GREEN BAY, Wis. (GreenBayPhoenix.com) – The Green Bay volleyball team will look to build on its most recent Horizon League victory this past weekend, starting a four-match road trip on Friday and Saturday with trips to Youngstown State and Oakland. The Phoenix is starting the second half of its league schedule, going 5-3 over the first half of matches. 

THIS WEEKEND

Friday, Oct. 20
at Youngstown State (7-15, 0-8 HL) | 5 p.m. CT (Youngstown, Ohio) |  Watch: ESPN3  /  LIVE STATS

Saturday, Oct. 21
at Oakland (11-9, 6-2 HL) | 3 p.m. CT (Rochester, Mich.) |  LIVE STATS

Social Media: Twitter

OPPONENT OUTLOOK
Youngstown State enters this week with a 7-15 overall mark and searching for their first conference win. Youngstown State ended the first loop through league play last week with a four-set loss in Beeghly Center to Wright State on Wednesday, and it was swept at Milwaukee on Saturday. Senior Lauren Blanco is the reigning Horizon League Defensive Player of the Week, and fellow senior Sam Brown needs 20 kills to reach 1,000 for her career. Junior Sarah Varcolla leads the team with 2.65 kills and 1.09 blocks per set.
Series History: The Phoenix owns a strong 30-9 all-time record over YSU and has now won five of the last six in the series including, including a 3-0 win earlier this year at the Kress Center.

Oakland is the hottest team in the Horizon League, having now won six-straight HL matches after starting the season with a pair of losses against Green Bay and Milwaukee. The Golden Grizzlies have won three in a row in straight sets, including a pair of impressive wins over IUPUI and UIC on the road. Darien Brandel leads the HL in kills with 321 and 4.34 kills per set, while Krysteena Davis leads the league in blocks at 1.55 per set and 115 total. 
Series History:The series is now tied all-time at 7-7, following Green Bay's 3-1 home win back on Sept. 22. 

SECOND TIME AROUND
Green Bay will face a pair of teams this weekend it already defeated at home earlier this year to open Horizon League play. The two wins were the first of four-straight HL wins to start the conference season, and at the midway point of league play sits at 5-3 and in a tie for third-place. GB will face both ends of the standings this weekend, facing a last-place Youngstown State squad before challenging a first-place Oakland team. 

BOARDING THE BUS
The Phoenix will hit the road for four-straight HL matches over the next two weekend. GB is currently 0-2 in HL play on the road, losing at Wright State and IUPUI two weekends ago. Six of the final eight matches of the 2017 season for the Phoenix will come away from the Kress Center. 

RANKINGS UPDATE
Senior Lydia DeWeese continues to rank number one in the conference with a .352 hitting percentage. Her kill rate per set, 3.45, puts her at number four in the league. Maddie Yoss continues to own the top position for assists, averaging 11.52 per set. Vanessa Buman sits second in the League in digs, averaging 4.61 digs per set. 

STANDINGS UPDATE
1. Oakland 6-2
2. IUPUI 6-2
3. Cleveland State 5-3
4. Green Bay 5-3
5. UIC 4-4
6. Northern Kentucky 4-4
7. Milwaukee 3-5
8. Wright State 3-5
9. Youngstown State 0-8
 
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