Notes: Three Home Matches on Tap for #18 Volleyball

(#18 AVCA) Truman Volleyball Weekly Notes (Matches 11-13)
Full Notes (PDF)

Match 11 (Live Stats):
Truman (6-4, 1-1 GLVC) vs. #5 Central Missouri (12-0, 3-0 MIAA)
Date: Wednesday, September 25 (7:00 PM)
Series Record: Central Missouri leads 58-30-3
Last Meeting: November 3, 2012 – UCM won 3-1 (27-25, 18-25, 19-25, 22-25) in Kirksville

Match 12 (Live Stats):
Truman vs. Illinois Springfield (3-6, 1-1 GLVC)
Date: Friday, September 27 (7:00 PM)
Series Record: Truman leads 1-0
Last Meeting: Sept. 10, 2010 – Truman won 3-0 (-18, -22, -19) in St. Louis

Match 13 (Live Stats):
Truman vs. McKendree (2-8, 1-1 GLVC)
Date: Sunday, September 29 (1:00 PM)
Series Record: Truman leads 6-2
Last Meeting: Aug. 31, 2012 – Truman won 3-0 (-15, -19, -20) in Kirksville

Social Media: @TrumanAthletics || @TrumanVB || #TSUGameDay

Opening Serve:
After a seven-state road trip spanned the first three weekends of the 2013 season, the 18^th-ranked Truman volleyball team finally will play in front of a home crowd with three matches scheduled during a five-night stretch this week.

The Bulldogs (6-4, 1-1 GLVC) kick off the home schedule with a familiar foe – long-time in-state rival Central Missouri – at 7:00 pm on Wednesday night. The Jennies will come to Kirksville with a perfect 12-0 record and a No. 5 ranking in the AVCA top-25.

Following that contest, Truman will host a GLVC league match in Pershing Arena for the first time on Friday night when it hosts Illinois Springfield (3-6, 1-1 GLVC) at 7:00 pm. Then, on Sunday, the Bulldogs cap the weekend with a Sunday matinee against McKendree (2-8, 1-1 GLVC) at 1:00 pm.

Truman is coming off a split weekend on the road at a pair of East Division squads to open up the 2013 GLVC regular season slate, as the 'Dogs fell in four sets at Lewis on Saturday before rolling past UW-Parkside in three sets on Sunday afternoon. It was a tale of two matches for the Bulldogs, as Truman hit just .115 and was out-blocked by five in the Lewis loss before rebounding to hit .320 and never be threatened in Sunday's sweep at UWP.

Individually, two sophomores led the Bulldog offense, as opposite hitter Abby Heise and middle hitter Ali Patterson both blazed to hitting percentages above the .400 line and a points per set average of greater than 3.30. Heise averaged 3.43 kills per set and committed just five errors on 45 swings, while Patterson chipped in 2.71 kills per set and made just two errors on 37 attacks.

Sophomore Emilee Walters recorded a team-high 11 total blocks, while junior Allie Brak's two aces also marked a team-best. Junior Meghan Zimmerman averaged nearly 10 assists per set and 2.57 digs per set, while junior Abby Moser (3.29) and senior Heather Hargadine (3.00) both averaged at least three digs per set.

Ben Briney is in his fifth season as the program's head coach and has a career record of 102-46 (.689).

Following the Bulldogs:
Full coverage of Truman volleyball is available online at TrumanBulldogs.com, including results, upcoming match information and weekly updates.

When available, links to free online live stats are added to the Bulldog volleyball schedule page as well as the top of each weekly update.

Keep up with the Bulldogs by tracking in-match updates (when available). Follow Truman Athletics on Twitter (@TrumanAthletics). Also be sure to sign up for Text Caster and Newsletter updates on the TrumanBulldogs.com homepage.

Dealers School:
The Bulldogs have dealt 51 aces through 10 matches in 2013, with six different players recording at least five. Allie Brak leads the team with a dozen aces (0.31/set), while Meghan Zimmerman ranks second with 10.

Truman has served nine more aces than its opponents in the first 39 sets of the season and has recorded ten fewer errors, leading to a +19 in the serving category.

Strange Statistics:
The Bulldogs have gotten to 6-4 a bit uniquely in looking at just the sheer numbers of this season, as Truman has actually posted just a .487 set winning percentage (19-of-39). That statistic has been fueled by both the team's record in three-set matches (2-3) as well as in five-set showdowns (4-0).

In addition, the Bulldogs finally out-dug an opponent with Saturday's win at UW-Parkside, as the squad is now 1-0 when out-digging an opponent, 4-3 when recording fewer digs, and 1-1 when totaling the same number of digs.

Bulldogs Slip Four Spots in Top-25:
After a 1-1 week against teams not ranked in the AVCA top-25, the Bulldogs paid a slight price and dropped from 14^th to 18^th in this week's AVCA Division II top-25 coaches' poll. Truman accumulated 379 points in this week's listing, holding off Grand Valley State by 15 points in the No. 18 slot.

Truman continues to be the top-ranked team out of the GLVC and the Midwest region, as only GVSU (No. 19), Indianapolis (No. 23) and newcomer Ferris State (No. 24) find themselves also in the top-25 as Midwest region representatives. Rockhurst, Lewis and Ashland are all receiving votes but did not earn enough to crack the top-25.

Overall, the Bulldogs have nine opponents on their 2013 schedule who are listed either in the top-25 or are receiving votes in this week's poll.

As a program, Truman has now been in the top-25 166 total times, good for 17^th-most all-time in NCAA Division II history. The Bulldogs are closing in on Northern Colorado's mark of 172 for 16^th place.

Five-Set Rally:
The Bulldogs have posted a 4-0 record in five-set matches this season, and won their first match since Sept. 25, 2010, after trailing two sets to none when the team rebounded against Florida Southern on September 13 at the Colorado Premier.

Checking the Career Charts:
Junior setter Meghan Zimmerman continues her move up the all-time assist charts in her second full season as Truman's primary setter, as her 2,335 career assists places her just 107 behind Rachael Shedd (2000-03) for seventh all-time at Truman. Sixth-place is just 28 assists beyond that, as Nancy Hoerner holds that slot at 2,470 from 1987-1990.

Meanwhile, fellow junior specialist Abby Moser needs just 40 more digs to tie Kirsten Bernthal (1993-96) for eighth all-time on the career digs chart after moving up to 1,370 for her career this past weekend.

Moser is already the program leader in matches with 20 or more digs (30), is tied for the program-high with 30 or more digs in a match (3), and sits atop the digs per set category at 4.73.

Up Next:
The Bulldogs will have another three-match itinerary next week, as Truman travels to another past conference-rival – Missouri Western – to open the week on Wednesday (Oct. 2) night at 7:00 pm.

Then, the 'Dogs return home for Dig Pink 2013 on Friday (Oct. 4) at 7:30 pm against Missouri-St. Louis before hosting Maryville on Saturday (Oct. 5) at 3:00 pm.

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