The University of Illinois Springfield volleyball team returns home this weekend for a pair of GLVC matches. The Prairie Stars host GLVC newcomer Lindenwood on Friday at 7 p.m., and nationally-ranked Missouri-St. Louis will be at TRAC on Saturday at 3 p.m.
 
UIS (13-9, 4-3)
UIS enters play this week with a 13-9 overall record and a 4-3 conference mark. The Prairie Stars are looking to snap a three-game GLVC losing streak against the Lions and Tritons.
 
The Prairie Stars are ranked in the top half of the GLVC in both offense and defense. UIS is sixth with a .216 hitting percentage, and eighth with a .171 opponent hitting percentage. The Prairie Stars are second in the GLVC with 2.30 blocks a match.
 
Hannah Nicolaisen and Alli Splitt are the team's offensive leaders, combining for 433 kills on the season. Becca Blakeley is the team leader with 808 assists and 24 service aces. Defensively, Brianna Bush has a team-high 93 blocks, and Jailyn Borum has a team-best 358 digs.
 
About Lindenwood (10-9, 1-6)
Lindenwood is 9-3 in non-conference matches this season, but have lost six straight GLVC contests prior to this weekend.
 
On the season, the Lions are fourth in the league with a .153 opponent hitting percentage, and eighth with a .201 hitting mark.
 
Mackenzi Sifuentes leads the team with 165 kills, and she is hitting over .300. Defensively, Sara Wagenknecht has 200 digs, and Sifuentes is the leader with 68 blocks.
 
UIS vs. Lindenwood Series History (Since 2007)
Saturday's contest will be the first conference match between UIS and Lindenwood, but the two programs have met 11 times since 2007, with Lindenwood winning nine of those matches. In Springfield, UIS is 2-3 in that span, including a 3-0 sweep in 2018.
 
About Missouri-St. Louis (20-2, 5-2)
Missouri-St. Louis has won sixth straight matches, and it is now 20-2 on the season and ranked 25th in NCAA Division II.
 
The Tritons are winning with the top offense in the GLVC. Missouri-St. Louis is first in hitting percentage (.277), assists (13.26), and kills (14.91).
 
Selena Nolte leads the league with 3.97 kills per set, and Kaileen Herman is the team leader with 11.47 assists per set. Charlotte Richards is fifth in the league with 3.82 kills per set, helping the team have the best hitting duo in the GLVC.
 
UIS vs. Missouri-St. Louis Series History
Missouri-St. Louis leads the all-time series against UIS by an 11-4 margin. UIS is 3-4 against the Tritons in Springfield, Ill. Last season, UIS won both regular season meetings by scores of 3-1 and 3-2.
 
GLVC Standings
UIS is currently tied for seventh in the conference standings with a 4-3 GLVC mark. Lindenwood is 14th in the league, and Missouri-St. Louis is tied for third.
 
Up Next
Following a non-conference game on Tuesday, Oct. 29, at Purdue Northwest, UIS will start November with a Nov. 1 game at McKendree, and a Nov. 2 contest at Southern Indiana.