SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Off to its best start since 2018, Drury volleyball returns to the road to open its 22nd season of Great Lakes Valley Conference play this weekend with matches against McKendree Friday evening (6 p.m.) in Lebanon, Ill., and Missouri-St. Louis Saturday afternoon (3 p.m.) in St. Louis.
The Panthers (9-2) are coming off a 2-1 weekend at the Ichabod Classic in Topeka, Kan., where DU topped Arkansas-Monticello (3-0) before seeing its seven-match win streak come to an end with a five-set loss to Southwestern Oklahoma State (3-2). Drury closed the tournament with a convincing win over No. 4 Washburn for its first victory over a top-five opponent since October 2018.
McKendree (2-8) will be looking to stop a three-match slide after going 0-3 last weekend in St. Joseph, Mo., at the Griffon Volleyball Invitational. UMSL (5-5) is riding a three-match win streak thanks to a perfect 3-0 weekend in Topeka, where the Tritons knocked off Washburn (3-2), Southwestern Oklahoma (3-1) and Arkansas-Monticello (3-0).
Fans may follow the action through the GLVC Sports Network (subscription required), where tournament games will be streamed live throughout the weekend. Once again throughout the 2026-27 academic year, viewing access to live broadcasts from GLVC regular-season and postseason contests will be available via monthly subscription ($32) or annual subscription ($145). Single-event access can also be purchased for $15, and students of GLVC member institutions can save 10-percent on single-game PPV access, monthly subscriptions, and Full Year Access Passes by entering the promotional code "GLVC@EDU27" at checkout.
SERIES HISTORIES
- The Panthers are 10-9 all-time against McKendree and 12-9 overall in GLVC-opening matches.
- DU claimed a five-set victory over the Bearcats in the most recent contest in the series last September in Springfield.
- Drury brings a 19-24 all-time record against UMSL into Saturday's contest.
- The Tritons have won the last four matchups in the series, with the Panthers' last victory coming on Oct. 22, 2021 in Springfield.
- UMSL, the defending GLVC regular-season champion, enters the conference season riding a 15-match regular-season win streak in GLVC play, including a sweep of the Panthers last September at O'Reilly Family Event Center.
OPENING STORYLINES
- Drury brings a cumulative program record of 889-776-17 -- good for a .533 winning percentage -- into Friday's action.
- Head coach Kelly Richardson has made a strong first impression as DU's newest bench boss, entering the weekend 9-2, which represents the best start to a career by a Drury volleyball head coach.
- Richardson then racked up career coaching victory No. 100 with DU's Aug. 29 victory over Texas A&M International; she brings a 107-225 cumulative collegiate coaching record into the weekend.
- Drury last started a season 9-2 in 2018, when the Panthers won 14 of their first 16 matches en route to a 28-7 campaign and GLVC regular-season championship.
- The Panthers recent streak of seven consecutive victories (Aug. 29-Sept. 11) marked their longest since 2019, when they won eight in a row from Sept. 21 through Oct. 12.
- DU's recently-completed win streak came entirely via straight-set victories, marking the first time in program history the Panthers have registered seven consecutive straight-set wins under the best-of-five set format.
- Drury's win over No. 4 Washburn marked its first win over a top five team since an Oct. 13, 2018 victory over Ferris State.
- For the second consecutive week a Panther was honored by the GLVC with one of its weekly honors, this time with Gracie Kimrey bringing home GLVC Defensive Player of the Week after tallying 18 blocks (1.5 per set) – six in each of DU's three matches – to equal a career high in each contest; Kimrey's efforts helped the Panthers limit the opposition to a .169 cumulative hitting percentage for the tournament, while the Marshfield, Mo., native also tallied 20 kills and three digs while hitting .294.
- Kimrey currently ranks fourth overall in the GLVC this season with her average of 1.03 blocks per set, while Skylar Hilton ranks eighth (0.97 per set).
- Hilton averaged 2.92 kills per set and hit a team-best .363 in DU's three matches in Topeka last weekend; the sophomore currently leads the GLVC and ranks 12th nationally in hitting (.436).
- As a team, Drury leads the GLVC in blocks and rank second in the circuit in digs per set, paced by Jacy Bray (3.30) and Abby Renshaw (3.19).
- Defensively, Drury has limited the opposition to a hitting percentage of .122, which ranks 17th among all NCAA Division II schools; the Panthers also rank 10th nationally in digs (18.49 per set), while their 2.38 blocks per set rank 16th among all D-II programs.
