 in the GLVC. The Bearcats have already clinched their spot in the GLVC Tournament and are in third place in the East Division standings. Freshman Arela Williams ranks sixth in the GLVC with 3.29 kills per set, while Sophie Fairman adds 2.90, while hitting at a .315 clip.
 
Quincy is 10-17 overall, including 5-11 in the GLVC. The Hawks are second in the GLVC in blocks, averaging 2.38 per set and are led by Emily Lindemulder's 2.05 kills and 1.19 blocks per set.
 
Truman State, ranked No. 24 nationally, enters a Friday match against Maryville with a 23-3 overall record, sitting atop the West Division standings with a 15-1 GLVC mark – one game ahead of Rockhurst. The Bulldogs had a 21 win streak snapped last weekend with a 3-0 loss to Indianapolis. Truman State leads the league in digs with 19.29 per set, paced by Abby Moser's 5.04 per set. The Bulldogs are also third in the league in hitting at .240 and fourth with 13.88 kills per set. Allie Brak averages 3.55 kills per set, while Kayla Bastian follows with 3.42.
 
SERIES HISTORIES
The Tritons are 15-4 all-time against McKendree and defeated the Bearcats, 3-0, in St. Louis in GLVC play earlier this year. Junior Jessica Ploss led UMSL with eight kills and four blocks, while junior Lindsay Meyer recorded 22 assists and 12 digs and directed the offense to a .216 attack percentage.
 
UMSL is 21-20 all-time against Truman State although the last four matches have gone to the Bulldogs, including a 3-0 decision earlier this season in St. Louis. In that match, senior Emily Bragaw recorded a career-best 30 digs and was one of four Triton players to reach double figures in that category. The match featured 37 ties and 15 lead changes. Offensively, senior Allie Ewing registered a career-best 15 kills.
 
The Tritons are 34-15 all-time against Quincy and have won 12 straight. UMSL took a 3-1 decision over the Hawks in the first meeting this year behind junior Carly Ochs' career-high 21 kills.
 
UP NEXT
The 2014 GLVC Tournament Championship will run Nov. 13-15. Times and pairings will be announced later this weekend after the completion of all league games.