FAYETTE, Iowa - The Upper Iowa volleyball team (5-9, 2-4 GLVC) has a three-game homestand this week to celebrate homecoming. UIU opens the festivities Tuesday with a nonconference matchup against Clarke (7-12) at 6 p.m. in Dorman Memorial Gymnasium.
The Peacocks return to conference action with a "Blue Out" on Friday at 6 p.m. against Rockhurst (Mo.) (11-4, 5-0 GLVC). UIU wraps up homecoming Saturday with a 5 p.m. matchup vs. William Jewell (Mo.) (2-14, 1-4 GLVC).
LIVE OPTIONS
Fans unable to attend the games this weekend can stay connected with a pair of live options available at UIUPeacocks.com/Live, featuring access to live stats and a pay-per-view webcast through GLVCSN. Fans can also refer to the links attached to this story for all live options.
In addition to GLVCSN.com, viewers can catch the Peacocks on the GLVCSN iOS and Android mobile app, as well as the GLVCSN app on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV and Android TV.
TICKET INFORMATION
Tickets for all Peacock home events can be purchased digitally at tickets.uiu.edu. Single game tickets are available online and at the ticket booth on gameday. If you want to pay in person, both Harms-Eischeid Stadium and Dorman Memorial Gymnasium are now accepting all major credit cards, checks and cash.
TICKET PRICES…
Upper Iowa Students … Free Admission after showing UIU Student ID
Upper Iowa Faculty/Staff … Free Admission after showing 26-27 Season Pass
Football General Admission Sales … Adults - $10, Youth (Grades K-12) - $5, Kids (Age 5 and under) - Free
DIGITAL GAMEDAY PROGRAMS
Fans can access the interactive and digital gameday program any time at UIUPeacocks.com/Programs. The digital programs are available to fans at our games and to those watching at home. QR Codes will be located around the stadium to scan with your cell phone's camera, which will link you directly to that game's specific digital gameday program.
LAST TIME OUT
UIU went 1-1 against the polar opposites of the GLVC this past weekend. The Peacocks defeated last-place McKendree (Ill.) (2-14, 0-1 GLVC) while losing to first-place Missouri-St. Louis (11-5, 6-0 GLVC), both in three sets.
Freshman Natalie Bystol posted a season-high hitting percentage in the win over the Bearcats at .389 with eight kills. UIU held the Bearcats to a -0.19 hitting percentage, helping win in three sets, 25-17, 25-11 and 25-17.
UIU improved every set against the Tritons, including taking UMSL to 33-31 in the third and final set by fending off seven match points. Freshman Faith Fisher posted 18 kills, the most by any Peacock in a match this season.
Junior setter Grace Fruzen totaled 50 assists (8.33/set), 20 digs and six service aces on the weekend. She posted a double-double in each match, making it seven matches in a row with double digits in assists and digs. Her 32 assists against UMSL were her second-most in a match this season.
Morgan Block tallied a team-high 35 digs (5.83/set) on the weekend. She had 21 digs against the Tritons, her most in a three-set match this season.
STATISTICS SUMMARY
This season, Block has totaled 287 digs (5.63/set) and leads the GLVC in digs per set. She also ranks third nationally in this category, and Kaylon Partain of Henderson State (Ark.) leads the nation, averaging 6.48 digs per set. Block ranks sixth in the conference in total digs.
Fruszen has posted 408 assists (8.16/set) this season with 160 digs (3.20/set). She's fifth in the conference in assists per set and 76th nationally. Fruzen also leads the team with 20 service aces, ranking eighth in the GLVC.
Bystol leads the Peacock offense with 125 kills (2.66/set) while adding six service aces. Marissa Becke is adding 115 kills (2.56/set) and Kailey Porter has 112 kills (2.33/set). Porter is hitting a team-high .294 this season, ranking 13th in the GLVC.
As a team, the Peacocks have totaled 91 service aces to average 1.65 per set, which ranks sixth in the GLVC. UIU is averaging 14.93 digs per set, ranking fifth in the conference.
AROUND THE GLVC
Missouri-St. Louis leads the conference with a 6-0 record, but Rockhurst is close behind with a 5-0 conference record. The Tritons have won nine straight matches, and the Hawks have won 10 straight matches.
UIndy (16-2, 5-1 GLVC) is tied for third in the GLVC with Lewis (Ill.) (11-6, 5-1 GLVC). The Greyhounds and Flyers will break that tie by playing each other on Saturday in Indianapolis. UMSL plays Maryville (Mo.) (8-9, 3-2 GLVC), who is tied with Drury (Mo.) (12-4, 3-2 GLVC) for fifth in the conference.
