INDIANAPOLIS – The IUPUI volleyball team begins its Horizon League schedule playing host to UIC and Green Bay over the weekend.

The Jags (3-11) will play UIC on Friday (Sept. 21) at 6 p.m. and will then take on Green Bay on Saturday (Sept. 22) at 4 p.m. The match against the Flames on Friday will be streamed on ESPN3.

Friday's match will also be a ROAR for 5 game. Fans can learn more about the ROAR for 5 program by visiting IUPUIJags.com/Roarfor5
IUPUI comes in to the weekend having lost two-straight matches and six of its last seven. The three wins in the non-conference schedule for the Jags is one win less than each of the last two season as IUPUI has challenged themselves in recent years before conference play starts.

Through the 14-game non-conference slate, IUPUI has been led by seniors Maggie Gibson and Elizabeth Scott. Gibson, who has posted four triple-doubles this year, leads the team with 2.98 kills/set, is second on the team in assists per set (3.51) and hitting percentage (.202) and is third on the squad with 3.23 digs/set and 0.43 blocks/set. Scott is the leading hitter for head coach Steve Payne, hitting at a .214 clip and averaging 2.82 kills/set.

Offense has been a struggle for the Jags early in the season as IUPUI is only hitting .145 as a team and has been outhit in every loss. The Jags have also hit less than .100 in four matches this season.

Defensively, IUPUI is averaging 18.67 digs per match, led by Rachel Hickey at 4.29 per set. Rhiannon Schuenemann is second on the team with 3.59 digs per set. At the net, Haley Hoffman is the top blocker for the Jags at 0.98 per set, followed by freshman Shakana Norfleet.

UIC FLAMES – (7-6)
Last season against IUPUI – 0-2
All-time against IUPUI – 5-2

The Flames are winners of two-straight matches, having beaten Loyola and DePaul last Saturday (Sept. 15). Despite five of their seven wins coming in straight-sets, the Flames have also struggled on the offensive end of the court, hitting just .169 as a squad. Tatyana Ndekwe is the leader on the team with a .281 hitting percentage but is averaging just 1.51 kills per set. Clara Lamb leads the team with 2.27 kills per set and is one of three UIC players with more than 2.00 kills/set.

On defense, the Flames average 16.00 digs per set in a team effort with five players averaging more than 2.00 digs per frame. Velina Minkova is tops on the squad with 3.95 digs per set. UIC does a lot of its damage at the net, averaging 2.34 blocks per set. Michelle Glover leads the team with 1.29 per set and Ndekwe is second on the team at 1.09 per set.

Last season, both matches between the Jags and the Flames went the distance with IUPUI winning both five-setters.
 
GREEN BAY PHOENIX – (5-7)
Last season against IUPUI – 0-2
All-time against IUPUI – 4-4

Green Bay went 5-7 in the non-conference schedule and dropped its last two matches, to Minnesota and Kansas State. The Phoenix will begin their Horizon League schedule taking on Northern Kentucky on Friday (Sept. 21) before play the Jags on Saturday.

Taylor Wolf is the biggest offensive threat for the Phoenix, averaging 4.64 kills per set at a .242 clip. The offense goes through Maddie Yoss, who is tallying 10.31 assists per set.

Vanessa Buman (4.67 digs/set) headlines a defense that has averaged 16.31 digs per set this season. Three other members of the Phoenix lineup is averaging over 2.00 digs per set. At the net the Phoenix only average 1.51 blocks per set, led by Anna Eaton at 0.76.

Four of Green Bay's five wins have come in three sets this season and the Phoenix have lost both matches that went five sets. Last season IUPUI won a four-set match at home before winning a five-setter in Green Bay to sweep the season series.