MATCH 32: SBU BEARCATS (10-21, 3-12 MIAA)
at #9 WASHBURN LADY BLUES (28-4, 12-4 MIAA)
LEE ARENA • TOPEKA, KS
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2009 • 7:00 PM
LIVE STATS

MATCH33: SBU BEARCATS
at FORT HAYS STATE TIGERS (7-23, 3-12 MIAA)
GROSS COLISEUM • HAYS, KS
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2009 • 3:00 PM

SBU NOTES

TOPEKA, Kan. -- The SBU Bearcats kick off the final road trip of the 2009 season this week, as they travel to Topeka to take on the ninth-ranked Lady Blues on Friday; The 'Cats will head further west Saturday to face Fort Hays State. SBU faced both squads last month, falling in three sets to Washburn, and four sets to Fort Hays. Sophomore Ashley Jurgensmeyer and freshman Alex Smith continue to lead the Bearcat attack, with 339 and 320 kills, respectively. Senior Kelsey Stewart collected 13 kills in last week's match against Northwest Missouri, raising her career total to 897 kills over four seasons. Stewart is fourth on SBU's all-time kills list, and if she can average nine kills over the final five matches will pass Sharla Goetze (941 kills from 1990-93) for third. Setter Brianna Wallace has surpassed the 1,000 assist mark for the second straight season.

COACHES AND THE ALL-TIME SERIES
SBU head coach Kelly Richardson is in her third season in Bolivar. Richardson has helped improve the Bearcats win total from eight to 13 over her first two seasons, and has a chance to raise the bar even higher this year. Chris Herron is in his eighth season with the Lady Blues. Last year he led the Lady Blues to their second straight 30-win season and fifth straight NCAA Tournament appearance. Washburn leads the all-time series 32 to 3. Kurt Kohler is in his first season with the Tigers after coaching and serving as athletic director at Barton County Community College. SBU leads all-time four to three over the Tigers.

SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
The Washburn Lady Blues fell in straight sets to Central Missouri last week, but still have won 5 of their last 6 matches. Washburn is led by Mollie Lacy, with 315 kills, but has five different players averaging two or more kills per set. Lacy also leads the MIAA in hitting percentage, at .426. Fort Hays is trying to snap a five-game losing streak that includes three straight matches in which they lost 3-0. The Tigers' Lilian Rezende ranks third in the MIAA with 401 total kills this season, averaging 3.75 per set. Rezende is riding a seven match streak with at least 10 kills. In the match against SBU ealier this season, Rezende collected 20 kills, with a .391 hitting percentage, and also collected 18 digs.