ST. LOUIS – Two of the top teams in the country will do battle on the volleyball court on Friday night, as No. 7 Missouri Baptist hosts No. 2 Park in the NAIA National Match of the Week. Raising Cane's and Imo's Pizza have been named title sponsors of the match, which has been themed "Halloween Costume Night."

Portions of this article are contributed by Alan Grosbach, NAIA Manager of Communications and Sports Information.

"Our kids have earned this," said head coach Chris Nichols about hosting the National Match of the Week. Three of the last six matches between MBU and Park have gone to five sets. "The two teams are very similar," said Nichols. "We have a ton of respect for them and they feel the same about us. This should be an exciting match, and I know we will represent the AMC well on a national stage."

The Spartans (28-1, 8-0) have had massive crowds in 2014. Against then-No. 7 Columbia, over 800 rowdy fans saw the Spartans defeat the Cougars, 3-1. In effort to pack Lacey Gymnasium on Friday night's tilt, all fans who wear a Halloween costume will receive free food. Raising Cane's has donated 1000 chicken tenders, while Imo's has donated 20 pizzas for the match. "I have to give our fans a ton of credit," said head coach Chris Nichols. "They have made it tough for opposing teams to come in here and win. I appreciate all of our athletic programs and the entire student body for showing us a lot of support this season."

There will also be a costume contest after the second set. The winner of the contest, which is voted by crowd cheers, will win a $25 gift card to Raising Cane's. Other attendance prizes will be handed out throughout the contest, so be sure to get there early! Click Here for Promo Video

• A pair of powerhouse programs out of the American Midwest Conference (AMC) do battle Friday when No. 7 Missouri Baptist hosts No. 2 Park (Mo.) at 7 p.m.

• The two sides enter the match tied atop of the AMC standings with 7-0 records in the league. No. 13 Columbia (Mo.) is one-game back at 7-2.

• Friday marks the 13th all-time meeting between the two clubs. Missouri Baptist holds an 8-4 advantage in the series, however Park has won three-straight. Three of the last six meetings between the two programs have gone to five sets.

• The most recent meeting came in the semifinals of the 2013 AMC Volleyball Tournament Championship on Nov. 14, 2013. Park claimed a 3-1 victory, punching its ticket to a second-straight AMC championship match. The Pirates would go on to lose to Columbia, 3-0.

• Park is the NAIA's only remaining unbeaten team at 25-0. The Pirates have won an NAIA-best 26-straight matches, dating back to last season. The streak began with a 3-2 win over Trinity Christian (Ill.) on Dec. 5, 2013 in pool play action at the 2013 NAIA Volleyball National Championships.

• Park owns a 112-42 (.727) record over the past four seasons, including a 35-7 campaign in 2013.

• The Pirates are 5-0 against ranked opponents this season with wins coming against then-No. 4 Viterbo (Wis.) (3-0), then-No. 5 Northwestern (Iowa) (3-0), then-No. 17 Grand View (Iowa) (3-0), then-No. 20 Evangel (Mo.) (3-0) and then-No. 13 Columbia (Mo.) (3-0).

• Park is 75-1 in sets during the 2014 season, dropping only one frame to Northwestern on Sept. 13.

• The Pirates have been a dominant attacking team this season, ranking among the top five in the NAIA in hitting percentage (.316), service aces per set (2.54), kills per set (14.17) and assists per set (12.96).

• Junior outside hitter Wendy Romero is arguably the most dynamic player for the Pirates. The native of Venezuela leads the team and ranks among the top 10 nationally in total service aces (56), hitting percentage (.381) and kills per set (4.47). Romero, who has twice been named the NAIA National Player of the Week, owns double-digit kills in 24-of-25 matches this season, including a season-high of 19 against Clarke (Iowa) on Sept. 12 and Viterbo on Sept. 13.

• Another key individual for the Pirates this season has been setter Juliana Barros. Barros, who ranks sixth in the NAIA in assists per set (10.96), has tallied 30-or-more assists 18 times this season. She also owns five double-doubles on the season with her most recent coming against Columbia on Oct. 8 (23 assists and 10 digs).

• Missouri Baptist, which is 27-1 on the season, has won 16-straight since falling to NCAA Division II Quincy (Ill.), 3-2, on Sept. 17. The Spartans host William Woods (Mo.) on Wednesday before facing off in the NAIA Volleyball Match of the Week.

• The No. 7 ranking for Missouri Baptist gives the Spartans their first top-10 mention since ranking No. 10 in the 2006 final regular-season poll on Nov. 15, 2006.

• Similarly to Park, the Spartans are unbeaten (3-0) against ranked teams this season with wins against then-No. 7 Columbia (3-1), then-No. 15 Evangel (Mo.) (3-1) and then-No. 18 Grand View (Iowa) (3-1).

• Missouri Baptist has won 19 of its last 20 home matches. Its only loss during the stretch came against NCAA Division II McKendree (Ill.) on Oct. 22, 2013.

• Junior setter Ally Krus keys the offense for the Spartans. The St. Louis, Mo., native ranks second in the NAIA in assists per set (11.64) and fifth in total assists (1,176). Krus was named NAIA National Player of the Week this week after guiding Missouri Baptist to a 5-0 stretch last week that included the two previously mentioned wins against Evangel and Grand View. She owns 3,922 assists in almost three seasons with the Spartans.

