Valparaiso (9-4, 0-0 MVC)
Friday, Sept. 26 - Drake (4-7, 0-0 MVC) - 6 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 27 - UNI (7-5, 0-0 MVC) - 5 p.m.

Next Up For Valpo Volleyball: Missouri Valley Conference play gets underway for the Valpo volleyball team this weekend with the Beacons' first home matches of the season, as they welcome Drake and UNI to the ARC. This weekend's matchups come against two of the top-three teams in the MVC preseason poll.

Previously: Valpo went 2-1 at the Leatherneck Classic in its final weekend of nonconference action, taking a set from #22 Missouri before beating Western Illinois and Chicago State to finish out the tournament. Emma Hickey and Lilly Merk represented the Beacons on the All-Tournament Team.

Looking Ahead: The Beacons hit the road for their next four conference matches, starting Oct. 3 at Illinois State and Oct. 4 at Bradley.

Following the Beacons: Both matches this weekend are scheduled to be streamed on ESPN+. Live stats are also available for both matches via ValpoAthletics.com.

Head Coach Carin Avery: In her 24th season as head coach at Valpo, Carin Avery is the all-time winningest head coach across all sports in the history of Valpo Athletics. She has won 516 matches (516-261, .664) at the helm of the program and has led Valpo to three league regular season and three league tournament titles. The program has made seven postseason appearances under Avery, including three NCAA Tournament appearances, and advanced to the championship match of the 2021 NIVC. Avery has coached 61 All-League recipients over her tenure at Valpo, which has spanned three different conferences. She is Valpo's all-time leader in both victories and winning percentage, and owns a 571-285 (.667) record overall as a head coach.

Series History: Drake - Valpo is 13-9 all-time against the Bulldogs, including a 12-8 mark under Avery and a 9-7 record since joining the Valley. However, the Bulldogs have earned wins in each of the last five meetings, including a sweep of last season's two matchups - 3-1 at the ARC and 3-2 in Des Moines.

UNI - The Panthers hold a 20-4 advantage in the all-time series, including wins in each of the last six matchups between the programs. Last season, Valpo took UNI - which ended up going a perfect 18-0 in MVC play - to five sets at the ARC before falling, while the Panthers later swept the Beacons in Cedar Falls.

Scouting the Opposition: Drake - The Bulldogs enter MVC play with a 4-7 record during nonconference action. Macy Daufeldt and Kacia Brown both average better than three kills per set, Gabbie Schroeder averages a team-best 3.36 digs/set and Bliss Beck ranks third in the Valley with 1.11 blocks/set.

UNI - The three-time defending MVC champions come into the weekend at 7-5 after facing a challenging nonconference slate. The Panthers are the only team in the league averaging more kills/set than the Beacons, racking up 14.36 kills/set - led by MVC leader Lily Dykstra (4.03/set) and Cassidy Hartman (3.82/set, 3rd in the MVC). 

Quick Hits: - Valpo posted a 9-4 record in nonconference action, its best preconference record since 2022.
- The Sept. 26 home opener is the latest for Valpo since 2021.
- This is the third time in Valpo's nine seasons in the MVC that it has opened the MVC slate with the two Iowa-based programs visiting the ARC. Valpo got its first taste of Valley action against UNI and Drake in 2017, while the two schools also came to Valpo to open Valley play in 2022.

New-Look Conference Slate: With MVC membership down to 11 volleyball programs, the conference schedule has been pared back to 16 matches this season, meaning there will be four teams each team plays only once. This weekend marks the only regular season matchups for Valpo against Drake and UNI this year, while the Beacons will also face Evansville and Indiana State just once apiece. In addition, the MVC Tournament will feature just six teams this season after previously featuring eight programs.

MVC Success: Valpo is looking to continue its run of success in conference play again this season, as the program has finished in the top-half of the Valley standings in each of its eight years in the conference, the only MVC program to accomplish that feat. Going back further, Valpo has posted top-half conference finishes in 22 of Avery's 23 seasons - as well as qualifying for the conference tournament in each of her 23 seasons - and 31 of the last 32 years overall.

Digging It and Killing It: The Beacons rank among the nation's best on both sides of the ball through the end of nonconference play. Valpo currently sits atop the MVC rankings with 16.65 digs/set, a mark which ranks 14th nationally, while it is second in the Valley and 24th nationally with 14.00 kills/set. Notably, that latter mark would be the program's best kills/set average in a season since 2015.

