NOTEBOOK (PDF)
Valley teams rebounded after a tough opening weekend and boasted an impressive 18-7 record in non-conference play this past weekend. In fact, eight of the 18 wins came via a sweep. Evansville improved to 6-0 on the season, which is the Aces’ best start since 1981, while Valpo (5-1) and Loyola (4-2) each secured tournament titles.
This week’s schedule features 31 matches, including four vs. 2020-21 NCAA Tournament teams (Illinois State vs. Dayton and Wright State, Bradley vs. South Dakota, UNI vs. Washington State).
Non-Con History
Since 2010, the Valley has posted a record above .500 in non-conference play every year except 2014 (55-57), 2017 (61-66) and 2019 (57-69). The MVC currently sits 30-24 (.556) in non-league play so far in 2021.
Year Record Win%
2021 30-24 .556
2020 N/A (COVID-19)
2019 57-69 .452
2018 80-49 .620
2017 61-66 .480
2016 70-57 .551
2015 85-52 .620
2014 55-57 .491
2013 65-54 .546
2012 60-52 .536
2011 73-45 .619
2010 90-29 .756
Against the Field
The MVC holds a winning record against eight leagues in non-conference play following the first two weeks of the season. The Valley is 7-1 vs. the Ohio Valley, 6-1 vs. the Horizon League, 4-2 vs. the MAC, 3-0 vs. the SWAC, 3-1 vs. the Sun Belt, 2-1 vs. the Atlantic Sun and Big South and 1-0 vs. the Big West.
BU: On the Mark
Junior Karagan Coggin hit a blistering .440 in Bradley’s two matches at the Golden Grizzlies Invitational, averaging 3.25 kills and 0.88 blocks per set to take home all-tournament team honors. Coggin collected a career-best 18 kills and hit .405 Friday at Oakland to mark the first time a Brave had 15 or more kills and hit at least .400 in a match since Erica Haslag did so against Omaha on Sept. 14, 2018. Coggin hit .538 and had eight kills in a three-set victory at Eastern Michigan Saturday to help the Braves to their first non-conference road sweep dating back to the 2016 season.
DU: Travel Issues
Drake’s scheduled appearance at the JU Invitational canceled due to unforeseen travel issues that prevented the Bulldogs from traveling to Florida. As a result, the Bulldogs have played just two matches and seven total sets this season. The Bulldogs return to action this weekend for three matches at North Dakota where they will face Green Bay, Montana and the host, North Dakota. The Bulldogs are a combined 13-8 all-time against those opponents.
UE: Party Like It’s 1981
With a clean sweep at the Eagle Challenge, the Purple Aces improved to 6-0 for the first time since 1981. That season saw UE win its first 10 games. Highlighting the weekend for UE was a huge road win over defending Ohio Valley Conference champion Morehead State. The Eagles were 17-2 last season and defeated Creighton for their first-ever NCAA Tournament win. Evansville also picked up victories over Radford and Cleveland State.
ILS: High-Powered Offense
Illinois State’s 319 kills through six games ranks 21st nationally and second in the Valley through the first two weekends of the 2021 fall season. Sophomore Tamara Otene has led the ‘Birds in kills in five of six matches this season, totaling 84 on the year and averaging 3.65 per set.
INS: #500
With an undefeated weekend at the Music City Invitational, Sycamore volleyball earned their 500th victory in program history. Indiana State clinched victory 500 on Saturday evening, defeating Belmont, 3-1, on the Bruins home court. The Sycamores’ first official year of volleyball was 1977.
LUC: Tourney Champs!
Loyola won the championship of its own Hampton Inn Chicago North/Loyola Station Rambler Challenge last weekend, picking up wins against Eastern Kentucky, SIUE and Xavier to win its own in-season tournament for the second time in the last three seasons it has been played. Under head coach Amanda Berkley, Loyola is now 8-1 in Rambler Challenge contests, winning the title in 2018 and 2021, while placing second in 2019.
MSU: Bears Heading Home
Missouri State will make its home debut this weekend with the annual Dr. Mary Jo Wynn Invitational at Hammons Student Center. The Bears went 9-2 at home last season and have won 79 percent of their matches at HSC over the last 22 seasons, finishing above .500 in each one.
UNI: Challenge Accepted
The Panthers will take on Gonzaga, Washington State, and Long Beach State at the Cougar Challenge in Pullman, Washington. In its last visit to Bohler Gym, UNI went 4-0 to win the 1994 Cougar Challenge championship. UNI opens the Cougar Challenge by playing Thursday versus Gonzaga. The Panthers are 2-0 in the all-time series including a 3-1 win at the 1989 Women’s Invitational Volleyball Championship for Bobbi (Becker) Petersen’s final victory of her illustrious playing career.
SIU: Putting It Together
The Salukis are winners of three of their last four matches after they went 2-1 at the Saluki Bash over the weekend. In the home opening win over Alabama A&M, the Salukis hit .344 as a team and had 12 aces. SIU’s 12 aces in their three-set win were its most in a three-set match since Sept. 5, 2007, when the Salukis served 13 aces in a win over Western Illinois. The following match, the Salukis rallied from a 2-1 deficit to stun UT Martin in five sets and keep their unbeaten home win streak over the Skyhawks intact. Southern is 12-0 all-time at home against UT Martin.
