SPRINGFIELD, IL --- The Illinois Springfield volleyball team will return home this weekend to face off against Bellarmine University and the University of Southern Indiana. The Prairie Stars begin a stretch of four home matches over their next five as the halfway point of the season nears.

SETTING THE SCENE
The Prairie Stars (8-5, 2-2) come into the weekend as winners of three of their last four matches, beating NAIA powerhouse Missouri Baptist --- currently ranked #10 in NAIA --- on the road in five sets. Most recently, UIS fell to (RV) Rockhurst in four sets, though doing so without Taylor Bauer available.

Bellarmine (11-2, 2-2) comes into Springfield having most recently knocked off Southern Indiana in straight sets. The Knights began the season with eight consecutive wins before dropping two of their last five matches, both in GLVC play.

Southern Indiana (3-10, 1-4) enters the weekend having lost three consecutive matches and six of their last seven. The Screaming Eagles lost to both Maryville and UW-Parkside in five-sets, and the loss to Maryville gave the Saints their lone win of the season.

A LOOK AT THE GLVC
Currently, in the new three-division format, UIS sits in third place in the central division after four matches. With the full slate of conference matches getting ready to start, the standing will shake out as we reach the midway point in the season.

Bellarmine is tied for third in the east division while Southern Indiana is in last place in the same division.

There will be five GLVC matches played between now and the Midwest Regional Crossover, two of which will be against teams in the central division in Missouri-St. Louis and McKendree, both of whom UIS trails.

STATS, STATS, STATS
UIS currently ranks fourth in the GLVC in attack percentage, hitting at a .218 clip on the season. This puts them behind only Drury, Rockhurst, and Lewis in that regard. On top of that, the Prairie Stars rank third in blocks, averaging 2.28 blocks per set.

Individually, Alyssa Hasler continues to stay atop the conference in hitting percentage, ranking fourth with a .344 percentage. Meanwhile, Hasler's 132 total kills ranks 12^th in the league.

Hasler has done it defensively as well, as she sits atop the league in blocks per set with 1.43 and total blocks with 67. Hasler ranks third in the nation in blocks per set while her total blocks mark sits 10^th in the nation.

Kenzie Hendon continues her dominance on the serve, ranking third in the conference in aces per set and has totaled 17 on the season.

BEST START….EVER
Since UIS joined the GLVC in 2009, this is the best 13-game start for the Prairie Stars. With an 8-5 record, UIS, is two-games clear of the next best start, which was in that 2009 season.

So far this season, UIS is 4-3 in three-set matches, 2-2 in four-set matches, and 2-0 in matches that went all five sets.

LOOKING AHEAD
UIS will play 10 of their first 18 matches at home as they will be in Springfield for four of their next five matches. However, beginning with the Midwest Regional Crossover on October 13^th, UIS will play nine of their final 13 matches away from home, including six of their final seven matches of the regular season.

SCOUTING BELLARMINE
The Knights are right behind UIS in attack percentage, ranking fifth in the league at a .213 clip. However, the Knight's hold opponents to a .138 attack percentage, second only to UMSL in the GLVC.

Bellarmine leads the conference in digs, large-in-part to Jordyn Kuchenbrod, who leads the league with an average of 6.91 per set, over 1.3 more than the next best.

SCOUTING SOUTHERN INDIANA
The Screaming Eagles attack at just a .147 mark, putting them 11^th in the league in that regard. Opponents attack at a .226 clip, putting them second to last in the conference.

Mikaila Humphrey leads the way with 3.02 kills per set, ranking her ninth in the GLVC.

ALL-TIME RESULTS
UIS is 3-5 all-time against Bellarmine but have won three of the last four meetings. Both teams have won a five-set match but UIS is coming off a sweep of the Knight's last season in Springfield.

UIS is 2-6 all-time against Southern Indiana but have won two of the last three meetings. Both of these wins were five set matches, the last being in Springfield, last season.

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