Avoid the Block: A big key to the Beacons' success, or lack thereof, so far this season has been their ability to avoid the opponents' block on the attack. In Valpo's four losses, its opponents have posted an eye-popping 68 blocks (3.78/set), while in Valpo's nine wins, its opponents have only tallied 53 blocks (1.77/set).

Hickey Keeps Moving Up: Senior libero Emma Hickey moved up another spot on the Beacons' career digs chart last weekend, surpassing Brittany Malicoat for third place in program history. With 2,323 career digs entering this weekend, at her career pace, it'll be a photo finish for Hickey to perhaps catch Taylor Root for second place in program history. Other charts to keep an eye on include the MVC career leaders - where she is currently tied with UNI's Kendyl Sorge for eighth position, 100 shy of 7th - and the NCAA career leaders - where she is 215 away from the top-25 all-time. Hickey leads all active NCAA players (all divisions) in career digs and owns over 600 more digs than any other active Division I player. 

Right Side, Strong Side: Sophomore right side Ava Helming enjoyed a strong rookie season in 2024, earning a spot on the MVC All-Freshman Team, and has taken her game to another level this season. Helming enters MVC play pacing the Beacons with 3.13 kills/set and is the only player in the Valley to rank among the conference's top-10 in both kills/set and hitting percentage (.299). She has paced Valpo in kills in eight of the season's first 13 matches and has reached double digits eight times as well.

A Balanced Attack: As they have over the past few years, the Beacons once again feature a very balanced attack this year. Helming (267th nationally) is Valpo's only player in the top-500 in the nation in kills/set. Sophomore outside Jordyn Gove, senior right side Sam Warren and sophomore outside Kadence Brumitt all average between 2.31 and 2.51 kills/set, while sophomore middle Lilly Merk checks in just shy of two kills/set.

Still Underclassmen: It's easy to forget, given the number of returnees this year's Beacon squad features, that a large number of those returnees are still just sophomores. 78.6% of the team's kills and 77.9% of the team's blocks have come courtesy of the underclassmen.

Players of the Week: Valpo already racked up three weekly awards from the MVC office this season. Emma Hickey was recognized as Defensive Player of the Week - her fifth career DPoW award and sixth overall weekly award - following the opening weekend of the season, which saw her earn All-Tournament Team honors at the USI Invitational as she averaged 6.60 digs/set and committed just one serve reception error on 49 attempts. On Sept. 15, the Beacons boasted a pair of award winners: Lilly Merk was named Defensive Player of the Week for the first time in her career after averaging 1.50 blocks/set, highlighted by a 12-block effort in Valpo's upset bid at Northwestern, while Keira Lucas was tabbed Freshman of the Week as she averaged 2.44 kills/set on .302 hitting and 2.00 digs/set while committing just one serve reception error on 49 attempts at the Lehigh Steel Classic.

Capturing Crowns: Valpo has continued its penchant for winning in-season tournament titles under Carin Avery this season, claiming a share of the crown at the USI Invitational and sweeping its way to the Lehigh Steel Classic title. Valpo has won 36 in-season tournament titles in Avery's time as head coach. The team has won at least one tournament in 18 of her seasons, and multiple tournaments 12 times. Those tournament titles have come in 14 different states.

All-Tournament Accolades: Over the course of Valpo's four early-season tournaments, six players combined to earn a total of nine All-Tournament Team honors.
- Leatherneck Classic: Emma Hickey, Lilly Merk
- Lehigh Steel Classic: Kadence Brumitt (MVP), Addy Kois
- EMU Tournament: Ava Helming, Merk
- USI Invitational: Helming, Hickey, Sam Warren

Looking Back at Last Year: Valpo is coming off an 18-win season in 2024, a campaign highlighted by the amount of production generated by the team's youth. Jessica Pickett set program freshman records for hitting percentage and blocks, while Ava Helming had the third-most kills by a freshman in Avery's tenure as both rookies earned spots on the MVC All-Freshman Team. On the more veteran side, Emma Hickey became the fastest player in program history and tied for the fastest in MVC history to reach 2,000 career digs.

Who's Back: In a nutshell, everybody who could be. All 16 players who ended last season on the Beacons squad with remaining eligibility return for Valpo in 2025. That group accounted for 78.1% of the kills, 84.4% of the service aces, 78.0% of the digs and 93.9% of the blocks from the 2024 season.

