ST. LOUIS – Two in-state rivals will battle for the top spot in the American Midwest Conference women's volleyball standings, as Missouri Baptist hosts Columbia College tomorrow night at 7 pm. The highly anticipated Blue Out matchup is sponsored by Buffalo Wild Wings.
The bar was set extremely high after the first volleyball match of the season over a month ago. Over 700 electric fans packed Lacey Gymnasium inside the Carl and Deloris Petty Sports and Recreation Complex to see the Spartans sweep Bethel University on September 27.
Before tomorrow's contest, over 150 free hotdogs will be available for fans. In between sets two and three will feature an exciting event. Eight contestants will participate in the Buffalo Wild Wings Blazin' Wings Challenge for a chance to win a Spartacus Bobblehead. Fans unable to attend the matchup will still be able to interact by emailing the broadcast booth. Head men's volleyball coach John Yehling will be on the call and will field emails from fans of both teams. Those wishing to get involved with the contest can send an email to: MBULiveSports@yahoo.com. The broadcast will also roll-out a brand new feature. The Missouri Baptist Communications department has put together a three-camera broadcast, with angles from the floor, close-ups, and wide shots. The free broadcast can be viewed at: Spartan Digital Network.
Wednesday's match has a lot at stake for both teams. No. 7 Columbia (19-2) and No. 18 Missouri Baptist (16-1) are both 3-0 in AMC play and sit at the top of the conference standings. The two programs are among the Top 10 in the NAIA in many statistical categories. Columbia is No. 2 in the NAIA with 165 Service Aces, No. 5 with 1037 Total Kills, No. 5 in Total Assists with 955, and No. 10 with 13.640 Kills per Set. Missouri Baptist ranks No. 5 with a Hitting Percentage of .293, No. 6 with 12.850 Assists per Set, No. 6 with 14.190 Kills per Set, and No. 9 with 18.270 Digs per Set.
Neither team is short of individual statistical leaders. For MBU, junior Haley Pouliezos leads the country with 7.480 Digs per Set, while junior Ally Krus ranks No. 2 with 11.440 Assists per Set. Sophomore Jen Brendel ranks No. 5 with a Hitting Percentage of .388. For the Cougars, Lydie van Deursen ranks second in the country with 817 Total Assists. She also stands in 9th place in the NAIA with 10.750 Assists per Set.
Be sure to get to the SRC early for a great seat and free hotdogs!