The Peacocks have the same number of wins as eighth-place Southwest Baptist (Mo.) (10-6, 2-3 GLVC) and Quincy (Ill.) (11-7, 2-4 GLVC) in conference play. The top eight teams make the GLVC Tournament at the end of the season. After this weekend, UIU will have played five of the current top six teams in the GLVC.
UIndy's Maddy Lynch leads the conference in kills per set, totaling 4.05. UMSL's Marly Burbach leads the conference with 10.64 assists per set, while Truman State's (Mo.) (7-9, 3-3 GLVC) Tori Creason is averaging 10.31. Maryville's Mallory Sell is second in the GLVC in digs per set at 5.38, while UIndy's Macy Bruton is third with 5.26.
ABOUT THE PRIDE
Clarke has won two out of its last three matches with wins over William Penn and a four-set win over William Woods (Mo.) this past Saturday. The Pride have played 19 matches this season, five more than the Peacocks.
Senior outside hitter Keely Coyler leads the team with 208 kills (2.97/set) while senior Kortney Harms is adding 180 kills (2.57/set). Harms is an all-around player, leading the team in assists with 306 (4.37/set) and being second on the team in digs with 213 (3.04/set). Sophomore Jaxcyn Berntgen is adding 297 assists (4.30/set).
On defense, Madison Peck leads Clark with 278 digs (4.56/set) while Kira Finley, Berntgen and Ava Lawler have all totaled over 100 this season. Senior middle blocker Kelsey McNollins leads the Pride in blocks with 70 (1.01/set).
Head coach Matt Gagner is in his second season with the Pride in 2026. The 16th head coach in program history has a 9-39 record with the team entering Tuesday's matchup.
ABOUT THE HAWKS
Rockhurst enters this week on a 10-match win streak and faces Pittsburg State (Kan.) (11-6) on the road Tuesday night before making the trip up to Fayette. The Hawks are a perfect 6-0 at home this season, and 3-1 on the road. Rockhurst is No. 8 Missouri Western's only loss this season, and the Hawks also have a ranked win over Central Missouri, who were receiving votes in last week's AVCA poll.
Senior middle Ali Olson leads the GLVC in attack percentage at .418, which also ranks 12th nationally. Olson has totaled 114 kills (1.97/set) and 58 blocks (1.00/set). Junior middle Delaney Hope is hitting .380 with 121 kills, ranking third in the GLVC in hitting percentage. Hope has added 57 blocks (0.98/set) to rank the two Hawks at sixth and seventh in the GLVC in blocks per set, respectively.
Junior Chloe Tyrell leads the team in kills with 133 (2.29/set), and senior Alyssa McDonald is adding 116 kills (2.76/set). Senior Molly Trachta out of Johnston is the team's leader in assists with 338 (5.83/set), and junior Kaitlyn Dumpit has totaled 270 assists (4.74/set).
Libero Abby Boyd leads the team in digs with 141 (2.43/set), while freshman Carlie Pandjaris has 124 (2.14/set). Tyrell is adding 115 digs (1.98/set), and Trachta has 107 digs (1.84/set). Pandjaris leads the team in service aces with 24 and Trachta has 19.
Rockhurst is second in the conference as a team in hitting percentage at .268. The Hawks average the fourth-most kills (13.28/set) and fourth-most blocks (2/14/set) in the GLVC. They also allow the fewest opposing digs in the GLVC at 11.55 per set, 2.6 digs per set less than Quincy in second.
Trent Jones is in his seventh season at Rockhurst, and has led the Hawks to five straight NCAA Tournament appearances. He has a 128-58 record at Rockhurst entering this week.
ABOUT THE CARDINALS
William Jewell snapped a 12-match losing streak on Saturday with a three-set win over Illinois Springfield (4-12, 1-5 GLVC). The Cardinals played a common opponent with the Peacocks in nonconference play, losing in four sets to No. 14 Washburn (Kan.) (16-3).
The William Jewell attack is led by junior Macy Bartlett with 138 kills (2.42/set). Juniors Silvia Fisher and Kelsey Keling have 94 kills (1.65/set) and 90 kills (1.88/set), respectively. Junior setter Alexis Frazier leads the team with 290 assists (5.09/set).
The Cardinals have four players with 100 or more digs this season, led by junior Madison Roney with 178 (3.12/set). Senior Ashlynn Rowland has recorded 173 digs (3.04/set), Frazier has 145 (2.54/set) and Bartlett has 123 (2.16/set). Rowland leads the team in service aces with 24.
Head coach Joe Adams is in his second season with the Cardinals. He had his first career win against the Peacocks last season. He has a 6-37 record entering this week before William Jewell's match against Truman State on Friday night.
