SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Drury volleyball returns to the court this weekend with a trio of non-conference matches at the Midwest Regional Crossover at Hammond Sportsplex in Hammond, Ind. The Panthers will take on Thomas More to open the tournament Friday morning (9 a.m.), before squaring off against Purdue Northwest later that evening (7 p.m.) and Northwood Saturday morning (11:30 a.m.) to close out the weekend.
The 17th annual Midwest Region Volleyball Crossover, the nation's largest collegiate volleyball tournament, will pit 11 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) volleyball teams against 13 institutions representing the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) and 14 programs from the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC).
The Panthers (10-6, 3-2 GLVC) enter the weekend riding a hot streak over which they have won three of their last four GLVC contests, including a five-set road thriller against rival Southwest Baptist in their most recent outing on Oct. 9. This weekend's action concludes a six-match road swing for DU, which will play six of its next eight contests at O'Reilly Family Event Center following Saturday's match.
Fans may follow this weekend's action through Ballertv.com (subscription required), which will offer Midwest Regional Crossover weekend passes for $40.
SERIES HISTORIES
- Drury brings a 3-2 cumulative all-time record against its three opponents into this weekend's tournament.
- The Panthers will face Thomas More for the third consecutive season in the Midwest Regional Crossover after sweeping the Saints in three sets last year as part of a 3-0 weekend at the event.
- DU is 1-1 all-time vs. Thomas More, with the Saints claiming a five-set victory over the Panthers on Oct. 13, 2023 in Hammond.
- The Panthers are also 1-1 vs. Northwood, including a straight-sets victory in their most recent meeting on Oct. 17, 2014.
- DU won its only previous contest against Purdue Northwest, a 3-1 decision on Oct. 14, 2022.
OPENING STORYLINES
- The Panthers have participated in each of the previous 16 installments of the Midwest Regional Crossover, posting an impressive 29-18 overall mark at the event.
- Drury has won at least two of its three matches at the event in 11 of its last 14 appearances dating back to 2010.
- DU is 20-10 in the event in 10 previous trips to the tournament under head coach Jenifer Bahner-Hill.
- Drury has won three of its last four matches -- all GLVC contests -- including consecutive road wins over William Jewell (Oct. 4) and SBU (Oct. 9), giving the Panthers their first two-match road win streak since topping Jewell (Nov. 4, 2023) and Midwestern State (Sept. 7, 2024) spanning the 2023 and 2024 seasons.
- DU enters Friday's opening contest 5-5 away from O'Reilly Family Event Center, including a 2-3 mark in neutral-court matches.
- In her 12 seasons as head coach at Drury, Bahner-Hill (2014-present) has registered 167 career victories, which ranks second in DU history behind Barbara Cowherd's 487 wins as head coach of the Panthers (1980-99).
- Drury ranks second in the GLVC and 78th nationally in opponent hitting (.161), while the Panthers' 125.5 total blocks rank fifth in the conference.
- Lauren Tyler's 29 service aces rank third in the GLVC and 65th nationally, while both Phoebe Riddle (59) and Skylar Hilton (57) rank among the conference's top 10 in blocks.
- Hilton has turned in an impressive freshman season, with 103 kills and 57 blocks on the year while hitting .284 during GLVC play.
- Tyler, who logged a season-high 28 assists in last Thursday's victory over SBU, enters Friday's contest with 2,109 career assists, 213 shy of Karen Smith (1987-89), who currently sits ninth on DU's all-time list with 2,322 assists.
- Tyler also has 96 career aces to her credit, leaving her just four shy of the century mark as a Panther.
- Ella Rademaker paces the Panthers' attack with 168 kills (2.90 per set) on the season, including a total of 56 (3.5 per set) over DU's most recent 3-1 stretch; the senior transfer has logged 1,215 kills over 102 career matches.
- Kim Quinit enters Friday's opening match with six double-digit kill performances in the Panthers' last seven contests (since Sept. 20); the sophomore leads DU with 152 digs (2.92 per set) on the season.
- Riddle has hit .324 with 14 kills and just three attack errors to go along with nine total blocks over the Panthers' current two-match win streak.
- Tyler and fellow setter Jacy Bray have logged 290 and 289 assists on the season, respectively; Bray has recorded a team-best four double-doubles, while Tyler has two to her credit.
ABOUT THE PANTHERS
- Drury returns 13 letterwinners from last season's 14-13 team that posted an eight-win turnaround from 2023.
- DU won six of its first eight matches last fall, matching its best start to a season since 2018.
- Mailie Chretien led the Panthers with 269 kills (2.54 per set), while fellow senior Kyla Clubb contributed 202 (2.24 per set) for last year's squad; Clubb added 46 blocks as well to rank third on the team.
- Quinit led the Panthers with her average of 4.05 digs per set as a freshman last fall, while Chretien added 3.80 per set; the duo of sophomore Jenna LaBarge and senior Payton Mitchell chipped in with averages of 2.71 and 2.55 digs per set in 2024.
- Mary Henry and Riddle also return for the Panthers, forming DU's veteran senior corps along with Chretien, Clubb and Mitchell.
- Tyler, a junior setter, paced DU in assists last season, tallying 9.17 per set to rank seventh among all GLVC performers.
- Additionally, junior Grace Gardner made 22 starts for DU last fall, totaling 136 kills, 85 digs, 73 assists and 43 blocks, while sophomores Emerson Grossman, Gracie Kimrey, Kennedy Outler and Abby Renshaw earned playing time as freshmen in 2024.
- In addition to its corps of returners, Drury welcomes eight newcomers to the mix, led by transfers Chaney Barth (Francis Marion), Bray (UT Arlington) and Rademaker (SBU).
- Freshmen Megan Howard, Alyssa Lindemann, Caroline Red, Amelia White, Hannah Williams and Hilton make up a talented and deep class of newcomers and could give Bahner-Hill additional options throughout the fall.
- Drury also turned in a strong 2024-25 year in the classroom, as 12 Panthers were named Academic All-GLVC, paced by Chretien and Mitchell, who each earned CSC Academic All-District recognition at the conclusion of the season.
LOOKING AHEAD
Drury returns to Springfield for the first of three consecutive home matches Tuesday, Oct. 21 with a 6 p.m. non-conference contest against Missouri Southern.
For all the latest information on Drury volleyball, visit drurypanthers.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow the Panthers on X and Instagram.
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