Game of the Week: Volleyball vs. Madonna and Indiana Tech
Coming off their first loss in their last eleven matches to conference leading Northwestern Ohio, the Davenport Volleyball team continues one of the toughest stretches in their schedule with home matches against Madonna and Indiana Tech.
Its crowded near the top of the WHAC standings and this week could go a long way in determining how the Panthers finish in the standings. Currently, No. RV Northwestern Ohio, No. 17 Madonna, and Indiana Tech are all tied atop the standings with 5-0 WHAC records. No. 22 Cornerstone and Davenport are just behind them with 5-1 and 4-1 conference records respectively.
Like the Panthers, Madonna and Indiana Tech come in off a loss after having along winning streak snapped. The Crusaders had won 15 straight matches before dropping a five-set match to No. 18 Indiana University East. Madonna holds a 21-5 overall record with all but two of those loses coming to teams reanked in the top-20.
The Warriors of Indiana Tech had won 13 straight matches before a five set loss to Campbellsville University. The Warriors come in with a 16-8 overall record. They will take on Siena Heights on Wednesday before their match with Davenport on Friday.
Players to watch against Madonna will be Evia Prieditis and Karie Altman. Evia ranks third in the NAIA in both total assists (1660) and assists per game (11.370). Karie ranks fourth in hitting percentage (0.385) and ninth in kills per game with just over four. Karie leads the WHAC in kills per game. Madonna ranks fourth in assists per game and sixth in kills per game as a team.
Key players for Indiana Tech will be Melanie Forman and Kayla Hartman. Melanie leads the WHAC and ranks second in the NAIA in assists per game with 11.720 and fifth in total assists with 1641. Kayla ranks 14th in the NAIA in total digs with 718 on the season. As a team, Indiana Tech ranks in the top 10 in the NAIA in assists per game, digs per game, and kills per game.
Davenport Men's Player of the Week: Alex Watier, Men's Golf
Alex is the Davenport Men's Athlete of the Week after leading his team to the team title at WHAC Jamboree #3 hosted by Madonna University on Saturday afternoon. The honor is the first for a men's golfer in 2012-13 as the Panthers will head into their final week of league play with a 6-shot lead over Madonna in the regular season standings.
Watier, a sophomore from Lively, Ontario, posted his season low of 72 (even par) at Fellows Creek GC on Saturday and tied for medalist honors in the 53 man field. Alex helped his team post a score of 297 (their lowest of the fall) to finish first in the 9-team field. The Panthers defeated Siena Heights by two and the host Crusaders by three.
Davenport Women's Player of the Week: Michelle Marcus
Michelle is the Davenport Female Athlete of the Week after leading her women's soccer team to a pair of league victories last week. Marcus, who is the starting goalkeeper for the 10-2 Panthers, helped DU post two shutouts over Siena Heights (1-0) and Marygrove (4-0) to help keep the squad on top of the Wolverine Hoosier Athletic Conference.
Marcus combined for 16 saves in 169 minutes played this week and made a season-most 13 to preserve a 1-0 shutout of the Saints on Wednesday. She also made three saves in DU's 4-0 win over Margrove and with that shutout, the team set a new school record for shutouts in a season with nine.
Places To Be This Week:
· Wednesday
o Volleyball vs. Madonna, DU Student Center, 7:00 PM
o Women's Soccer vs. Aquinas, DU Turf Field, 7:00 PM
· Friday
o Volleyball vs. Indiana Tech, DU Student Center, 7:00 PM
o D3 Hockey vs. Kettering, Patterson Ice Center, 8:00 PM
· Saturday
o Men's Lacrosse vs. Siena Heights, DU Turf Field, 10:00 AM
o Men's Lacrosse vs. UM-Dearborn, DU Turf Field, 3:00 PM
o Women's Tennis vs. GVSU, TBD, 3:30 PM
o Women's Soccer vs. Indiana Tech, DU Turf Field, 7:00 PM
Teams on the Road:
· Men's Golf
o Wednesday-Thursday: Taylor Univ. Fall Invitational (Egypt Valley CC), Ada, Mich., All Day
o Friday: WHAC Jamboree #4 at Lourdes (Sylvania CC), Sylvania, Ohio, 11:00 AM
· D3 Hockey
o Thursday: Adrian Black, Adrian, Mich., 7:00 PM
· Bowling
o Friday-Saturday: American Heartland Conference Tournament I, Adrian, Mich., All Day
· D1 Hockey
o Friday: vs. Robert Morris (Ill.), Chicago, Ill., 8:30 PM
o Saturday: vs. Robert Morris (Ill.), Chicago, Ill., 8:30 PM
· Men's Soccer
o Saturday: vs. Northwestern Ohio, Lima, Ohio, 3:00 PM
· Rugby
o Saturday: 7s Tournament hosted by Life, Marietta, Ga., TBA
· D3 Hockey
o Sunday: vs. Kettering, Flint, Mich., 12:30 PM
· Women's Lacrosse
o Sunday: vs. TBD, Grand Rapids, Mich., TBD
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