GREEN BAY, Wis. (GreenBayPhoenix.com) --- The Green Bay volleyball team (12-8, 7-1 HL) continues conference play with a stretch of home matches this weekend, hosting Alzheimer's Awareness Night on Friday night against IUPUI (5-17, 2-6 HL) beginning at 6:00 p.m., and facing Northern Kentucky (13-6, 5-3 HL) on Saturday afternoon at 4:00 p.m. The Phoenix will look to extend their record-setting seven-game win streak as well with these matches.

"As we head into the second half of HL play, it is important that our team is working harder than ever, but we also must feel fresh mentally and physically," stated head coach Abbey Sutherland. "We are putting an emphasis on taking care of ourselves; October is a tough month for student-athletes, and we want to stay on top of that."

"We are still very focused on learning and improving, and we are hungry to make strides as a team against IUPUI. We are also excited about making a difference in the community by raising awareness for Alzheimer's. We often talk about finding the 'why,' and we compete much better when we play for something greater than ourselves."
 
Schedule
Friday, October 19
vs. IUPUI @ 6:00 p.m. CT
Saturday, October 20
vs. Northern Kentucky @ 4:00 p.m. CT
 
Media
For Phoenix fans that are unable to make it to the Kress Events Center this weekend, the Green Bay vs. IUPUI match can be watched on ESPN while the Green Bay vs. Northern Kentucky game will be accessible on ESPN3. Live stats and tweets will also be available for fans to follow along with during each match.

IUPUI | Watch | Stats | Twitter
Northern Kentucky | Watch | Stats | Twitter

The live stats and video links can also be found on the Green Bay Phoenix volleyball schedule page. In addition, to view live tweets, follow @gbphoenixvb.

Opponent Outlook
The second half of conference play begins this weekend, with IUPUI making their way to Green Bay this time for a second battle. After being taken down by the Phoenix in the second Horizon League match of the year, the Jaguars have slid down to eighth place in the conference standings, holding a 2-6 record and a 5-17 record overall. Their only two wins are over Oakland in four sets and Youngstown State in three.

IUPUI's highest team stat is in digs, averaging 19.24 per set, but they also rank about Green Bay in blocks, putting up 2.01 each set on average compared to the Phoenix's 1.90. On the other hand, they are in the middle of the pack or trailing the league teams, with their worst category, hitting percentage, being Green Bay's strength.

The Jaguars' top player to watch for is senior setter Maggie Gibson, who ranks third with 2.99 kills per set and sixth in points per set with 3.46. She is helped by junior middle blocker Haley Hoffman, who collects an average 1.02 blocks in each set.

Northern Kentucky comes to Green Bay knowing that they are the only Horizon League team that has not been beaten by the Phoenix this year. They have two more losses than Green Bay, standing in fourth in the conference with a 5-3 record (13-6 overall) after falling to Cleveland State, UIC, and surprisingly, Wright State in their latest match.

The Norse are solid in the same areas as the Phoenix, barely edging Green Bay in every team stat except digs, where they are the most dominant team in the conference by far. The Phoenix will need to continue to capitalize on service aces and blocks, where they have out-performed them in league play, but also fire back against NKU with equal ferocity.

Northern Kentucky utilizes an unusual two-setter style, with freshman setter Miranda Wucherer and junior setter Shelby Olsen both amassing assists in the double-digits within each match. The pair helps second-ranked offensive player Haley Libs, a senior outside hitter with 4.11 kills per set to her name, and are also aided by Ashton Terrill, who scoops up the most digs per set in the league with 5.78.
 
Last Weekend Recap
The Phoenix picked up another two wins at home last weekend, setting a Division I program win streak record with their seventh in a row. After beating top-seed Cleveland State in five sets and sweeping Youngstown State in three, the victories moved Green Bay into first place in the league standings.

"We are pumped for the opportunity to be at home for another weekend," added Sutherland. "Our fans especially helped give us momentum in the fifth set against Cleveland State."
 
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