SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Drury volleyball returns to O'Reilly Family Event Center Tuesday (Nov. 4) evening to open its final home stand of the season with a 6 p.m. non-conference matchup against Central Missouri.
The Panthers (14-10, 4-5 GLVC) are coming off a weekend split of their two conference road matches against Upper Iowa and Truman State. Drury swept UIU in three sets Friday, before dropping a hard fought five-set affair to Truman on Saturday.
Central Missouri (16-6, 8-4 MIAA) registered a sweep of Arkansas-Fort Smith on Saturday after dropping a four-set match to No. 7 Central Oklahoma the previous night. The Jennies received votes in last week's AVCA Division II poll.
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 HISTORY
- UCM has claimed 14 of the previous 15 meetings in the series with Drury.
- The Panthers' lone victory in the series occurred on Oct. 3, 2003 in a five-set battle at Weiser Gym.
- Under head coach Jenifer Bahner-Hill, DU is 0-3 vs. UCM, dating back to 2014.
OPENING STORYLINES
- Ella Rademaker led Drury with 35 kills in their two contests last week, including a 24-kill, 11-dig effort vs. Truman in which she registered her second double-double as a Panther.
- Rademaker, who leads DU with 309 kills on the season, has totaled 1,356 kills over 110 career matches, which puts her at No. 6 among all active NCAA Division II players and No. 2 on the GLVC's active list, trailing only Maryville's Ella Brinkmann (1,372).
- Rademaker also recorded her seventh-straight double-digit kill total dating back to Oct. 17.
- Saturday's contest with Truman State featured a combined 34 ties and 13 lead changes.
- Lauren Tyler brings a career total of 2,361 assists into Tuesday's match after passing Karen Smith (2,322) for the No. 9 spot on Drury's career list in Friday's victory at Upper Iowa; she needs 28 additional assists to catch Julie Coble (2,389) in the No. 8 position on the chart.
- Mailie Chretien logged her team-leading eighth double-double of the season at Truman, and Jacy Bray notched her seventh while extending her streak of consecutive double-digit assist performances to 17 in a row (since Sept. 12).
- Chretien also matched her 2025 season-best dig total (23) vs. Truman, just one shy of her Drury career high.
- In her 12 seasons as head coach at Drury, Bahner-Hill (2014-present) has registered 171 career victories, which ranks second in DU history behind Barbara Cowherd's 487 wins as head coach of the Panthers (1980-99).
- Drury posted its 14th victory of the season Friday at Upper Iowa to match its 2024 season win total; the victory also gave the Panthers their top season total since going 20-11 in 2021.
- Skylar Hilton's team-leading total of 86 blocks represents the most by a Drury freshman under Bahner-Hill (since 2014); her total is the best by a Panther rookie since Jessica Burns' 84 in 2007.
- Drury ranks fourth in the GLVC and 27th nationally in total kills (1,197), paced by Rademaker's team-leading 309 -- good for fourth among all GLVC hitters.
- Hilton's .313 hitting percentage rates as the No. 8 figure in the conference, while her 86 blocks rank seventh; Phoebe Riddle (85) also ranks among the GLVC's top 10 for blocks, checking in at No. 8 (and 70th nationally).
- The Panthers also rank fourth in the conference in assists (1,098) and total blocks (184.5).
- Tyler's 39 service aces rank third in the GLVC and 58th in all of Division II, while her 543 assists rank ninth 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 contributed 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 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 will host its final two GLVC home matches this weekend at O'Reilly, beginning with Friday's 6 p.m. contest vs. Maryville. The Panthers will honor their six seniors prior to the start of Satuday's 3 p.m. match against Missouri S&T.
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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