DIG FOR A CURE
The Wayne State University volleyball team (6-7, 5-4 GLIAC) has three matches this week, including tonight's non-conference match with No. 21 Lewis University (10-4, 6-3 GLVC) at Mishawaka (Ind.) High School.  Wayne State will return to Detroit to host Northwood University (6-7, 4-4 GLIAC) on Friday and Lake Superior State University (4-9, 2-6 GLIAC) on Saturday in GLIAC action.

Friday's match with the Timberwolves will be Dig For a Cure Night, and fans are encouraged to wear pink as the Warriors raise money and awareness for breast cancer research and prevention.  Free admission is being offered for Saturday's match to fans who show a ticket stub from the Wayne State-Lake Erie football game.

Wayne State is coming off of a five-set win last Saturday against Findlay which snapped a three-match losing skid.  The Flyers have won five straight including four shutouts, while Northwood picked up a 3-0 win over LSSU last Saturday.  The Lakers, who will play Friday at Hillsdale before coming to Detroit, have lost six of their last seven conference matches but earned a five-set non-GLIAC victory at Aquinas last Saturday.


AT THE HELM
Phil Nickel is in his fourth season as Wayne State's head volleyball coach and has a record of 57-40.  In his six-year career, which includes two seasons at Thomas More College, Nickel is 91-83.

Lorelee Smith has a five-year career record of 132-26 at Lewis.  Tim Koth is 121-98 in eight years at Northwood and 221-220 in 16 seasons overall which includes eight years at Quincy.  LSSU first-year head coach Ben Kaszeta posted a 36-91 record in three years at Mott Community College.


SERIES HISTORY
Wayne State and Lewis faced off in the GLIAC/GLVC Crossover in 2008 and 2010, the former resulting in a five-set win for the Warriors.  The Flyers earned a 3-0 victory last year.

WSU is 2-3 against Northwood since 2008, as last year the Timberwolves won in five sets at Northwood.  The Warriors have defeated the Lakers in six of their last seven meetings including four straight.


SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
The 22nd-ranked Flyers' biggest victory during their current five-match winning streak was a 3-1 upset over No.  12 Northern Kentucky on Sept. 24.  Junior Jen Krumwiede, who hit .450 with a career-high 20 kills against the Norse, is second on the team to junior Colleen Mitros in kills (146, 117).  Senior Hannah Koeneman has a team-best .323 hitting percentage, and classmate Danielle Mount leads the GLVC with 1.15 blocks per set.

Northwood's top hitters this season are senior Sara Skornia (.280, 2.61 K/S) and sophomore Zina Liubymova (107 kills, 2.43 K/S).  Skornia hit a season-best .600 with 13 kills in the Timberwolves' win over LSSU on Sept. 30.

Lake Superior State senior Brittany Newberry leads the team with 117 kills (2.54 per set) and 158 digs (3.43).  She also ranks third in the conference averaging 0.59 service aces per set.


WARRIOR NOTEBOOK
After a three-set loss Friday at No. 11 Hillsdale, Wayne State snapped its three-match skid with a 3-2 victory over Findlay on Saturday in Detroit.  The Warriors and Oilers have played to five sets in four of their last five meetings, but Wayne State has won all of those and seven straight overall.

Freshman Candice Ottey had her best match of the season with a season-high 18 kills and a .441 hitting percentage, the highest by any Warrior in 2011, on Saturday.

Sophomore Nicole Arends led WSU for the weekend with six blocks and a .366 hitting percentage, along with 21 kills.

Junior Madie Kent and sophomore Kristen Bulkiewicz each finished with a double-double Saturday, the sixth of the season for both Warriors.  Kent had 12 kills and 18 digs, while Bulkiewicz racked up 16 kills and 10 digs.

Junior libero Lindsey Graciak, who has eclipsed the 30-dig mark three times including Saturday against the Oilers, continues to lead the GLIAC at 4.90 digs per set.

Junior setter Cydney Biessel collected 51 assists on Saturday, her first 50-plus assist output since last November.


LOOKING AHEAD
Wayne State will participate in the annual GLIAC/GLVC Crossover next weekend in Aurora, Ill.  The schedule for the Crossover will be determined Monday as it is based on teams' positions in the standings of their respective conferences.

The Warriors will return to Detroit on Tuesday, Oct. 18 to face Hillsdale.  It will be “Max the Matthaei” night and students with a WSU OneCard can receive free food before the match.