SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Drury volleyball returns to O'Reilly Family Event Center Tuesday (Oct. 21) to open a busy week with a non-conference matchup against Missouri Southern (6 p.m.).
The Panthers (12-7) took two of three matches this past weekend at the Midwest Region Crossover in Hammond, Ind. Drury swept Thomas More and edged Northwood in four sets, while dropping a hard fought five-set affair to Purdue Northwest. Missouri Southern (8-12) is coming off a pair of MIAA road losses to No. 2 Washburn (3-0) and Emporia State (3-0).
Fans may follow the action through the GLVC Sports Network (subscription required). New for the 2025-26 academic year, viewing access to live broadcasts from GLVC regular-season and postseason contests will be available via monthly ($30) or annual subscription ($140). Single-event access can also be purchased for $15.
SERIES HISTORY
- Missouri Southern brings a 52-26 all-time advantage against the Panthers into Tuesday's match in a series that dates back to 1975.
- Drury brings a three-match win streak vs. the Lions into this year's meeting, having captured a 3-1 decision last October in Joplin and a pair of victories in 2021.
- The Lions most recent victory in the series came in September 2019 in Joplin (3-2).
- Under head coach Jenifer Bahner-Hill, DU has won nine of its 10 meetings with MSSU dating back to 2015.
OPENING STORYLINES
- With its 2-1 weekend at the Midwest Region Crossover (Oct. 17-18), Drury has now won at least two of its three matches at the event in 12 of its last 15 appearances dating back to 2010.
- As a conference, the GLVC went a combined 29-13 against the GLIAC and G-MAC at the Midwest Region Crossover.
- DU also improved to 22-11 in the event in 11 trips to the tournament under Bahner-Hill.
- The Panthers have won four of their last five matches -- all on the road or at neutral-site venues -- dating back to Oct. 4.
- Drury is 5-1 at O'Reilly this season, with its lone home setback coming against UMSL (Sept. 25).
- In her 12 seasons as head coach at Drury, Bahner-Hill (2014-present) has registered 169 career victories, which ranks second in DU history behind Barbara Cowherd's 487 wins as head coach of the Panthers (1980-99).
- As a team the Panthers rank fifth in the GLVC in both hitting (.212) and kills per set (12.59); Skylar Hilton's .323 hitting percentage rates as the No. 7 figure in the conference.
- Lauren Tyler leads DU and ranks fourth in the GLVC in service aces (34); the junior logged 35+ assists in each of the Panthers' three matches last weekend in Indiana, including a season-high 49 assists to go along with 13 digs and six kills and three service aces vs. Purdue Northwest.
- Tyler also matched her Drury program record for hitting, logging a .909 percentage (10 kills in 11 attempts) vs. Thomas More on Friday, and topped the century mark for career aces (101) vs. Purdue Northwest.
- Drury's duo of Phoebe Riddle (70) and Hilton (65) rank among the conference's top 10 individuals in blocks after combining for 19 blocks in the Panthers' three matches last weekend.
- Defensively, the Panthers rank fifth in the conference in opponent hitting (.174) and sixth in team blocks (144.5) for the season.
- Kim Quinit led Drury with 53 digs (4.42 per set) in the Panthers' three matches last weekend, including 20 digs and eight assists in DU's five-set loss to Purdue Northwest; she finished in double figures for digs in all three contests, giving her nine double-digit totals in the Panthers' last 10 outings.
- Mailie Chretien led the Panthers with 48 kills (4.00 per set), hitting .284 with 43 digs (3.58) and four blocks at the Midwest Region Crossover; in Saturday's (Oct. 18) tournament finale for DU, the senior turned in 11 kills and 16 digs for her team-leading fourth double-double of the season – and her second in a row following Friday's (Oct. 17) 17-kill, 18-dig effort vs. Purdue Northwest.
- DU hit .300 or better in all four sets vs. Northwood (Oct. 18), including a blistering .393 in the fourth and final set of its 3-1 victory; for the match, the Panthers hit .331, which was its third-best mark of the season.
- The Panthers averaged 14.58 kills per set and hit a cumulative .326 in its three matches last weekend, nearly two full kills and over 100 percentage points better than their season averages.
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.
- 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), Jacy Bray (UT Arlington) and Ella 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 will host a pair of Great Lakes Valley Conference matches this weekend, beginning with a 6 p.m., contest Friday (Oct. 24) against Quincy.
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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