Volleyball

MVC Volleyball Weekly Notebook (Sept. 28)

Player of the Week: Brenna Kauffeld, Belmont
Defensive Player of the Week: Maryn Bixby, Northern Iowa
Libero of the Week: Mya Bolton, Belmont

Brenna Kauffeld delivered an outstanding all-around weekend to help Belmont open Missouri Valley Conference play with two road victories. The senior right side totaled 26 kills, three service aces, five blocks and 10 digs while hitting .365 across Belmont’s two matches. Kauffeld opened the weekend with 15 kills, an ace and a .302 hitting percentage in a four-set win at Valparaiso before leading the Bruins with 11 kills and a .455 hitting percentage in a three-set victory at UIC. Playing all six rotations, Kauffeld provided consistent offensive production while contributing at the net and from the back row. She enters the week leading Belmont with 155 kills while also ranking among the team leaders in aces, blocks and digs.

Maryn Bixby anchored UNI’s defensive effort with 11 total blocks as the Panthers opened Missouri Valley Conference play with a pair of 3-0 sweeps over Drake and Murray State. The junior middle blocker recorded two solo blocks and added nine block assists across the two matches, averaging 1.83 blocks per set. Bixby posted two blocks in the win over Drake before producing nine blocks, including two solo stops, against Murray State. Her performance helped UNI maintain its defensive presence at the net as the Panthers extended their MVC regular-season winning streak to 54 matches. Bixby currently leads the MVC with 1.26 blocks per set and ranks ninth in the league with 39 total blocks.

Mya Bolton turned in a standout defensive weekend to help Belmont open MVC play with two road wins. The sophomore libero totaled 46 digs, two service aces and 10 assists across victories at Valparaiso and UIC. Bolton led all players in the Valparaiso match with 29 digs while adding nine assists, then recorded 17 digs, two aces and an assist in Belmont’s three-set victory over UIC. Her 46 digs gave her an average of 6.57 digs per set for the weekend, while she continued to provide steady serve-receive play and back-row stability. Bolton enters the week leading Belmont with 214 digs and also ranks second on the team with 10 aces and third with 46 assists.

Conference News & Notes
  • Five programs went undefeated during Conference-opening weekend, including Illinois State, who extended their season win streak to a league-best five matches, and Northern Iowa, who has won 59-straight MVC matches. 
  • The Panthers’ 59-consecutive league wins marks the second-longest Conference win streak in the nation behind Western Kentucky (79) and ahead of Creighton (55). 
  • The Redbirds improved to 11-2 on the season, and a perfect 2-0 in league play for the first time since 2019, with a five-set victory over Valparaiso on Saturday after a four-set win over UIC in the Valley opener. Illinois State’s 11-2 start is the best 13-match start to a season by the Redbirds since 2004. 
  • After battling in a five-set thriller at Evansville, Southern Illinois completed an undefeated weekend with a sweep of Indiana State. Ella Swansiger led the Salukis in each match offensively, including a season-high 16-kill outing against the Purple Aces. 
  • Bradley opened Conference play with a pair of wins over Indiana State and Evansville on the road. Sophomore Gracie Furlong eclipsed 500 career kills, while it marks the third-straight season that the Braves have started Valley play undefeated. 
  • Belmont earned a pair of road victories over Valparaiso and UIC to kickstart its MVC slate. The Bruins’ sweep of the Flames on Saturday marked their first-ever win over UIC and their first straight-set win of the 2026 season. Brenna Kauffeld led all players with 11 kills on .455 hitting, while adding a match-high three blocks. 
  • After falling in its Valley opener, Drake bounced back with a sweep of Murray State on Friday. The Bulldogs hit .312 in the match, while holding the Racers to below .100 hitting (.068). Aniyah Davis finished with eight kills, four blocks and an ace, while Katie Quick registered her fifth double-double of the season with 21 assists and 13 digs. 
  • Maria Drapp has the third-most assists in Division I, accounting for 569 of Bradley’s 688 on the year. The Braves lead The Valley in the category and rank 11th nationally in the category. 
  • UNI’s Cassidy Hartman is averaging a league-best 4.34 kills per set, ranking 14th in Division I, while she is joined inside the Top 25 nationally by Bradley’s Gracie Furlong (212) and Valpo’s Ava Helming (203) in total kills (204).
  • Drake’s Jasmine Dulan leads the MVC with 272 digs this season, ranking second in the country at 5.55 digs per set. The libero has posted 20-plus digs in seven matches this year.