EMPORIA STATE VOLLEYBALL BEGINS FINAL HOME STAND

MILITARY APPRECIATION
The Emporia State volleyball team will play the final four matches of the year in White Auditorium beginning with a Military Appreciation match against Southwest Baptis on Friday night.
 
LAST TIME OUT
Carly Spicer had her first career 20 kill, 20 dig match but it wasn't enough as Emporia State fell in four sets at Central Oklahoma on Saturday night.  Spicer had a career high 22 kills and was one short of her career high with 24 digs.
The first set was tied at 21 when Central Oklahoma ended the set on a 4-1 run for a 25-22 win. Spicer had ten of her kills in the opening set on .529 hitting to keep the Hornets in the set.  The Bronchos jumped out to a 6-1 lead in the second set on their way to a 25-17 win.  Emporia State had the hot hand in the third set as they never trailed after getting out to an 8-3 lead.  The fourth set saw four ties and two lead changes in the first 12 points.  With the score tied 6-6 UCO went on a 9-1 run to take control on the way to a 25-13 victory.
Spicer was the only Hornet in double figures in kills as she ended up getting her 22 kills on .426 hitting. Courtney Haring had seven kills and five blocks, three of them solo, on .316 hitting for Emporia State. The rest of the team had  just 16 kills on 103 attempts with 26 errors for a -.097 hitting percentage. Despite that the Hornets ended the match with one more kill and just one fewer block than the Bronchos. Central Oklahoma had nine service aces to just two for Emporia State.

THE COACHES
Bing Xu is 223-97 in his tenth year as the head coach at Emporia State.  He has led the Hornets to five NCAA Tournament. He is 15-0 against Southwest Baptist and 12-8 against Pittsburg State.
Caira Dortch is 9-17 in her first season at Southwest Baptist. She is 0-1 against Emporia State.
Jenny Mueller is 10-16 in her first year at Pittsburg State. She is 1-0 against Emporia State.
 
SCOUTING THE HORNETS
Emporia State is 12-11 on the season, 8-10 in the MIAA and have won four of their last six matches.  Eight of the Hornets 23 matches this year have gone five sets with Emporia State going 4-4 in those matches.  Only eight of the Hornets 23 matches have been sweeps and there has been at least one set go to extra points in four of the those eight.
Carly Spicer is sixth in the MIAA in the latest conference rankings at 3.71 kills per set.  She has at least ten kills 18 of 23 matches this season and has recorded double-doubles in 15 matches in her first year playing the full rotation. She had her first career 20-20 match with a career high 22 kills to go with 24 digs in four sets at Central Oklahoma. She had a career high 25 digs to go with 17 kills and three blocks at Pittsburg State. She has failed to reach double figures in either kills or digs in just two matches this season.
Courtney Haring is averaging 1.12 blocks per set to rank fourth in the MIAA. She is the Emporia State record holder in block assists with 401 and her 492 total blocks are second all-time for the Hornets. She is also averaging 2.11 kills per set on a team best .276 hitting percentage. She had 11 kills and nine blocks, with four of them solo, in the Hornets win at Central Missouri.
Kelly Holden is seventh in the MIAA in digs and is averaging 4.51 per set. After getting nine digs in the first match of the year, she recorded at least ten in 21 of 22 matches. She had a career high 25 in four sets at Southwest Baptist, again against Missouri Western in five sets and then last weekend in the five set win at Central Missouri. She has at least 20 digs in nine of her last 15 matches.
Kimberly Bell is averaging 5.93 assists and Sydney Hartman 4.16 assists per set in the Hornets two-setter system.
 
SCOUTING THE BEARCATS
Southwest Baptis is 9-17 on the year, 4-14 in the MIAA. The Bearcats are led by Lori Angello who is averaging 2.81 kills per set. Primary setter Kelsey Frankhauser is averaging 9.31 assists per set. On the return Hannah Blount is averaging a team best 5.08 digs per set.
  
LAST TIME AGAINST SOUTHWEST BAPTIST
Carly Spicer had a monster match with 18 kills on .286 hitting and 23 digs in a 3-1 win for Emporia State at Southwest Baptist.
The Hornets dropped the first set 25-22 and came back to take the final three sets 25-22, 25-18, 25-21 to even their record at 7-7 on the season.
Spicer tied her career high with 23 digs. Shayla Cotman and Josie Williams each added 11 kills for the Hornets.  Courtney Haring had five blocks, three of them solo, and six kills while Cotman had five block assists and a solo block. Kelly Holden had 25 digs to record a career high for the third time in the last four matches.
 
SERIES HISTORY
This will be the 46th meeting between Emporia State and Southwest Baptist. The Hornets hold a 45-1 lead in the all-time series with the lone loss coming in 1987 in five sets.

SCOUTING THE GORILLAS
Pittsburg State is 10-16 on the year and 7-11 in the MIAA. The Gorillas' attack is led by Madi Mosier at 3.57 kills per set. Primary setter Hayley Hansford is averaging 9.92 assists per set. On the return Ashlen Schwartz is averaging 4.46 digs per set.
  
LAST TIME AGAINST PITTSBURG STATE
Emporia State had more kills and total points while winning two lopsided sets and losing two close ones before a 15-9 loss in the fifth set at Pittsburg State. 
The Hornets ended the first set on a 7-1 run to take a 25-19 victory for an early lead. Emporia State jumped out to a 4-0 lead and led 14-7 in the second set.  Pittsburg State then answered with a 13-5 run to take a 20-19 lead. The Hornets had set point at 24-23 only to see the Gorillas score the final three points for a 26-24 lead.
Emporia State used a 5-1 ending run for another 25-19 win in the third set to take a 2-1 lead. The Hornets led 14-8 and had a 23-21 lead before the Gorillas scored the final four points for a 25-23 win and force the fifth set. Emporia State never led in the fifth set as Pitt State took the match with a 15-9 victory.
Carly Spicer and Josie Williams each had 17 kills for Emporia State as Spicer added a career high 25 digs. They were joined in double figure kills by Katie Deutschmann with 12 and Courtney Haring with ten kills while Haring added seven blocks. Kelly Holden had 20 digs while Kimberly Bell and Sydney Hartman combined for 52 of Emporia State's 61 assists.
 
SERIES HISTORY
This will be the 91st meeting between Emporia State and Pittsburg State.  The Hornets have a 67-23 advantage in the all-time series.

NEXT SERVE
The Hornets wrap up the season next weekend with their final home matches. Emporia State plays Neb.-Kearney on Friday and Ft. Hays State on Saturday.