CROSSOVER TIME
The Wayne State University volleyball team (12-5 overall) will take a break from intra-conference action to participate in the fifth annual GLIAC/GLVC Crossover in Aurora, Ill.  Wayne State will play three matches in two days against foes from the Great Lakes Valley Conference.

The Warriors, looking to bounce back from road losses to Hillsdale and Northwood over the weekend, will play Missouri-St. Louis (6-12) and Southern Indiana (9-9) on Friday, and ninth-ranked Indianapolis (17-2) on Saturday afternoon.

A total of 48 matches will be played at the Great Lakes Center this weekend between teams from the two conferences in the Midwest Region.

GLIAC/GLVC CROSSOVER PAST RESULTS 2011 (3-0) Wayne State 3, Southern Indiana 2 Wayne State 3, Missouri-St. Louis 2 Wayne State 3, Wisconsin-Parkside 1 2010 (0-3) Lewis 3, Wayne State 0 Southern Indiana 3, Wayne State 1 Missouri S&T 3, Wayne State 2 2009 (3-0) Wayne State 3, Northern Kentucky 2 Wayne State 3, Drury 1 Wayne State 3, St. Joseph's 0 2008 (2-1) Wayne State 3, Lewis 2 Rockhurst 3, Wayne State 0 Wayne State 3, Drury 0

AT THE HELM
Phil Nickel is in his fifth season as Wayne State's head volleyball coach and has a record of 77-52.  In his seven-year career, which includes two seasons at Thomas More College, Nickel is 111-95.  He has led the Warriors to the GLIAC Tournament for four straight years.

Ryan Young, who spent one year at Missouri-St. Louis as an assistant coach, is in his second year as the head coach at UMSL with a record of 25-21.

The all-time winningest coach in program history, Leah Mercer holds a record of 134-99 and has led the Screaming Eagles to the NCAA Division II Tournament the last two seasons.

In 16 years at Indianapolis, head coach Jody Rogers has a career record of 392-174.  She is UIndy's all-time leader in wins and has guided the Greyhounds to five straight NCAA Tournament appearances and six overall in her tenure.


IN THE POLLS
Wayne State was picked to finish in fifth place by the conference head coaches in the 2012 GLIAC preseason poll.  Indianapolis was the favorite to win the East Division in the GLVC preseason poll, while Southern Indiana was slotted third in the East and Missouri-St. Louis was picked second in the West.  The Greyhounds were ranked ninth in this week's American Volleyball Coaches Association Division II national poll, and the Warriors were receiving votes.


SERIES HISTORY
Wayne State and Missouri-St. Louis met twice last season, with UMSL winning a three-set result in WSU's season-opener at the Tritons Classic, and the Warriors gaining a measure of revenge with a 3-2 win at last year's Crossover.  Wayne State is 8-4 against UMSL dating back to 1988.

The Warriors and Screaming Eagles have met at a neutral site each of the last three seasons including the two most recent Crossovers.  Wayne State won in five sets last year, while USI defeated WSU in four sets in 2010.  Wayne State blanked Southern Indiana at the 2009 Findlay Classic.

Saturday will be the second meeting of the season between Wayne State and Indianapolis, as the Greyhounds defeated the Warriors in four sets at the Findlay Classic last month.  Wayne State is 1-2 all-time against UIndy.


SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
The Tritons, who started the year 1-7 in non-conference play, have lost five of their last seven matches in GLVC action, but the two wins have come in the last two weeks.  Senior Liz Jaeger, who had 24 kills in comeback win over McKendree on Sunday, leads UMSL with 2.99 kills per set this season.  Senior libero Jennie Manis is averaging 4.58 digs, sixth-most in the GLVC.

Southern Indiana has won nine of its last 11 matches to reach the .500 mark for the first time this year.  Junior Emily Diedrich is hitting .296, ninth-best in the conference, and freshman Abbey Winter's 1.12 blocks per set ranks third.

The Greyhounds come into this weekend riding a 14-match winning streak.  Leading UIndy is senior Kristina Kerrigan, who ranks second in NCAA Division II in kills (5.10) and eighth in the GLVC in hitting percentage (.301).  Sophomore setter Meghan Binkerd is the conference leader in assists with 11.74 per set, seventh-most in Division II.


WARRIOR NOTEBOOK
Wayne State holds an 8-4 record all-time in the GLIAC/GLVC Crossover.  The Warriors went 3-0 at the 2011 and 2009 events, and won two out of three at the inaugural Crossover in 2008.

The Warriors won their first seven conference matches before last weekend's setbacks.  The team enters this week leading the South Division and tied for third place with Hillsdale overall in the GLIAC behind Northwood and Ferris State.

Senior libero Lindsey Graciak totaled 42 digs, averaging 5.25 per set, last week at Hillsdale and Northwood.  With 1,283 digs in her career, Graciak surpassed Sandi Lane (1990-92) and Megan Smolen (2002-05) on Wayne State's all-time list, and is approaching Erika von Grabe (1993-96) who is third with 1,306 digs.

Wayne State leads NCAA Division II in blocking for the second week in a row, averaging 3.08 blocks per set.  Freshmen Kelsey Bonewits and Essence Jackson-Jones rank seventh (1.38) and 16th (1.33) nationally and second and third in the GLIAC, respectively.

Senior Madie Kent had 14 kills and a career-high 28 digs Friday at Hillsdale for her team-leading sixth double-double of the season.  It was the second time she has exceeded the 20-dig mark this season, the other being Sept. 8 against Indianapolis (21).


UPCOMING MATCHES
Wayne State returns to the Matthaei for Homecoming next weekend, hosting Grand Valley State (Oct. 19) and Ferris State (Oct. 20).  The Warriors will follow with three straight matches in the state of Ohio, facing Ohio Dominican (Oct. 26), Tiffin (Oct. 27) and Findlay (Oct. 30).