The University of Illinois Springfield volleyball team starts conference action this week. The Prairie Stars have a tough first weekend, facing two teams that were nationally-ranked at the start of the season. UIS hosts Missouri-St. Louis on Thursday evening, followed by a Saturday road match at Rockhurst. 
  
UIS is no stranger to tough matches after a challenging start to the year. The Prairie Stars have faced two nationally-ranked teams, and three others that were receiving votes in the poll. UIS went 2-6 in that stretch, but showed a lot of fight and was involved in several close sets against the top teams.
  
The Prairie Stars are once again one of the top blocking teams in the GLVC. They are currently third with 2.11 blocks a set. Brianna Bush is sixth in the league with 1.03 blocks a set. The other player among the GLVC leaders is Amanda McConnell who is third with 4.00 digs a set. 
 
Angela Denny is the team leader with 73 kills, eight service aces, and 83.5 points. Other team leaders include Becca Blakeley with 148 assists, McConnell with 112 digs, and Bush with 30 blocks.
  
Each individual GLVC school will determine their own attendance policy for volleyball. Please check the policies of the home teams if interested in attending a contest. (UIS | Rockhurst) 

UIS vs. Missouri-St. Louis
Date/Time/Location: Thursday, September 16, 7:00 p.m. – Springfield, Ill.
Streaming: https://glvcsn.com/uis
Live Stats: https://www.uisprairiestars.com/sidearmstats/wvball/summary
All-Time Series: UMSL leads 13-4 (UMSL leads 5-3 in Springfield, Ill.)
 
Missouri-St. Louis starts GLVC play with a 5-3 overall record. Last weekend, it went 3-1 at the Southern Indiana Tournament, with the only loss coming the GLVC host school. 
 
The Tritons have one of the top defensive teams in the GLVC, holding opponents to just .142 hitting. Missouri-St. Louis leads the conference with 19.23 digs a game, over 1.71 more than the next closest team. 
 
Charlotte Richards is the GLVC leader with just under five kills a game, and she has 20 or more kills in half of her matches. Megan Woll is second in the conference with 5.27 digs a set, and Kaileen Herman is fifth with 9.07 assists a set. 
 
Missouri-St. Louis has won two straight over the Prairie Stars, including a 3-0 victory last season in St. Louis, Mo. 
 
UIS vs. Rockhurst
Date/Time/Location: Saturday, September 18, 3:00 p.m. – Kansas City, Mo.
Streaming: https://glvcsn.com/rockhurst
Live Stats: https://www.rockhursthawks.com/sidearmstats/wvball/summary
All-Time Series: Rockhurst leads 15-0 (Rockhurst leads 7-0 in Kansas City, Mo.)
 
Rockhurst is currently ranked No. 22 in the latest AVCA national poll for NCAA Division II. The Hawks are 4-4 on the season, including two victories over nationally-ranked teams. 
 
The Hawks are the top blocking squad in the GLVC, averaging 2.31 blocks a set. They are hitting .209, and their opponents are hitting .205. 
 
Rockhurst is led offensively by Averi Vomastic, who is third in the GLVC with around four kills a set. Defensively, Justice Wingate leads the conference with 1.27 blocks a set, and Maureen Reilly is in the digs leader list with 3.59 digs a set. 
 
Rockhurst has won all 15 meetings against UIS, including a 3-0 victory in Springfield last season. 

Up Next
UIS starts a four-match homestand on Sept. 24 when it hosts Indianapolis.