Volleyball

MVC Volleyball Weekly Notebook (Oct. 19)

Player of the Week: Kamryn Behrns, Drake
Defensive Player of the Week: Maria Drapp, Bradley
Libero of the Week: Sammi Bunch, Illinois State

Kamryn Behrns led Drake offensively during a 1-1 week against UIC and Valparaiso, recording back-to-back double-doubles. Behrns tallied 18 kills and 10 digs against the Flames before matching her career-high with 18 kills and setting a new career best with 16 digs against the Beacons. She finished the weekend with 36 kills (4.50 per set), 26 digs (3.25 per set), five blocks and three service aces, totaling 41.5 points. Behrns hit .432 with 18 kills against UIC before adding another 18-kill performance against Valparaiso, helping the Bulldogs secure a four-set victory.

Maria Drapp delivered an outstanding defensive performance during Bradley's 2-0 week, helping the Braves extend their winning streak to three matches and improve to 6-2 in Missouri Valley Conference play. Despite serving as Bradley's primary setter, Drapp led the Braves with 40 digs across eight sets, averaging an impressive 5.00 digs per set in victories over Indiana State and Southern Illinois. Drapp opened the week with 19 digs against Indiana State before recording a match-high 21 digs at Southern Illinois, her second 20-dig performance of the season. She also contributed three blocks against the Salukis, finishing the week with 40 digs and three blocks while recording 74 assists. Drapp's ability to anchor Bradley's defense while directing the offense from the setter position was instrumental in the Braves' two conference victories.

Sammi Bunch anchored Illinois State's defense during a 2-0 week, helping the Redbirds earn victories over Evansville and Indiana State. Bunch recorded at least 20 digs in each match, finishing the week with 41 digs across eight sets to average 5.13 digs per set. She opened the weekend with 21 digs and four service aces against Evansville before adding 20 digs and two aces against Indiana State. Bunch totaled six service aces on the weekend, tied for the most among Missouri Valley Conference student-athletes, while averaging 0.75 aces per set.

Conference News & Notes

  • Northern Iowa won its 10th-straight match to remain undefeated (8-0) in Valley play. The Panthers extended their regular-season Conference winning streak (60) and overall Conference winning streak (68), both the longest active streaks in Division I. 
  • UNI is one win shy of tying its own program and Conference record for consecutive overall wins against league opponents. 
  • Belmont bounced back with two more wins over the weekend to move to 7-1 in league play and remain in second place in the MVC standings. The Bruins’ 7-1 start in Valley action marks the best start to Conference play in program history with at least 10 regular-season Conference matches played. 
  • Illinois State earned a pair of wins over the weekend, extending their win streak to four matches, and moving into a tie for third place in The Valley standings with a 6-2 ledger. In Friday’s win over Evansville, Ella Craggs recorded her 1,000th career assist, while Ruth Ziegler and Logan Grevengoed each tallied their 500th career kills. 
  • Bradley’s defense anchored the Braves to two more wins over the weekend, as the Braves moved to 6-2 in league play. Setter Maria Drapp led Bradley in digs and assists in each match, including her second 20-dig outing of the season against the Salukis, while the Braves held Southern Illinois to just .084 hitting as a team. 
  • UIC defeated Drake in four sets on Friday night, as senior Tamara Kisic led the Flames with 21 kills on a .442 hitting percentage while Ava Young recorded a team-high 21 digs. As a team, UIC hit .230 in the match, marking its fourth-highest hitting percentage against a Valley team this season. 
  • Drake’s Kamryn Behrns recorded back-to-back double-double performances as the Bulldogs went 1-1 on the weekend. The freshman led the Bulldogs with 18 kills in each match, while adding a career-high 16 digs in a win over Valparaiso. 
  • Murray State snapped an eight-match losing skid on Friday night, outlasting Southern Illinois in five sets. Alexa Watts (13) and Maezi Snyder (10) each turned in double-digit kill performances, while a trio of Racers tallied double-figure digs. 
  • Indiana State’s Kira Holland joined the Sycamores’ 1,000-kill club on Friday, finishing with 13 kills and 10 digs against Illinois State. She joins Belmont’s Brooke Gilleland (1,215) and UNI’s Cassidy Hartman (1,172) as the only three active players in the league with over 1,000 kills in their career.
  • Northern Iowa leads the MVC and ranks inside the top 20 nationally as a team in assists per set (13.00; 17th), digs per set (17.71; 3rd) and kills per set (14.05; 15th). 
  • Drake libero Jasmine Dulan continues to lead The Valley defensively, ranking third in Division I with 5.50 digs per set. She has a league-leading 407 digs on the year, ranking fifth in the country in the category.