OMAHA, Neb. -- Omaha sets its sights on a trio of Summit League matches in five days this weekend.
The Mavericks travel to South Dakota on Oct. 12, and follow up with a pair of home matches inside Baxter Arena against Oral Roberts on Sunday, Oct. 14 and Denver next Tuesday, Oct. 16.
Follow The Mavericks
Both matches are free to watch and links to live stream, live stats, audio and radio can be found on OMavs.com. Harrison Popp and DK Kellum will be on the call on MavRadio for Sunday and Tuesday's contests.
Everyone For Omaha
Fans are encouraged to connect with the Mavericks on Facebook (OmahaVB), Instagram (@omahavb) and on Twitter (@OmahaVB). Maverick fans can also use the hashtag #EveryoneForOmaha when connecting with the team on social media posts.
Opening Serve
• After the 3-1 win over North Dakota, Omaha is off to a five-match winning streak with an undefeated Summit League and home record.
• The Mavericks' 5-0 conference start is the best in the program's Division I era and the best since the 2009 season, where that team also started 5-0 in the Mid-American Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA).
• Omaha's 6-0 home record is also the best start in the program's Division I era and best since 2009 (started 12-0).
• The Mavericks are coming off its second straight match where four or more players had double-digit kills.
• The team is 7-1 when four or more players record double-digit kills in a match.
• With the conference season approaching the midpoint, South Dakota, Oral Roberts and Denver are the only teams left who Omaha has yet to meet for the first time this season.
• Freshmen setter
Sydney Case ranks 11th in the nation and leads The Summit League with 11.51 assists per set.
•
Isabella Sade ranks fourth in the league with a .339 hitting percentage, while libero
Claire Mountjoy ranks fifth in the league with 3.92 digs per set.
• As a team, Omaha has the league's best hitting percentage at .295.
Scouting the South Dakota Coyotes
South Dakota sits at 11-7 overall and is currently third in the league with a 5-1 mark. Recently, the Coyotes defeated South Dakota State 3-0 on the road. The team has wins over North Dakota State (3-2), Oral Roberts (3-1), Purdue Fort Wayne (3-2), Western Illinois (3-0) and South Dakota State (3-0), with its only conference loss being to Denver (3-0) at home on Oct. 5.
Senior outside hitter Hayley Dotseth leads the league with 3.95 kills per set and middle blocker Taylor Wilson has a league-best .374 hitting percentage. Junior Anne Rasmussen leads the league with 5.32 digs per set. This will be the 77th meeting between both programs, as the Mavericks hold a 57-19 all-time series advantage. Head coach Leanne Williamson has a career record of 87-53 in her fifth season with the program.
Scouting the Oral Roberts Golden Eagles
Oral Roberts is fifth in the league standings with a 6-12 overall record and a 3-3 mark in conference play. The Golden Eagles started slow with an 0-3 league record, but recently gained momentum winning their last three. ORU has wins over Purdue Fort Wayne (3-1), Western Illinois (3-1) and South Dakota State (3-1), with losses to Denver (3-1), South Dakota (3-1) and North Dakota (3-2).
Senior libero Tori Roe ranks second in the league with 4.91 digs per set. Omaha looks to improve in the all-time series, as Oral Roberts leads 8-5. Head coach Sheera Sirola is in her 16th year with the program, totaling a 276-205 career record. As a team, the Golden Eagles tally the most digs per set (17.50) and blocks per set (2.48). This will be the 14th meeting between Omaha and Oral Roberts. Junior Bri Greenlee is the current Summit League Defensive Player of the Week.
Scouting the Denver Pioneers
As the defending Summit League champions, Denver is in first place with a 5-0 record and a 16-1 overall mark, riding a 15-match winning streak. Denver's conference wins thus far are over Oral Roberts (3-1), South Dakota State (3-0), North Dakota State (3-1), South Dakota (3-0) and North Dakota (3-1).
Becca Latham is the current Summit League Offensive Player of the Week. Latham also ranks second in the league with a .352 hitting percentage, while Lydia Bartalo leads the league with 0.63 service aces per set. The Pioneers also recently checked in at No. 6 in Volleyball Magazine's Mid-Major Poll.
Head coach Tom Hogan is in his third year with the program and has a 62-16 career record. Omaha trails the all-time series 11-1, with its only victory coming on Oct. 24, 2015 at home (3-0). Denver ranks first as a team with 2.33 service aces per set and 14.25 kills per set.
Looking Ahead
Following the three-match stand, Omaha has a road trip at Purdue Fort Wayne on Friday, Oct. 19 and follows up with an Oct. 21 home contest against North Dakota State inside Baxter Arena. For information on live stats, streaming and tickets, visit OMavs.com.
