FAYETTE, Iowa - Peacock volleyball (3-5) is back from their bye week to start GLVC play on the road against Maryville (Mo.) (5-5) and Missouri S&T (7-4). UIU plays Maryville in Moloney Arena on Friday at 6 p.m. The Peacocks then head to Rolla, Missouri, to face the Miners in Gibson Arena at 3 p.m. on Saturday. 

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.

LAST TIME OUT
The Peacocks last competed at the Sioux Falls Classic in South Dakota, falling in four matches. UIU faced two teams currently ranked in the AVCA Coaches' Poll in No. 13 Washburn (Kan.) (10-2) and No. 18 Emporia State (Kan.) (12-1). Upper Iowa fell in four sets to Chadron State (Neb.) (5-5) and in five sets to Black Hills State (S.D.) (7-4). 

Grace Fruzen had a solid weekend for the Peacocks with 101 assists (8.42/set) and 38 digs (3.17/set). She led the Peacocks in assists and was second on the team in digs. Morgan Block was the team's leader defensively with 83 digs (5.53/set) while adding a .946 receiving percentage at libero. The junior also had a team-high five service aces.

Freshman Natalie Bystol led the Peacocks in kills on the outside with 45 (3.21/set). She also added 14 digs and averaged 3.36 points per set. Marissa Becker and Kailey Porter both had 26 kills, with Porter posting a team-high .364 attack percentage. Erica Conger added 21 kills in 11 sets played.

STATISTICS SUMMARY
Porter leads the Peacocks in kills with 74 (2.74/set) and has a team-high .410 attack percentage on the season. She ranks third in the conference and 23rd in the nation in hitting percentage.

Becker is totaling 70 kills (3.04/set) to be second on the team. She ranks ninth in the GLVC in kills per set. Bystol has added 67 kills (2.68/set) during her young campaign while also adding four service aces.

Fruzen has totaled 226 assists (8.07/set) this season with 19 kills and eight service aces. The junior ranks fifth in the conference in assists per set. Fruzen is also adding 77 digs (2.75/set) for the second-most on the team. Caylee Rowley has added 70 assists (5.38/set) in her appearances this season. 

Block has had an excellent start to the season, recording 159 digs (5.48/set). She ranks second in the GLVC and 12th in the nation in digs per set. She's added seven service aces and 32 assists. Avery Agnew is third for the Peacocks in digs with 65 (2.03/set). 

Addy Vaughn leads the team in service aces with 12, while Amaralyse Rodriguez is tied with Fruzen for the second-most on the team with eight. Alexis Moses leads the Peacocks with 15 blocks while Conger and Porter each have 11.

AROUND THE GLVC
Indianapolis (10-1) enters this week ranked No. 24 in the AVCA Coaches' Poll. The Greyhounds started the season 10-0 before falling this past weekend to No. 12 Lynn (Fla.) (8-1). UIndy's Maddie Lynch is second in the conference in digs per set at 3.77 (117 total digs).

Drury (Mo.) (9-2) has had a solid start to their season, led by the GLVC assist leader, Jacy Bray (10.19/set). Quincy (Ill.) (9-3) is on a GLVC-best eight-game winning streak. The Greyhounds and the Hawks match up in conference play on Saturday. 

Southwest Baptist (Mo.) (8-3), Missouri S&T (7-4), Lewis (Ill.) (6-5) and Rockhurst (Mo.) (5-4) all have started the season with winning records. Reigning GLVC Champions Missouri-St. Louis (5-5) are receiving votes in this week's AVCA poll. UMSL has played a tough schedule featuring four ranked opponents, including a win over preseason No. 1 Concordia-St. Paul (Minn.) (7-2). 

ABOUT THE SAINTS
Maryville has won four out of its last six games, including a win over Newman (Kan.) (3-8) and a nonconference loss to Truman State (Mo.) (4-6) this past Friday. The Saints had a successful Florida trip on Sept. 4-5, winning three out of four matchups. Friday night against the Peacocks will be Maryville's first home game this season.

Freshman Emma Keele has emerged in the Maryville attack with a team-high 126 kills (3.15/set). She has the fifth-most kills in the conference and the sixth-most kills per set. Keele is also a big threat at the service line, totaling 20 aces for the second-most in the GLVC. Another freshman, Natalie Frazier, has 69 kills (2.38/set) on the outside.

Maryville runs a two-setter system with junior Taylor Reynolds and sophomore Cami Kohmetscher. Reynolds has totaled 159 assists (4.54/set) while Kohmetscher has totaled 147 assists (4.45/set). 

On defense, sophomore Mallory Sell has totaled 233 digs (5.83/set) to lead the Saints. She leads the conference in digs and ranks third nationally in digs per set. Keele has added 141 digs (3.53/set) to her impressive freshman start.

Head coach Gretchen Moser is in her ninth season with the Saints. She is going for her 100th win at Maryville against the Peacocks, entering the weekend with a 99-135 record. Moser has led Maryville to four straight winning seasons entering this year. 

ABOUT THE MINERS
Missouri S&T has lost three of its last four matches, including a 1-2 showing this past weekend at the Harding (Ark.) Invitational. The lone victory was a three-set win over Union (Tenn.) (4-7), a team the Peacocks beat in four sets earlier this season. The Miners won their first four games to start the season at the Missouri Southern Tournament.

Sophomore Danielle Wilke leads the Miner attack with 123 kills (3.00/set) and a .252 attack percentage. She's 10th in the GLVC in kills per set and sixth in total kills. Sophomore Elly Decker has also hit triple digits in kills with 100 (2.44/set). She leads the team in service aces this season with 20.

Kaitlyn Brady leads S&T in assists with 234 (5.71/set), while freshman Maggie Miller has added 175 assists (4.27/set). Junior libero Adelyn Weiler is Missouri S&T's digs leader with 210 (5.12/set). She's fourth in the conference in digs per set. 

As a team, Missouri S&T ranks fourth in the conference in blocks with 88 (2.15/set). Junior middle blocker Madison Smith leads the conference with 50 blocks (1.28/set). The Miners also rank second in the conference in service aces with 81 (1.98/set). 

Cooper Martin is in her first season as the head coach of the Miners. She is the fifth head coach in program history. She joined the Miners after two seasons at Drake, where she served as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator.