SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Drury volleyball looks to continue it's early season hot streak this weekend for its final tune up prior to the start of Great Lakes Valley Conference play, as the Panthers travel to Arkadelphia, Ark., to take part in the Bettye Wallace Classic (Sept. 19-20).
Winners of five-straight matches entering play this weekend, the Panthers (6-2) will square off against Arkansas Tech in a 3:30 p.m. tilt Friday to open the tournament, before taking on host Henderson State (11 a.m.) and Pittsburg State (3:30 p.m.) Saturday at Duke Wells Center.
Fans may follow the action through YouTube, where tournament games will be streamed live throughout the weekend.
SERIES HISTORIES
- Drury brings a combined 45-46-2 overall record against the Bettye Wallace Classic Field.
- The Panthers hold a slim 11-10 series edge over Arkansas Tech entering play Friday, with DU winning the most recent matchup of the two programs -- a 3-1 victory on Oct. 22, 2019 in Russellville, Ark.
- Henderson State holds a 9-3 series advantage against the Panthers, but Drury swept a three-set affair in its most recent meeting with the Reddies on Sept. 4, 2021 in Springfield.
- Drury brings a 31-27-2 all-time record against Pittsburg State into Saturday's contest; the Panthers and Gorillas last met Sept. 8, 2023 in Pittsburg, Kan., where the hosts claimed a 3-2 decision over DU.
OPENING STORYLINES
- DU swept four matches at last weekend's Drury Invitational (Sept. 12-13), running its current win streak to five straight matches (dating back to Sept. 6).
- The Panthers claimed their first 4-0 weekend at the Drury Invitational since 2021.
- Drury head coach Jenifer Bahner-Hill (2014-present) enters the weekend with 163 career victories, which ranks second in DU history behind Barbara Cowherd's 487 wins as head coach of the Panthers (1980-99).
- With six wins in its first eight contests, DU matched its best eight-game start to a season since 2017; the Panthers posted 6-2 opening stretches in 2024, 2021 and 2018 for their best start since winning seven of their first eight (and nine of 10, overall) to open the 2017 season.
- With three wins this weekend, the Panthers would also match their best start (through 11 matches) under Bahner-Hill, who led DU to 9-2 starts in 2017 and 2018.
- Additionally, Drury's five-match win streak is its longest since claiming five straight from Oct. 11-19, 2024; DU's last six-match win streak occurred Oct. 14- 22, 2022, matching the Panthers' third-longest under Bahner-Hill.
- The trio of Mailie Chretien, Mary Henry and Phoebe Riddle was selected for all-tournament honors at last weekend's Drury Invitational.
- Chretien led DU's attack with 46 total kills (3.29/set) while hitting .244 to go along with four assists and four service aces to lead an offense that averaged 13.73 kills per set; she turned in a monster performance in DU's tournament finale vs. East Central (Sept. 13), posting a 12-kill, 20-dig double-double and adding two assists and two blocks in the four-set victory.
- Henry registered a team-high 44 digs (2.93/set) in DU's 4-0 weekend, anchoring a defense that limited the opposition to .142 hitting and delivering a club-best eight service aces as well.
- Riddle piled up 30 kills (2.14/set), hit a club-best .318 with 17 blocks -- also a Drury high for the weekend.
- As a team, Drury leads the GLVC and ranks 26th nationally in opponent hitting (.126).
- Lauren Tyler leads the GLVC and ranks 20th nationally in service aces with 17 for the season; DU ranks third in the GLVC with its 56 aces as a team.
- For her DU career, Tyler has logged 1,958 assists to rank 10th on the Panthers' all-time list after passing Cari St. Clari (1,843) for the No. 10 spot Sept. 5 vs. Harding.
- Additionally, Tyler (517) topped the 500-dig plateau for her Drury career last weekend; Kim Quinit (471) enter this weekend within striking distance of reaching the 500-dig milestone as well.
- Jacy Bray totaled a team-best 86 assists (5.73/set) over the Panthers' 4-0 week at the Drury Invitational, helping pace an offensive that hit .236 and averaged 13.73 kills per set for the tournament; against East Central (Sept. 13), she tallied career highs of 31 assists and 16 digs.
- Riddle (29) and Skylar Hilton (28) each rank among the GLVC's top 10 performers in total blocks so far this season.
- Chretien eclipsed the 500-kill milestone for her NCAA career last weekend and enters play Friday with 539 (including 197 accrued playing for Catawba and Limestone).
PREVIEWING 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.
- 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 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 returns to O'Reilly Family Event Center to open GLVC play on Friday (Sept. 26) with a 6 p.m. match against Missouri-St. Louis.
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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