Who's Gone: Valpo graduated just two players from last year's squad: Abby Boyle and Elise Swistek. Swistek's production will be the big piece to replace, as she closed her time at Valpo as one of just 10 players in program history to surpass 1,000 kills (1,018; 19th) and 1,000 digs (1,479; 12th).

Who's New: The Beacons welcome two freshmen to the large group of returnees this year. Keira Lucas is an outside hitter who was a three-time All-State honoree at Northview [Ind.] H.S., while Olivia Wagner is a setter who helped lead Lakeville South [Minn.] H.S. to the 2024 Minnesota Class AAAA state championship.

Winning Tradition Continues: The Beacons secured a winning 2024 season as they completed the campaign with an 18-14 record, the 21st winning season in 23 years under head coach Carin Avery. Valpo has won 20 or more matches in 18 of Avery's 23 seasons as well, and has averaged 22 wins per season in Avery's tenure.

Young But Mighty: Legendary college basketball coach Al McGuire is credited for having said "The best thing about freshmen is that they become sophomores." If that's the case for last year's class of Valpo volleyball freshmen, opponents are in for a rough time this season. Last year's freshman class accounted for 59.1% of the team's kills, 31.1% of the aces and 73.6% of the blocks in the 2024 campaign. That comes out to a total of 58.7% of the team's points accounted for by freshmen last season, a mark which ranked third nationally among D-I programs, trailing only Mississippi Valley State and Le Moyne - two programs which combined for just eight wins, compared with the Beacons' 18 victories. Prior to last season, none of Avery's teams in her time at Valpo had freshmen account for even 30% of the team's points.

Digging Deep: Valpo continued its long tradition of strong back row play last fall, finishing the 2024 campaign 19th nationally with an average of 17.20 digs/set. The program has ranked among the top-30 nationally in digs/set in every season since 2009, including 14 seasons among the top-20 and four seasons among the top-10 - highlighted by the 2017 campaign in which Valpo led the nation with 20.03 digs/set. Other top finishes include fourth nationally in the spring 2021 season (20.37/set), a fourth-place rank in 2010 and a sixth-place finish in 2015. Since the move to 25-point scoring, only seven teams have averaged more than 20 digs/set over the course of a season, and Valpo is the only program to have done it twice. 2018 saw Valpo lead the nation with 2,613 total digs - a mark which set a program single-season record and a Division I record in the 25-point era. Valpo also boasts two of the top-10 athletes in D-I history in career digs - Rylee Cookerly (2nd; 3,175) and Taylor Root (10th; 2,752).

Libero on Lockdown: Senior Emma Hickey has been quite simply one of the nation's most prolific liberos since stepping on campus prior to the 2022 campaign. She's ranked among the top-15 nationally in digs/set in each of her first three seasons, ending last season in third position with 5.72 digs/set. Her 715 total digs last year were sixth-most in a single season in program history.

The Pickett Fence: Sophomore Jessica Pickett made a big impact at the net in her first season of collegiate volleyball last year. An MVC All-Freshman Team honoree, Pickett ranked third in the Valley in blocks/set (1.14, 139 total) and fourth in hitting percentage (.331). She  set Valpo freshman records for both hitting percentage and total blocks - her hitting percentage ranked third overall and second in the 25-point era in Valpo's single-season record book, while he block total ranked eighth overall and third in the 25-point era.

At the Helm(ing): Sophomore Ava Helming joined Pickett as an MVC All-Freshman Team honoree last season for her strong work on both sides of the net at the right pin as a rookie. Helming ranked second on the team with 293 kills and 78 blocks - her 293 kills is tied for third-most by a freshman under head coach Carin Avery, while 78 blocks ranks sixth by a freshman under Avery. The only other freshman to rank among the top-10 in both kills and blocks by a rookie in the Avery era was another right side in Morgan Beil, who developed into a three-time All-Horizon League performer.

Next Stop, 600: Head coach Carin Avery reached yet another milestone last October, winning her 500th match in charge of the Valpo program with the Beacons' win at Murray State. Valpo's all-time winningest coach in any sport, Avery's 500th win came in her 752nd match in charge of the program. Avery is the second current MVC coach to win at least 500 matches at their current institution, joining UNI's Bobbi Petersen.