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DIG FOR THE CURE
Wayne State Volleyball is proud to once again contribute to the fight against breast cancer with its annual Dig for the Cure Weekend at the Matthaei. The Warriors (9-10, 7-5 GLIAC) will wear pink jerseys as they host Tiffin (10-10, 6-4 GLIAC) on Friday at 7:00 and Ohio Dominican (6-12, 1-9 GLIAC) on Sunday at 2:00 in a pair of key South Division matches.

Among the fundraising items for sale this weekend are t-shirts, towels, miniature pink and white volleyballs, and team photos. All proceeds will benefit Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

In addition, Cindy Sulad will be a guest speaker at the Matthaei on Sunday. Sulad, the WSU Director of Learning Management Systems Support, is a breast cancer survivor and has worked over the last several years to form Wayne Cares Komen Detroit Race for the Cure.


WEEK IN REVIEW
Despite coming into the weekend with a 5-1 record over two years at the GLIAC/GLVC Crossover, the Warriors went 0-3 at this year's event. After losing in three sets to #11 Lewis and dropping a 3-1 result to Southern Indiana on Friday, Wayne State came out on the short end of a five-set battle with Missouri S&T on Saturday.

Katarzyna Sak led the WSU attack with 50 kills, including a career-high 22 against the Miners. Cydney Biessel averaged 9.67 assists per set and contributed 25 digs, while Lindsey Graciak contributed 60 digs with four service aces.


SCOUTING TIFFIN
The Dragons come into Friday's match in second place in the South Division with a 6-4 conference record, just a few percentage points ahead of the 7-5 Warriors. While Tiffin is much improved under first-year head coach Dana Cordova, the team is looking to put the brakes on a four-match skid including three losses at the Crossover.

Senior Brittany Teaford is among the top front row players in the conference, as she ranks third in the GLIAC with a .341 hitting percentage and fifth with a 1.09 blocks per set average.

Wayne State shut out Tiffin at the Gillmor Center on Sept. 18. Sak had 14 kills, and Nicole Arends totaled eight with a .538 hitting percentage as the Warriors out-hit the Dragons, .337 to .177.


SCOUTING OHIO DOMINICAN
Ohio Dominican will start a six-match road trip Friday night at Findlay. ODU will also face Hillsdale on Saturday before coming to Detroit for Sunday's match with the Warriors.

Wayne State defeated ODU in three sets on Sept. 19. Sak had 13 kills and five blocks, and Maureen MacDonald collected 11 kills as well as eight digs. WSU posted a .306 hitting percentage compared to ODU's .134 mark.

The Panthers are 5-7 since that meeting and earned their first GLIAC victory Sept. 25 at Lake Erie. Ohio Dominican won its third match at the Crossover, a 3-0 result against Maryville last Saturday.

Junior Rachel Billing ranks 10th in the conference at 3.03 kills per set.


AT THE HELM
Phil Nickel is in his third season as Wayne State's head volleyball coach and has a record of 45-31. In his four-plus year career, which includes two seasons at Thomas More College, Nickel is 79-74.

Cordova is 10-10 with the Dragons this season, and ODU's Sandy Rowley has a 22-year career record of 442-379.


WARRIOR NOTEBOOK
With 1,664 career assists, Biessel needs 72 more to pass Kerri Royer (2004-05) for seventh place all-time at Wayne State.

Sak remains among the national leaders in several categories. She ranks seventh in blocks (1.23) and points (4.96) per set. She is also 30th in kills (3.77). The conference leader in blocking, Sak is also ranked eighth in the GLIAC with a .309 hitting percentage.

Five of WSU's seven remaining matches are at home. The Warriors will host Findlay on Nov. 2, Michigan Tech on Nov. 5 and Northern Michigan on Nov. 6 to close out the regular season.