VERMILLION, S.D. – After pulling even through their first four Summit League contests, the IUPUI volleyball team (6-13, 2-2) will continue conference action on the road, as the team heads northwest for a pair of contests Friday and Saturday (Oct.7-8) against South Dakota (15-2, 4-0) and Omaha (4-15, 1-4).
Currently fifth in Summit League standings, the Jags have been led this season by
Kori Waelbroeck, who has team-highs and Summit League third-best totals of 229 kills and a 3.52 kills-per-set average. The junior leftie also ranks third in the League with 260 points, averaging 4.0 points-per-set.
Alexis Mapes ranks third in the League with 600 assists, averaging 9.23 assists-per-set.
Abby Boatman has asserted herself as one of the best blockers in the Summit League, ranking third with 1.06 blocks-per-set, and amassing a team-best 69 total blocks.
The Coyotes of South Dakota currently sit in first-place in the League, putting up spotless numbers against Summit opponents. Through four League matches, the Coyotes have not lost a set, dropping Western Illinois, Oral Roberts, North Dakota State and South Dakota State in straight-sets. They've lost only to Alabama and Iowa this season, both of which rank in the top-60 nationally in Ratings Percentage Index (RPI). The Coyotes are currently ranked 70th according to RPI. All-time against South Dakota, the Jags are 8-3, splitting their two meetings last season.
The Mavericks picked up their first Summit League victory Sunday (Oct. 2) in a five-set thriller over Oral Roberts. The victory snapped a four-match losing streak, as the team has gone 2-11 over their last 13 contests. Last season, Omaha shocked the Jags in the first-round of the Summit League Tournament, dropping IUPUI in five sets. The victory marked the first time in program history that the Mavericks topped the Jags, as IUPUI holds an 8-1 all-time record against Omaha. The Jags had won their two scheduled meetings last year with scores of 3-1 and 3-0.
IUPUI last started a season 2-2 in Summit League play during the 2014 season, in which the Jags eventually finished 13-3 in the League play and tied for first place.
Three seasons ago, during the 2013 season, IUPUI started the year 6-11 with a 0-2 mark in Summit League action. From there, the Jags went 9-1 over their next 10 matches, finishing the season 19-14 overall with an 11-3 record in League-play. They'd finish tied for first that year, and advance to the NCAA Tournament after winning the Summit League Tournament with victories over IPFW and Denver.
This season, the Jags have faced five teams that rank in the top-50 in RPI.
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