GREEN BAY, Wis. (GreenBayPhoenix.com) --- The Green Bay volleyball team (14-8, 9-1 HL) will begin their last stretch of away matches for the regular season this weekend, facing Youngstown State (7-16, 1-9 HL) on Friday at 5:00 p.m. before taking on Cleveland State (14-8, 8-2 HL) on Saturday afternoon at 3:00 p.m. The Phoenix will look to extend their record nine-game win streak as well as their best-ever conference start.

"We are aware that we have a tough road ahead, but we are focusing on the process and enjoying our journey this season," said head coach Abbey Sutherland. "This weekend presents more challenges, and we will approach them as learners."

"We talk often about being givers instead of takers, and this is especially critical as we continue to face tough Horizon League teams," she added. "Everyone's role on the team is important; we are all making contributions and taking risks together."

Schedule
Friday, October 26
at Youngstown State @ 5:00 p.m. CT
Saturday, October 27
at Cleveland State @ 3:00 p.m. CT
 
Media
For Phoenix fans wanting to stay updated with the team, both matches can be watch online at ESPN+. Live stats and tweets will also be available for fans to follow along with during each match.

Youngstown State | Watch | Stats | Twitter
Cleveland State | 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 Phoenix defeated both Youngstown State and Cleveland State at home just two weekends ago, meaning each team's record has only slightly changed since then. The Penguins continue to trail behind the rest of the league, only having one conference win: taking out Wright State in September. After falling to Green Bay, the Vikings also lost to UIC, and now sit third in the Horizon League standings, but they nearly dropped a match against Oakland 3-2 last weekend.

Youngstown State's highest team stats come in the form of service aces and digs, but all in all, the Phoenix out-perform the Penguins in every single category. Senior middle blocker Sarah Varcolla is their only player that has been a consistent performer all season, ranking eighth in blocks overall as well as taking the fifth place in blocks and fifth place in service aces in conference-only play.

Cleveland State, on the other hand, could still prove to be a challenge despite a phenomenal Green Bay upset and comeback two weekends ago. They outshine every single team in the league for blocks, tallying nearly one more block per set than the Phoenix. In conference play, they also have been a bit more accurate than Green Bay as well, with a team .222 clip compared to the Phoenix's .212. However, the Vikings struggle to accomplish aces, ranking the lowest in the league in that category, and this could be an area where the visiting Phoenix can trip them up.

Green Bay will have to keep an eye out for junior middle hitter Trinniti Hall. She continues to be a force for the Vikings in conference play, collecting two Offensive Player of the Week awards along with a second-place spot for hitting percentage, second for blocks, fourth place for points, and sixth place standing for kills in the league statistics.
 
Last Weekend Recap
The Phoenix picked up yet another two wins at home last weekend against IUPUI and Northern Kentucky, re-setting their Division I program win streak record with their ninth in a row. They also set a new program record for best-ever conference start, helped by senior libero Vanessa Buman, who collected her third Horizon League Defensive Player of the Week honor this season.
 
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