BOLIVAR, Mo. – Following a dominant performance in their historic home opener, the Southwest Baptist University men's volleyball team hits the road this weekend for a non-conference showdown. The Bearcats will travel to Lamoni, Iowa, to take on the Yellowjackets of Graceland University at the Morden Center for a two-match series scheduled for Friday, February 6th, at 7:00 PM and Saturday, February 7th, at 10:00 AM.

The Bearcats have wasted no time making their mark in their inaugural season, currently boasting a 2-1 record. Both of SBU's victories have come via 3-0 sweeps, while their lone loss was a hard-fought, five-set thriller. This early success is reflected throughout the Great Lakes Valley Conference statistical rankings, where the Bearcats are well-represented across nearly every category. Lucas Phelan has emerged as a premier attacker, ranking second in the GLVC with 3.88 kills per set, while Evan Strahlendorf also sits at second in the conference in aces per set.

The offense is being facilitated at a high level by Keahi Kaneakua, who averages 7.63 assists per set to rank fourth in the league. Defensively, the Bearcats have been just as stout. Silas Riggins ranks second in the conference with 0.88 blocks per set, and Kaneakua anchors the back row as the GLVC's second-leading player in digs per set at 2.38. It is a promising sight for the Bolivar community to see Bearcats filling the leaderboards up and down as the program finds its footing.

Following the trip to Iowa, SBU will return to the John Q. Hammons Court on February 20th. The Bearcats are set to host a double-header at home, featuring matches against both Westminster College and Central Christian College.