vs. Youngstown State (Oct. 27 - 6:00 pm): Live Stats | ESPN3 
vs. Cleveland State (Oct. 28 – 4 p.m.) Live Stats | ESPN3

Game Notes

INDIANAPOLIS – IUPUI enters the weekend on a three-game winning streak and holding on to the top spot in the Horizon League by one game. The Jags (12-11, 8-2 Horizon) will face Youngstown State on Friday (Oct. 27) at 6 p.m. and finish the weekend with a match against Cleveland State on Saturday at 4 p.m.

The match against Youngstown State will be the squad's Dig Pink match for breast cancer research. The Jags will be raising money for the Side-Out Foundation for breast cancer research and will don pink jerseys in support of the effort. Last season the Jags raised over $1,300. 
 
Head coach Steve Payne's squad has won three-straight matches, all on the road, and two of the last three matches have gone five sets. Despite having struggles on offense, IUPUI has managed to stay on top of the Horizon League because of its defense.

The Jags have out-blocked every conference opponent this season and currently sit second in the conference in blocks per set averaging 2.38. At the net the Jags are led on the season by Abby Boatman (1.12 blocks/set) and Haley Hoffman (1.07 blocks/set). During conference play that Hoffman sits third in the league with 1.30 blocks/set, while Boatman's 1.18 blocks/set is fifth. Kori Waelbroeck has also worked her way in to the top-ten in conference play with 1.10 blocks/set.

The back line has also been strong for the Jags as IUPUI is also second in the conference in digs/set for the season (17.32) and is first in conference play averaging 17.68. While senior Jessica Helms sits fifth in the conference with 4.35, IUPUI has four other players averaging over 2.00 digs/set. Maggie Gibson is second on the team (3.11) followed by Waelbroeck (2.55), Elizabeth Scott (2.23) and Rhiannon Schuenemann (2.04).

Offensively, the Jags have recently been looking more to Waelbroeck as the senior has had 60 kills in the last three matches, including 24 against Wright State and 23 against UIC. Waelbroeck is tops on the team with 3.84 kills per set, followed by fellow senior Gabby Fisher who is the only other Jaguar above 2.00 kills/set with 2.36.
 
SCOUTING YOUNGSTOWN STATE: Youngstown State (7-17, 0-10 Horizon) has struggled this season, having lost every conference match and only winning three total sets in conference play. The Penguins have had a balanced attack on offense with four players over 2.00 kills/set. Sarah Varcolla leads the team with 2.54, with Margaux Thompson (2.46), Marketa Plesingrova (2.20) and Sam Brown (2.13) rounding out the offense. Youngstown sits seventh in the conference in opponent hitting percentage, allowing teams to hit .225 and are eighth in digs averaging 14.74 digs/set. The Jags will want to watch out for the Penguins' serve as Youngstown State is first in the league with 1.36 aces/set.

SCOUTING CLEVELAND STATE: Cleveland State (14-7, 7-3 Horizon) begins the weekend on the longest current winning streak in the conference having won its last four games. Alexis Middlebrooks is the top offensive threat for the Vikings averaging 3.26 kills/set this season and has increased that number to 3.34 kills/set in conference play. Sara Skeens (2.71 kills/set) and Trinniti Hall (2.58 kills/set) are also factors. Cleveland State is the top offensive team in the Horizon League with a .254 hitting percentage and is second in the league with 13.88 kills/set. Defensively the Vikings are just behind IUPUI at the net with 2.20 blocks per set but are a middle of the pack team on the back line with 15.32 digs per set.

LAST TIME OUT-
    vs. YOUNGSTOWN STATE – Earlier this year, IUPUI beat Youngstown State in three sets, its first three-set win of the season. In the match, Waelbroeck led the Jags with 11 kills and Boatman finished with 10. The Jags also finished with eight aces to Youngstown State's zero. Using nine blocks and 54 digs, IUPUI held the Penguins to a .073 hitting percentage, the second lowest hitting clip the Jags have allowed this season.

vs. CLEVELAND STATE – On Saturday, IUPUI will try to get revenge for a four-set loss to Cleveland State from earlier in the season. In the first meeting, the Jags took the first set but then fell in the next three as the Vikings found an offensive rhythm IUPUI just could not break. The Jags gave up 65 kills and only finished the match with 45.

UP NEXT: IUPUI will hit the road for a two-game road trip in Wisconsin as the Jags will play at Green Bay on Friday (Nov. 3) at 7 p.m., and will finish the trip against Milwaukee on Saturday (Nov. 4) at 5 p.m.