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THE HOMESTAND CONTINUES
The Wayne State University volleyball team (8-3, 3-0 GLIAC) will wrap up its stretch of five straight home matches Friday at 7:00 against Saginaw Valley State University (5-6, 1-1 GLIAC) and Saturday at 2:00 against Lake Superior State University (3-7, 0-2 GLIAC).

Wayne State won its first three home matches over the last week against conference foes Lake Erie, Ashland and Findlay.  Saginaw Valley State has won four of its last five matches, including a four-set win against Michigan Tech on Saturday.  LSSU is looking to end a four-match losing skid.


AT THE HELM
Phil Nickel is in his fifth season as Wayne State's head volleyball coach and has a record of 73-50.  In his seven-year career, which includes two seasons at Thomas More College, Nickel is 107-93.

Will Stanton has a record of 130-150 in his 10th season at Saginaw Valley State.  Stanton previously spent four years as the head coach at Mott Community College, posting a record of 116-90.

LSSU head coach Ben Kaszeta went 8-19 in his first season with the Lakers in 2011.  He has a 47-117 overall mark including three seasons at Mott Community College.


IN THE POLLS
Wayne State was picked to finish in fifth place by the conference head coaches in the 2012 GLIAC preseason poll, while Saginaw Valley State and Lake Superior State were slotted fourth and 11th, respectively.  The Warriors also received votes in this week's American Volleyball Coaches Association Division II national poll.


SERIES HISTORY
The Cardinals have won five of the last six meetings with the Warriors, who defeated SVSU in four sets two years ago in Detroit.  Prior to that recent stretch, Wayne State prevailed in 12 of 14 matches dating back to 1994.

Lake Superior State's five-set victory over Wayne State last October snapped a four-match winning streak for the Warriors against the Lakers.  WSU has won six of the last eight meetings overall.


SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
Saginaw Valley State (.130) and Lake Superior State (.113) enter the weekend with two of the three lowest team hitting percentages in the GLIAC.

After a 1-5 start, the Cardinals have won four of their last five matches with the only blemish being a five-set result Friday against Northern Michigan.  Leading the attack for SVSU is sophomore middle hitter Makenzie Frodle who comes into the weekend hitting .370, second-best in the conference.

Lake Superior State won its first two matches of the season but comes into Friday's contest at Findlay having dropped seven of its last eight, including four-set losses to Michigan Tech and Northern Michigan last weekend.  Senior outside hitter Nikki Stratelak averages 2.81 kills/set to lead the Lakers, and senior setter Marylou Drobish is averaging 8.54 assists/set, ninth-best in the GLIAC.


WARRIOR NOTEBOOK
Wayne State leads the conference in team blocking (3.29 blocks/set) and entered the week ranked second in NCAA Division II.  Leading the effort are freshmen Essence Jackson-Jones, the top blocker in the GLIAC (1.49 blocks/set), and Kelsey Bonewits, who ranks second (1.46) and had 14 blocks Tuesday against Findlay, the most by a Warrior in four years.

Junior Kristen Bulkiewicz comes into the weekend ranked sixth in the conference in both blocks (1.12) and kills (3.31) per set.  She had 16 kills and seven blocks in Tuesday's win over the Oilers.

The Warriors also have the second-highest team average in service aces (2.05).  Senior libero Lindsey Graciak, who also ranks seventh in digs per set (4.07), is second in service aces (23).

Senior setter Cydney Biessel nearly had a triple-double Tuesday night, totaling 34 assists, eight kills (matching her career-high) and eight digs.


UPCOMING MATCHES
Wayne State will head to the Upper Peninsula next weekend for matches against Northern Michigan (Sept. 28) and Michigan Tech (Sept. 29).  The Warriors will remain on the road the following week to face Hillsdale (Oct. 5) and Northwood (Oct. 6).