SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Indiana University South Bend volleyball gears up for three Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference games this week, beginning Tuesday, Oct. 1 when the Titans travel to Trinity International for an 8:00 p.m. (EST) start. Concluding the week, IUSB welcomes conference leader Trinity Christian (10/3) and Cardinal Stritch (10/4) with both matches starting at 7:00 p.m. inside the Student Activities Center.
FOLLOW US ON TWITTER: @IUSBVB
Titans at a Glance
Indiana University South Bend (9-6, 5-1 CCAC) enters the weekend winning eight of its last nine games. Last week, IUSB earned its program record eighth straight victory after defeating Saint Ambrose (3-1) and Graceland (3-1). Clarke snapped the winning streak on Saturday, Sept. 28, handing the Titans its first loss since Sept. 6 as the Crimson & Cream fell in a fifth-set heartbreaker to the Pride in Dubuque, Iowa.
Hot Streak
In their last nine games, the Titans have won 26 of their 33 sets against the opponent. IUSB has attacked at a .212 rate in those nine games while holding its opponent to just a .097 clip. IU South Bend has owned almost every category, including 402 kills, 365 assists, 57 service aces, 590 digs and 60 total blocks.
Titans in the CCAC
IUSB’s offense has been dominant during the early part of the conference season, ranking first in the CCAC in kills per set (12.2) and sit second in the conference for assists per set (11.2) and digs per set (17.5). The Titans are now third overall in the CCAC just in front of Tuesday’s competitor Trinity International. Trinity Christian leads the conference with a 6-0 CCAC record while St. Francis (Ill.) owns a 6-1 record against is conference competitors for second place.
Moving Up in the Record Books
Sophomore McKenzie Powell has 1,359 total assists in just 180 sets played, needing just 52 to pass Leah Wimmer for second place in career assists. Last week, Powell led all players in all three contests in total assists, averaging 9.23 per set (120). The Rolling Prairie, Ind., native notched a season-high 44 assists in the IUSB loss to Clarke on Saturday.
Scouting the Competition
Trinity International (12-7, 5-2 CCAC) sits in fourth behind the Titans in the CCAC standings, riding a two-game losing streak. As a team, the Trojans attack at a .196 against its conference opponents and has wins against Governors State (3-2), IU Northwest (3-1), St. Ambrose (3-0), Robert Morris (3-0) and St. Francis (3-2).
Trinity Christian leads the conference pack with an undefeated 6-0 record in the CCAC. The Trolls attack at a high rate of .244 against conference opponents, led by Sarah Kiwan who averages 3.3 kills per set. Dani Van Laten leads all CCAC players, averaging 9.3 assists per set while Britta Heggeland leads the conference in blocks per set.
Cardinal Stritch (5-8, 4-3 CCAC) has conference losses to IU Northwest (3-0), Trinity Christian (3-0) and Judson (3-2). The Wolves are led by Sydney Nienhaus with 139 total kills while Breeana Reid dishes out 7.45 assists per set. Defensively, Jenna Brown averages 3.54 digs per set and Amani Monroe registers 0.58 blocks per game.
Road Warriors
Following the week, IUSB hits the road for six straight matches in unfamiliar territory beginning at Roosevelt on Tuesday, Oct. 8. The Titans will participate in the competitive Aquinas/Cornerstone Classic on Oct. 11-12 and conclude the road stretch on Oct. 15 at Saint Xavier. IUSB finishes the remainder of the 2019 regular-season at home in five of its final eight contests.