November 1, 2012

For Immediate Release

Fort Wayne, Ind. – The Indiana Tech volleyball team will host conference rival University of Northwestern Ohio in the Schaefer Center on Friday night, Nov. 2, in the NAIA Match of the Week.

Both teams are receiving votes in the latest edition of the NAIA Volleyball Coaches’ Top 25 Poll and with matching 8-2 conference records, are still battling for a place at the top of the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference standings.

The Warriors (23-11, 8-2 WHAC) will enter the contest having lost two of their last three matches, both to top-20 ranked teams, but hold a 13-1 record at home this season. Their most recent setback came at the hands of No. 16 Madonna University on Wednesday and was just the team’s fourth loss in their last 63 conference matches dating back to the 2008 season.

Since dropping seven of their first 10 matches to open the season, including a 0-6 mark against teams ranked or receiving votes in the NAIA Top 25 Poll, the Warriors have gone 20-4 with a 6-2 record against teams ranked or receiving votes.

Leading the way for Indiana Tech this season have been their middle hitters Kelsey Cox (Flushing, MI/Grand Rapids) and Stacy Nagy (Temperance, MI/Bedford). Cox and Nagy lead the team in kills with 351 and 303 respectively. Cox leads the WHAC with a .382 hitting percentage, which also ranks ninth in the NAIA. Junior setter Kelsey Fitzpatrick (Holland, OH/Notre Dame Academy) has been directing the high-powered offense, handing out almost 10 assists per set.

Northwestern Ohio (31-4, 8-2 WHAC), also coming off a league loss, had their five-match win streak snapped by Cornerstone University on Wednesday night. The Racers are 8-3 when playing away from home this season.

UNOH is led by the conference’s top two hitters in Casey Gates and Emily Crowell. Gates has hammered down a league best 450 kills followed by Crowell with 396. The Racers’ setter, Lauren Maxwell, also ranks among the best in the WHAC distributing almost 11 assists per set.

Indiana Tech currently holds a 7-0 all-time record over Northwestern Ohio, including a 3-0 victory over the Racers in last year’s WHAC Tournament Championship match. The action begins at 7 p.m. on Friday night, Nov. 2, in the Schaefer Center.

For more information on Indiana Tech athletics please call the Athletic Office at 260-422-5561 ext. 2492 or visit our website at http://www.indianatech.edu/athletics