- Renshaw powered a potent Drury offense last weekend, recording back-to-back double-doubles in the Panthers' final two contests, including a career-high 21 kills Friday vs. Southwest Oklahoma State.
- The North Little Rock, Ark., native followed that performance with 11 kills and 10 digs in DU's victory over host No. 4 Washburn; in all, Renshaw tallied a team-best 41 kills (3.42 per set) and 37 digs (3.08 per set) for the weekend.
- Rensahw leds the Panthers with five double-doubles this season, including three in DU's last four matches.
- Bray also delivered a big weekend in Topeka, totaling 115 assists (9.58 per set) to go along with a team-leading 46 digs, nine kills and three service aces.
- A Nixa, Mo., product, Bray handed out a career-high 49 assists to go along with 24 digs in DU's five-set loss to SWOSU (Sept. 11); the junior's assist total marked the top single-match effort by a Panther since Lauren Tyler's 50-assist effort vs. Truman State on Oct. 11, 2024.
- Bray, who earned her first career GLVC Setter of the Week award on Sept. 13, stretched her streak of consecutive double-digit assist totals to 34 in a row (dating back to Sept. 12, 2025), pacing a Panther offense that has posted the No. 2 assist average (12.73 per set) and kill average (13.78 per set) in the GLVC to date.
- Bray leads the GLVC and ranks 13th nationally in assists (10.19 per set), while her total of 377 assists ranks third in the conference; she enters the weekend 72 assists shy of the 1,000-assist milestone for her career.
- Bray, Hilton and Renshaw were selected for Ichabod Classic All-Tournament honors last weekend in Topeka.
- Junior defensive specialist Kim Quinit logged a season-high 18 digs Saturday in DU's win over Washburn.
- Freshman Taylor Wood continues to impress in her first season with the Panthers, turning in a 21-dig effort last Friday vs. SWOSU; she also recorded back-to-back six-kill performances in DU's final two matches in Topeka.
- Fellow freshman and Nixa, Mo., product Gwen Kubik also came through with a clutch effort in the Panthers' upset of Washburn, matching a DU career high with six kills.
PREVIEWING THE PANTHERS
- Drury returns 10 letterwinners from last season's 17-13 team that finished 7-6 in conference play to advance to the GLVC Tournament for the first time since 2019.
- DU won seven of its first nine matches last fall, matching its best start to a season since 2018.
- Junior setter Jacy Bray brings a streak of 34 consecutive double-digit assist performances into the weekend (since Sept. 12, 2025); Bray logged nine double-doubles and recorded 528 assists (4.98 per set) and 245 digs in 2025.
- Junior defensive specialist Kim Quinit enters the weekend with 876 career digs, in addition to 48 service aces, to her credit.
- Sophomore middle blocker Skylar Hilton ranked fourth overall in the GLVC and 48th nationally with her 116 blocks last fall, which represented the top season tally by a Panther rookie since Elizabeth Bunch's 116 in 2001.
- As a team, the Panthers' 246.5 blocks ranked fourth among all GLVC clubs and 44th in the nation last season.
- Senior outside hitter Chaney Barth topped the 300-kill and 300-dig milestones for her career last fall in her first season with the Panthers.
- Juniors Emerson Grossman, Jenna LaBarge, Kennedy Outler and Abby Renshaw have each earned significant playing time over their first two seasons in Scarlet and Gray; Grossman recorded a career-best 58 kills (1.21 per set) and 31 total blocks last season, while Renshaw racked up 176 kills (1.81 per set) and 41 blocks in 2025.
- Sophomores Caroline Red, Amelia White and Gracie Kimrey will be looking for breakthrough seasons as well.
- In addition to its corps of returners, Drury welcomes nine newcomers to the mix, led by transfers Reagan Baade, Isy Purrington, Sophia Frerking and Sydney Walker; additionally, freshmen Gwen Kubik, Lucy Hafer, Falon Stroup, Taylor Wood and Bella Asante round out the deep class of newcomers and should give Richardson additional options this fall.
- Drury also turned in a strong 2025-26 year in the classroom, as seven returning Panthers were named Academic All-GLVC, paced by Quinit and Renshaw, who each earned CSC Academic All-District recognition at the conclusion of the 2025 season.
LOOKING AHEAD
Drury returns to O'Reilly Family Event Center for its 2026 GLVC home opener next Friday (Sept. 25) with a 6 p.m., matchup against Willam Jewell.
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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