The University of Illinois Springfield volleyball team looks to stay undefeated in conference play in the next week when it heads out on the road for three games at Missouri S&T, Maryville, and Lewis. The Prairie Stars face Missouri S&T on Friday, followed by a Saturday afternoon game at Maryville. Next Tuesday, the Prairie Stars are at Lewis.
 
UIS (10-4, 2-0)
UIS started conference action at home last week with 3-0 sweeps over Quincy and Truman. Those victories pushed the team's winning streak to five games. Over its last 30 conference contests, going back to the end of the 2017 season, UIS is now 25-5.
 
The Prairie Stars have been winning with their defense in 2019. UIS ranks in the top-five in the GLVC in blocks and digs, and is sixth in opponent hitting percentage. UIS is 8-3 when holding opponents under a .250 hitting percentage.
 
Several Prairie Stars players rank in the top-five in the GLVC in statistics categories. Rachel Cobert is second in the conference with 0.40 services aces a set, and Becca Blakeley is just one spot behind with 0.38 service aces a game. Blakeley also ranks fourth with 10.32 assists a set. Brianna Bush ranks fourth in the league with a 1.06 blocking average, and Jailyn Borum is fifth with a 4.70 dig average.
 
About Missouri S&T (11-3, 1-1)
Missouri S&T is off to a strong start in 2019, going 10-2 in non-conference play, before splitting its first two GLVC matches. The Miners defeated Bellarmine by a 3-1 margin, before falling 3-0 to Indianapolis.
 
Missouri S&T is also a strong defensive team, ranking third in the GLVC in blocks, fifth in digs, and fourth in opponent hitting percentage.
 
The duo of Emilee Schlader and Payton Gannaway are both averaging over three kills a set, and they are two of four Miners with double-figure service ace totals. Corinne Stulce leads the team with 5.49 digs a set, and Calla Meyer is the leader with 1.32 blocks a set.
 
UIS vs. Missouri S&T Series History (Since 2007)
Missouri S&T leads the all-time series by an 11-4 mark, and the Miners have won all five meetings in Rolla, Mo. Over the last two years, UIS has won both meetings against Missouri S&T, including a 3-1 win last year at TRAC.
 
About Maryville (4-10, 0-2)
Maryville enters play this weekend with just one win in its last seven games. The Saints opened up the GLVC season last weekend with 3-0 losses against Indianapolis and Bellarmine. Those setbacks dropped the team to 4-10 overall.
 
Maryville opens play this week by ranking 15th in the league with a .160 hitting percentage, and 13th with a .222 opponent hitting percentage. The team is one of the best in the league in serving, with 1.47 aces a set.
 
Cassidy Arndt is the team's kills leader with 3.30 kills a set. Defensively, A.J. Hallemann has a team-high 4.14 digs a set, and Avery Bell blocks 0.49 balls a set.
 
UIS vs. Maryville History
UIS is 11-3 all-time against Maryville, including a 4-3 mark in matches played in St. Louis. UIS has won five straight in the series, including two wins last season, and all five of those victories were by a 3-0 margin.

About Lewis (13-1, 2-0)
Lewis is currently ranked sixth in NCAA Division II after winning its first 13 of 14 matches. Its one loss was against a top-10 team in the nation. Last week, the Flyers swept both Truman and Quincy, and it is on a seven-game winning streak.
 
Lewis leads the GLVC by holding opponents to just a .112 hitting percentage, and it is third with a .258 hitting mark. The Flyers also lead the league in blocks, digs, and assists.
 
Two Lewis players are averaging over a block a game in Ava Venema and Caroline Stefanon. Jamie Poppen leads the team with 3.94 digs a set. The offensive leaders include Alexander Preuss with 3.13 kills a set, and Venema with 3.00 kills a set and a .416 hitting percentage.
 
UIS vs. Lewis (Since 2007)
UIS is looking to break through with its first win over Lewis. The Flyers have won all 12 meetings, including six in Romeoville, Ill. Last year, the Flyers won by a 3-0 score in Springfield, Ill.
 
GLVC Standings
UIS and Lewis are two of the five teams that went 2-0 during the first weekend of the conference race. Missouri S&T is among six teams in the pack that went 1-1, and Maryville is one of five teams that went 0-2 last weekend.
 
Up Next
UIS returns home on Oct. 10 for a contest against Bellarmine. The Prairie Stars also host Indianapolis that week.