SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Drury volleyball puts the finishing touches on its 2025 regular season this weekend, as the Panthers hit the road for a pair of critical Great Lakes Valley Conference matches against Lewis (Nov. 14) and Indianapolis (Nov. 15). Tied with Lewis for seventh place in the conference standings, the Panthers and Flyers will square off at 6 p.m. (CT) Friday at Neil Carey Arena in Romeoville, Ill., before DU takes on the Greyhounds in a 2 p.m. (CT) matchup at Ruth Lilly Fitness Center in Indianapolis the following afternoon.
Drury (15-12, 5-6 GLVC) put an end to a three-match slide with Saturday's four-set victory over Missouri S&T, as Ella Rademaker celebrated Senior Day with a match-high 19 kills and four blocks. Seven Panthers in all recorded at least five kills in the 26-24, 25-18, 24-26, 25-14 win that gave DU a split of its two GLVC contests after dropping a Friday night match to Maryville (3-1).
Lewis (14-12, 5-6 GLVC) enters this weekend's action coming off a split last weekend, posting a straight-sets win at William Jewell, before being swept by Rockhurst. Indianapolis (18-9, 8-3 GLVC) also split its two conference road matches as well, falling in five sets against Rockhurst, before sweeping Jewell to solidify its hold on the No. 4 spot in the league standings. The Greyhounds earned the No. 8 spot in the Midwest Region in the latest NCAA Regional Rankings.
Fans may follow the action through the GLVC Sports Network (subscription required), where matches will be streamed live throughout the regular season. New for the 2025-26 academic year, viewing access to live broadcasts from GLVC regular season and postseason contests will be available via monthly subscription ($30) or annual subscription ($140). Single-event access can also be purchased for $15.
SERIES HISTORIES
- Drury has won just two of its previous 22 contests vs. Lewis, which has won the last three meetings in the series.
- Last year in Springfield, Lewis claimed a 3-1 decision en route to 23-11 campaign and third-place GLVC finish.
- Against the Greyhounds, DU has gone 5-16 with its last win coming in 2022 in Springfield -- a straight-sets victory for the Panthers.
- Under head coach Jenifer Bahner-Hill, DU is 2-11 during her tenure vs. Lewis, and 4-8 against UIndy.
OPENING STORYLINES
- In her 12 seasons as head coach at Drury, Bahner-Hill (2014-present) has registered 172 career victories, which ranks second in DU history behind Barbara Cowherd's 487 wins as head coach of the Panthers (1980-99).
- Rademaker is averaging 4.20 kills per set in GLVC play and ranks fifth in the conference with her overall season average of 3.63 kills per set.
- Rademaker, who leads DU with 370 kills on the season, has totaled 1,417 kills over 113 career matches, which puts her at No. 5 among all active NCAA Division II players and No. 1 on the GLVC's active list.
- Dating back to Oct. 17, Rademaker has recorded 10 straight double-digit kill totals.
- Lauren Tyler brings a career total of 2,447 assists into Friday's match, good for the No. 8 position on Drury's all-time assist chart and just 53 shy of the 2,500 mark.
- Mailie Chretien logged her team-leading 10th double-double of the season with 10 kills and 12 digs last Saturday vs. Missouri S&T; the senior also topped her personal single-season best for kills (278) in the win over the Miners.
- Jacy Bray registered 18 assists and 11 digs Saturday against Missouri S&T to give her eight double-doubles on the season, while extending her streak of consecutive double-digit assist performances to 20 in a row (since Sept. 12).
- Drury posted its 15th victory of the season Saturday, giving the Panthers their best win total since 2021 (20).
- Payton Mitchell logged a career-best 29 digs in last Friday's contest, then recorded 25 more Saturday to reach the 600-dig milestone for her Drury career.
- Skylar Hilton's team-leading total of 102 blocks represents the most by a Drury freshman under Bahner-Hill (since 2014); her total is the best by a Panther rookie since Elizabeth Bunch's 116 in 2001.
- Drury ranks fourth in the GLVC and 15th nationally in total kills (1,370), paced by Rademaker's team-leading 370 -- good for fourth among all GLVC hitters and 21st nationally.
- Hilton's 102 blocks rank fourth in the GLVC, while Phoebe Riddle (100) ranks sixth in the same category.
- The Panthers also rank second in the conference and 16th nationally in assists (1,265) and third in the GLVC (33rd nationally) in total blocks (217.5).
- Tyler's 43 service aces rank third in the GLVC, while her 628 assists rank eighth in the circuit.
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 ontributed 202 (2.24 per set) for last year's squad; Clubb added 46 blocks as well to rank third on the team.
- Kim 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 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
The Panthers will look to secure their spot in next weekend's GLVC Volleyball Championship, which will be contested Nov. 21-23 in Williamsville, Ill.
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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