BELLARMINE -- LIVE VIDEO | LIVE STATS

SOUTHERN INDIANA -- LIVE VIDEO | LIVE STATS

(LEBANON, Ill., Oct. 18)--The McKendree University volleyball team will play its next six matches on the road, beginning with a pair of contests this weekend in Great Lakes Valley Conference action. The Bearcats will first head to Louisville, Ky., for a meeting with Bellarmine University on Friday night before facing off with the University of Southern Indiana Saturday afternoon in Evansville, Ind.

McKendree posted GLVC home victories last week over the University of Illinois Springfield and then-No. 25 University of Indianapolis to boost its record to 5-13 overall and 3-6 in the GLVC East Division. The Bearcats were led last week by the senior duo of Maureen Nesbit (Belleville, IL/Althoff Catholic) and Maddie Kelly (Lake Saint Louis, MO/Timberland). Nesbit put down 36 kills last week and handled 55 digs. She registered a double-double in all three contests last week, including a 10-kill, 21-dig effort in the upset over Indianapolis. Kelly continued her usual solid play from the back row, collecting 100 digs over the three matches. She recorded a new season-high of 39 digs in the UIndy match, a figure that was just one off her career high.

Kelly enters the weekend with 978 career digs at McKendree. She needs 22 to join a select list of former Bearcat players in the 1,000-dig club, and is 118 shy of the No. 5 spot on the program's career list. Kelly leads McKendree with 361 digs entering Friday's match at Bellarmine, and is fifth in the GLVC averaging just under five per set.

Freshman Bailey Kampwerth (Breese, IL/Mater Dei) continues to lead McKendree in kills with 163, while sophomore Hannah Wessel (Waterloo, IL/Gibault Catholic) is second with 131 attacks. All three freshman setters have posted more than 100 assists this season, led by Rebecca Nauman (Yorkville, IL/Yorkville) with 263. Breanna Howe (Mt. Pulaski, IL/Mt. Pulaski) has handed out 219, while Aubry Dickmann (Edwardsville, IL/Edwardsville) rounds out the trio with 143 sets. Freshman Sophie Fairman (Staunton, IL/Staunton) continues to pull away with the team lead in blocks, boosting her total to 49. Howe and Wessel are tied for the lead in service aces with 11, while Kelly is right behind with 10.

ABOUT BELLARMINE: The Knights come into the weekend with a season record of 8-7 and a 4-5 mark in the GLVC East Division. Bellarmine has dropped its last three contests. Senior Krista Gibson leads a balanced offensive attack for the Knights with 181 kills while she is second on the squad with 152 digs and 14 service aces. Junior Jaclyn Ohlmann leads the conference in digs, averaging 6.7 per set. Ohlmann also ranks among league leaders in service aces with 17. Senior Bailey BredenbeckCorp sits fifth in the GLVC in assists, averaging just over 10 per set.

McKendree and Bellarmine split their 2012 season series, with each team winning in four sets on its home floor.

ABOUT SOUTHERN INDIANA: The Screaming Eagles sit just a game behing Lewis University for the GLVC East Division lead heading into this weekend's action. Southern Indiana is 14-4 overall and 7-2 in the conference. The Screaming Eagles are riding a four-match win streak entering their Friday night match with Illinois Springfield. Junior Lauren DeShaney leads the way for USI with 207 kills, while junior Fawn Ryan is close behind with 197 attacks. Senior Jorae Bradbury ranks sixth in the GLVC in assists with 643, averaging 9.6 per set. Sophomore Erica Oberbroeckling paces the conference with 26 services aces, and freshman Amy Zwissler is third in the league with 72 blocks.

Southern Indiana swept both meetings with McKendree in the 2012 season.