OMAHA, Neb. - Following a successful home stand that saw back-to-back sweeps of Western Illinois and St. Thomas, the Mavericks will be away this week for a three-match road trip. The first stop on their trip will be Colorado as they take on the University of Denver this Tuesday at 7 p.m. in a Summit League contest.

Quick Hits

• At 7-7 overall and 2-2 in conference play, the Mavericks are currently fifth in the Summit League.
• The Mavericks didn't drop a single set last week as they toppled the Leathernecks and Tommies 3-0 each. This was the first time Omaha had swept two opponents in a row since November 11, 2021, when they blanked South Dakota State a week after doing the same to North Dakota.
• McKenna Ruch enters this week as one of the top all around players in the league, ranking first in total blocks (85) and blocks per set (1.52), as well as slotting in at fourth in attack percentage (.352). Her 143 kills are good for the third most on the Mavericks too.
• Shayla McCormick remains Omaha's top offensive threat with 211 total kills so far. This is good for the fourth most in the league, while her 3.77 kills per set is the third best mark. She also breaks into the top 10 in service aces with 17, and has racked up 164 digs. Overall, McCormick is fourth in the league in total points at 248.
• Marriah Buss is not far behind McCormick in many offensive categories, cracking the top 10 in the Summit League in kills (184) and kills per set (3.41). She currently has an even 200 total points on the year.
• Sami Clarkson remains the top setter in the league as she continues to lead the pack in assists per set (10.84), while her 607 total assists are the fourth most in the league.
• Jaiden Centeno also finds herself near the top of the leader boards, sitting at third in digs with 222, and fourth in digs per set at 3.96.
• Kali Jurgensmeier continues to be one of the top offensive rookies in the Summit League as she finds herself in the top-25 in the league in kills (120), kills per set (2.14), attack percentage (.235), and total points (143.5).

Scouting Denver
Following wins over St. Thomas (3-1) and Western Illinois (3-0), the Pioneers sit right above Omaha in the Summit League standings at 9-6 overall and 3-1 in conference matches. 

Denver's attack is led by graduate student Jordan Lockwood, who currently owns a team-high 161 kills along with 15 service aces. Lockwood has also excelled on defense, picking up 91 digs and 29 total blocks.

Senior Brianna Green is Denver's top blocker as she is tied with Ruch for the league lead in blocks per set at 1.52. Her 76 total blocks are also the third most in the league.

Senior Lorrin Poulter ranks fifth among Summit League setters with 510 assists and 9.11 assists per set. She's also third in the league in service aces (27) and second in aces per set (0.48). Poulter is also adept on defense, tallying 115 digs and 39 total blocks, as well as the fifth-highest blocks per set in the league at 0.70.

Series History
Heading in the 25th ever meeting between these two teams, Denver owns the all-time series edge at 19-5. That said, Omaha has had better luck against them as of late, having won both matches between them last season. The first was a 3-1 win at home on October 2, while the second was in Denver and ended in a narrow 3-2 victory after the Mavericks outlasted them 18-16 in the final set.