ROMEOVILLE, Ill. – Lewis University's fifth ranked women's volleyball team heads to Denver, Colo., this weekend to take part in the 25th annual Colorado Premiere Challenge hosted by Metro State and Regis Universities this Friday and Saturday.
The Flyers are making their ninth appearance all-time at the Premiere Challenge and are 14-17 overall. Their best finish at the event came in 2019 when they finished third overall. This year's field features nine teams ranked in the current AVCA Division II Top 25 poll with two more teams listed in the receiving votes category.
Lewis take on 17th ranked Wayne State College to open pool play on Friday afternoon at 12 p.m. (CDT) and then will take on ninth ranked Western Washington at 7 p.m. (CDT). Results of Friday's pool play matches will determine bracket play on Saturday.
Last Time Out – The Flyers opened the season going 4-0 at the Flagler Saints Invitational. Lewis opened the season with a straight set win over Eckerd, defeated the host Saints in four sets, swept Belmont Abbey and wrapped up the weekend with a four-set win over Valdosta State.
GLVC Players of the Week – The Flyers swept the first Baden GLVC Volleyball Player of the Week awards on Monday.
Ava Venema (Westmont, Ill./Timothy Christian) picked up her second career offensive player of the week honor and her third overall while
Jamie Poppen (Ballwin, Mo./Parkway West) earned her fifth career defensive player of the week accolade.
League Leaders – Lewis leads the GLVC in three statistical categories after the opening weekend and ranks second in another. The Flyers lead the league in kills with 14.50 per set, assists (13.29) per set and opponent hitting percentage at .063 percent. The team ranks second in digs per set with 18.21.
Poppen leads the league in digs averaging 5.62 per set while Venema is third in the league in kills at 4.27 per set and in hitting percentage at .506.
Scouting the Competition – The Wildcats opened their season going 3-0 last weekend at the Dallas Baptist Tournament. WSC defeated Westminster College (Utah) in straight sets in the season opener and also defeated Arkansas Tech and Eastern New Mexico with both coming in straight sets. Kelsie Cada and Jaz DeHaan led the Wildcat offense averaging 3.67 and 3.00 kills per set respectively. Rachel Walker dished out 9.44 assists per set and Alaina Wolff averaged 2.67 digs per set.
Western Washington opened its season with three wins in its invitational. The Vikings knocked off Sonoma State in four-sets in the season opener, then needed five sets to upset Metro State and closed the tournament with a four-set win over Chaminade. WWU has five players averaging at least 2.00 kills per set and are led by Calley Heilborn at 2.92 k/s. Malia Aleaga is the team's primary setter averaging 9.38 assists per set while on the defensive side of the net, Olivia Fairchild leads the squad with 1.77 blocks per set and Gabby Gunterman leads the way on the back line with 3.85 digs per set.
Series Info – Friday's match against Wayne State marks the first meeting all-time between the Flyers and Wildcats. Lewis' match against Western Washington will be the second meeting all-time between the two schools. The Vikings won the first meeting in the NCAA Semifinals in Pittsburgh, Pa. on Nov. 30, 2018.
