Courtesy: Missouri Valley Conference
The Missouri Valley Conference finished its third weekend of non-conference action with a 20-13 record. This week will be the final week of the non-league schedule before league play begins on Friday, September 21.
Power Five Wins
The Valley claimed its third and fourth wins over Power Five programs over the weekend as UNI beat Indiana and Missouri State beat Texas A&M. The MVC now has wins over the Hoosiers, Aggies, Kentucky (UNI) and Auburn (Illinois State). This weekend’s schedule gives the league eight more opportunities to get a Power Five win.
Tough Schedule Ahead
The Valley has five wins against 2017 NCAA Tournament teams during the non-conference schedule (UNI vs. Creighton & Kentucky; Illinois State vs. Coastal Carolina & Stony Brook; Valparaiso vs. CUS-Bakersfield). This season’s non-conference schedule features 25 teams that appeared in the NCAA field a year ago, including nine matches this weekend.
The schedule features five matches against AVCA Top 25 teams, including four matches against the top 10.
September 14
Southern Illinois vs. Central Arkansas
Indiana State at Colorado State
UNI at #8 Illinois
September 15
Indiana State at Colorado
UNI vs. #10 Creighton
Illinois State at #21 Marquette
Drake at Missouri
Missouri State at #4 Nebraska
Illinois State vs. #6 Wisconsin
Hot Starts
Currently nine of the 10 MVC programs sit at .500 or better this season with four programs off to some of their best starts in program history.
Team Record Best Since
Drake 9-1 2010 (14-0)
Valpo 9-2 2015 (9-0)
Bradley 7-2 2001 (8-2)
Loyola 7-2 2015 (12-2)
Non-Conference Success
Since 2010, the Valley has posted a record above .500 in non-conference play every year except 2014 (55-57) and 2017 (61-66). The MVC is 63-32 (.663) in non-league play this season. The Valley posted a league-best .756 non-conference win percentage in 2010.
Against the Field
The MVC holds a winning record against 17 leagues in non-conference play (America East, A10, Atlantic Sun, Big East, Big South, Ivy, Metro Atlantic, Mid-American, MEAC, Mountain West, Northeast, Patriot, Southland, Summit, Sun Belt, SWAC and WAC), and at least a .500 record against another three (Conference USA, Horizon and Southern) through the first three weeks of the season.
Tough to Beat
The MVC holds an unblemished record in non-conference action against 14 leagues, including America East (2-0), A10 (4-0), Big East (3-0), Big South (3-0), Ivy (1-0), Metro Atlantic (2-0), Mid-Eastern (2-0), Northeast (3-0), Patriot (1-0), Southland (6-0), Summit (6-0), Sun Belt (2-0), SWAC (4-0) and WAC (2-0).
AVCA Top 25
UNI continues to receive votes in this week’s AVCA Top 25 poll. The Panthers are receiving 23 points in the poll and sit 27th overall entering this week’s action.
MVC Career Digs Watch
Illinois State senior Courtney Pence moved into third place on the all-time MVC career digs list over the weekend after notching 18 digs in the win over Stony Brook.
Missouri State’s Emily Butters moved into 7th on the all-time list, passing UE’s Jule Groves and Illinois State’s Kasey Mollerus over the weekend.
Week 3 Honors
This week’s Missouri Valley Conference Players of the Week are Loyola’s Delilah Wolf and Alex Nunez and Missouri State’s Chloe Rear.
MISSOURI VALLEY CONFERENCE PLAYER OF THE WEEK:
Delilah Wolf, Jr., S, Loyola
Loyola junior setter Delilah Wolf put up some solid all-around numbers last weekend at the Delta Hotel by Marriott Kalamazoo Conference Center Tournament as Loyola claimed its second straight tourney title and extended its winning streak to seven matches, its longest since 2015. The junior setter accumulated 43 assists, a career-best 17 digs, four kills and two blocks in a victory over Utah State and 40 assists, four digs, two blocks and a pair of kills against Western Michigan on September 7. She tallied 42 assists, seven digs, four blocks, two kills and a pair of aces in a four-set victory over Canisius one day later. For the week, Wolf contributed 10.06 assists, 2.03 digs, 0.78 kills, 0.75 blocks and 0.22 aces per set, while hitting .444 (8-0-18) with no errors.
Other Notable Performances: Elle Tubbs (DU); Ali Line (ILS); Laura Gross (INS); Makina Wratten (MSU); Piper Thomas (UNI); Maggie Nedoma (SIU); Allison Ketcham (VALPO)
MISSOURI VALLEY CONFERENCE DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK:
Alex Nunez, Sr., DS, Loyola
Loyola senior Alex Nunez had a monster week in the back row, averaging a whopping 6.08 digs per set to go with 0.58 assists per set as Loyola won the Delta Hotel by Marriott Kalamazoo Conference Center Tournament hosted by Western Michigan. In a thrilling five-set win over Utah State on September 7, the senior libero dug 24 balls and added four assists, then that same evening, she put up 16 digs in a sweep of the host Broncos. Nunez saved her best for last, recording a career-best 33 digs, the most by a Rambler since her current teammate Maddy Moser had 33 at Wake Forest on September 3, 2016. For the year, she is contributing 4.72 digs and 0.69 assists per set.
Other Notable Performances: Yavianliz Rosado (BRAD); Kylee Macke (DU); Courtney Pence (ILS); Jade York (INS); Makina Wratten (MSU); Kendyl Sorge (UNI); Patience Brown (SIU); Rylee Cookerly (VALPO)
MISSOURI VALLEY CONFERENCE FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK:
Chloe Rear, Fr., S/OH, Missouri State
Missouri State’s Chloe Rear averaged 1.21 kills on .359 hitting, 7.29 assists, 1.93 digs and 0.71 blocks per set, posting a historic match Thursday against Nicholls State and dishing out 47 assists with 11 digs in Friday’s win at Texas A&M. Rear hit .545 with six kills, 22 assists, eight digs and six blocks against Nicholls, becoming the first MSU player to reach minimum of six in each category since 2007. She led the Bears in both kills and assists for the second time this season in the match, something not done once at MSU since 1992. Rear also tallied multiple kills without committing an error against both Kansas State and Pepperdine, totaling five kills, eight digs and 33 assists in those two matches.
Other Notable Performances: Hannah Thompson (BRAD); Caitlyn Smith (DU); Marissa Stockman (ILS); Makayla Knoblauch (INS); Lauren Caprini (LUC); Inga Rotto (UNI)
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