VU: In-Season Tourney Win
Valpo posted a perfect 3-0 record this weekend to claim the Golden Eagle Invitational championship, the 26th in-season tournament title for the program under head coach Carin Avery. The tournament title is the program’s first since the 2018 squad capped a stretch of three straight titles by defending its home court and winning the Crusader Classic.
Climbing MVC Digs Chart
Valpo’s Rylee Cookerly and Drake’s Kylee Macke continue to climb The Valley’s all-time career digs list. Cookerly sits third on the MVC all-time list. The fifth year player is the NCAA active leader in career digs, while Macke sits third on the active NCAA list. Cookerly will enter the weekend with 2,640 career digs, 16 shy of 2nd place. Macke is up to 9th on The Valley all-time list.
Individual Career Digs (MVC History)
2,778 Courtney Pence, Illinois State, 2015-18
2,656 Ellie Blankenship, UNI, 2007-10
2,640 Rylee Cookerly, Valparaiso, 2017-pres
2,482 Emily Butters, Missouri State, 2015-18
2,423 Alana Wittenburg, Drake, 2007-10
2,323 Kendyl Sorge, UNI, 2015-18
2,215 Katie Klages, Evansville, 2010-13
2,202 Kelly Broussard, Wichita State, 2005-08
2,099 Kylee Macke, Drake, 2017-pres
2,095 Julie Walroth, Evansville, 2004-07
This week's Missouri Valley Conference Volleyball Players of the Week are Valpo's Peyton McCarthy, Loyola's Grace Hinchman and Illinois State's Katelyn Lefler.
MISSOURI VALLEY CONFERENCE PLAYER OF THE WEEK:
Peyton McCarthy, 5th, MH, Valparaiso
McCarthy was named Tournament MVP of the Golden Eagle Invitational last weekend after a tremendous trio of matches on both sides of the ball. McCarthy opened the week by putting down a match-high eight kills on just 12 swings, hitting .667, and adding a match-best four blocks in Valpo’s sweep of UNC Asheville. That night, she continued her tremendous offensive efficiency, leading Valpo with 18 kills on .607 hitting to go with four blocks as the Beacons took down Tennessee Tech. Her .607 hitting percentage was the second-best in program history in a five-set match and the best in a five-setter in the 25-point era. McCarthy closed the weekend with 11 kills and a match-high five blocks in Valpo’s come-from-behind win over South Alabama. For the weekend, McCarthy hit .471 with 2.85 kills/set and 1.00 blocks/set.
Other Notable Performances: Karagan Coggin (BU); Alondra Vazquez (UE); Tamara Otene (ILS); Kaitlyn Hamilton (INS); Taylor Venuto (LUC); Amelia Flynn (MSU); Tatum Tornatta (SIU)
MISSOURI VALLEY CONFERENCE DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK:
Grace Hinchman, So., L, Loyola Chicago
Hinchman continues to cement her case as one of the top liberos not only in The Valley, but also the country. In three matches last weekend at the Hampton Inn Chicago North/Loyola Station Rambler Challenge, the sophomore averaged 5.42 digs per set and added 1.08 assists per set to help Loyola earn the tournament title. A member of the Rambler Challenge All-Tournament Team, Hinchman, who ranked 16th in the nation in digs per set in 2020-21, totaled 29 digs in a five-set victory over Xavier in the tournament championship match on September 4. She also contributed 17 digs in a win over Eastern Kentucky and 19 digs in a victory against SIU Edwardsville on September 3. This fall, she is accounting for 5.73 digs per set and 1.13 assists per set.
Other Notable Performances: Serena Sparks (BU); Hannah Watkins (UE); Kaity Weimerskirch (ILS); Melina Tedrow (INS); Maddy Bushnell (MSU); Katy Kluge (SIU); Rylee Cookerly (VU)
MISSOURI VALLEY CONFERENCE FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK:
Katelyn Lefler, Fr., S, Illinois State
In ISU’s home-opening weekend at Redbird Arena, freshman Katelyn Lefler totaled 132 assists to average 11.0 per set, helping the Redbirds to their first wins of the season. The freshman also added 32 digs (2.67/set) on the weekend , earning a spot on the Red & White Invitational All-Tournament Team. After posting 48 helpers in ISU’s five-set win over Ohio on Friday, Lefler recorded 56 assists in Saturday’s four-set victory over UIC, the most in a four-set match since former Redbird Stef Jankiewicz had 57 back on Nov. 11, 2017 at Bradley. She concluded the weekend with 28 assists versus No. 25 Marquette, also blasting five kills and hitting .357 in that match. Through the first six games of her career, the freshman ranks third in the MVC, averaging 9.32 assists per set on the year.
Other Notable Performances: Giulia Cardona (UE); Emma Kaelin (INS); Lane Jenkins (LUC); Maddy Bushnell (MSU); Anna Jaworski (SIU); Elise Swistek (VU)