• Outside hitter Mallory Dillon is the team's top attacker with 305 kills this season. She has registered double figure kills in eight-straight matches.

• As a team, Missouri Baptist ranks among the top 10 nationally in service aces (222), service aces per set (2.2), assists per set (12.88), kills per set (14.03), total kills (1,417) and total assists (1,301).

 

Additional Notes from around NAIA Volleyball

(Through matches played on Oct. 21, 2014)

• Park (Mo.) is the lone remaining unbeaten team in NAIA volleyball, as the Pirates enter Wednesday with a 25-0 record. The Pirates enter the week riding a NAIA-best 26-match winning streak, dating back to last season. Park's last loss came against Concordia (Calif.), 3-1, on Dec. 4, 2013. The Pirates travel to American Midwest Conference rival Missouri Baptist on Friday.

• Asbury (Ky.) (30-7) leads all NAIA programs with 30 victories this season

• Three programs are winless on the season.

• Rocky Mountain holds the No. 1 spot for the seventh-straight week in the Tachikara-NAIA Volleyball Coaches' Top 25 Poll. The Battlin' Bears enter the week riding a 19-match winning streak. Park jumped one spot to No. 2 this week, which is the highest ranking in program history. No. 25 Cal State San Marcos is the only newcomer this week. For the complete release, click here.

• Missouri Baptist's Ally Krus was named this week's NAIA Volleyball National Player of the Week. For the complete release, click here.

• Saint Xavier (Ill.) head coach Robert Heersema earned career win No. 600 on Tuesday night. The Cougars downed Trinity International (Ill.), 3-0. Heersema is in his 27th season at Saint Xavier.

• Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) head coach Brenda Williams claimed her 800th win on Tuesday, Sept. 22, when the Tigers took down Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference rival Purdue Calumet (Ind.), 3-2. Williams entered the year ranked fourth on the NAIA's active wins list.

• IU East (Ind.) junior Mallory Livingston set a school record for kills in a match with 28 against IU Southeast (Ind.) on Sept. 20. Livingston broke the previous record of 26 established by four-time All-American Breezy Strete in 2009.

• Dakota State (S.D.) teammates Katherine Gonzalez and Caitlin Pick both reached a career milestones this season. Gonzales eclipsed the 1,000 dig mark in the Trojans' 3-1 win against Presentation on Oct. 15, while Pick smashed her 1,000th career kill to help the Trojans' defeat AIB (Iowa), 3-1, two days later.

• Eastern Oregon's Casey Looper became the second player in program history to reach the 1,000-kill plateau with a 15-kill performance against Warner Pacific (Ore.) on Oct. 4. She enters Wednesday with 1,055 kills, 206 shy of the program career record of 1,261.

• Other Top 25 matchups this week:

   o Tuesday – No. 5 Biola (Calif.) def. No. 25 Cal State San Marcos, 3-0

   o Thursday – No. 3 Texas at Brownsville at No. 5 Biola (Calif.)

   o Friday – No. 2 Park (Mo.) at No. 7 Missouri Baptist

   o Friday – No. 3 Texas at Brownsville at No. 3 Concordia (Calif.)

   o Friday – No. 9 Viterbo (Wis.) at No. 17 Georgetown (Ky.)

   o Friday – No. 13 Columbia (Mo.) vs. No. 10 Lindsey Wilson (Ky.)

   o Friday – No. 13 Columbia (Mo.) at No. 17 Georgetown (Ky.)

   o Saturday – No. 5 Biola (Calif.) at No. 24 Vanguard (Calif.)

   o Saturday – No. 9 Viterbo (Wis.) vs. No. 13 Columbia (Mo.)

   o Saturday – No. 9 Viterbo (Wis.) vs. No. 14 Davenport (Mich.)

   o Saturday – No. 13 Columbia (Mo.) vs. No. 14 Davenport (Mich.)

   o Saturday – No. 14 Davenport (Mich.) vs. No. 17 Georgetown (Ky.)

   o Sunday – No. 9 Viterbo (Wis.) vs. No. 14 Davenport (Mich.)

• Olson leads the NAIA in kills with 581 – 113 more than second-ranked Kasey Clark of Lawrence Tech (Mich.). The senior Eau Claire, Wis., native claimed the program career record for kills after registering 19 in the V-Hawks 3-0 victory over Dordt (Iowa) on August 30. Olson enters Wednesday with 2,192 career kills.

• Coastal Georgia's Cayley Meiners paces the NAIA with a 12.3 assists per set average.

• Amy Weststeyn of Biola (Calif.) leads the NAIA with a .456 hitting percentage.

• Mayville State's (N.D.) Kyla Bugner owns an NAIA-best 145 blocks.

• For the seventh-straight year, Sioux City, Iowa, will play host to the NAIA Volleyball National Championship. The 35th annual event will take place Dec. 2 – 6 at the Tyson Events Center. The National Championship Opening Round will occur on Nov. 22 at 12 campus sites.

• For a complete list of the NAIA volleyball statistical leaders, click here.