Setting the Scene
- The SWOSU Volleyball team returns to action this week with a pair of in-state matches against Great American Conference rivals
- SWOSU hits the road on Tuesday evening to face Southern Nazarene before home on Thursday night when Northwestern Oklahoma State comes to town
- Thursday's match against Northwestern will be played in the Pioneer Cellular Event Center after originally being scheduled for a return to Rankin Williams Fieldhouse 
- The Bulldogs enter the week with an overall record of 8-2, the best 10-game start in program history, and they are 1-0 in GAC play after taking down East Central in straight sets last Tuesday
 
The Opponents
Southern Nazarene (6-7, 0-0 GAC)
- The Crimson Storm will be playing their GAC opener on Tuesday night, but they enter the contest with an overall mark of 6-7 after earning a split at the GAC/MIAA Crossover this past weekend
- SNU ranks seventh in the GAC in hitting percentage (.165) and fifth in opponent hitting percentage (.178) but they are the second-best serving team in the conference with 66 service aces (2.06 per set)
 
Northwestern Oklahoma State (10-4, 0-1 GAC)
- The Rangers are tied for the league lead with 10 overall victories in 2018, but they are 0-1 in GAC play after dropping a four-set decision to Oklahoma Baptist last Tuesday night in Shawnee
- NWOSU leads the league in kills (13.09 set) and assists (12.46 per set) while ranking second in hitting percentage (.253) and fourth in opponent hitting percentage (.158)
 
Checking the Standings
- SWOSU is one of four teams who picked up a league victory last Tuesday to open the conference season 1-0, joined by Arkansas Tech, Oklahoma Baptist and Ouachita
- Five GAC teams enter the week with a record over .500, led by Ouachita, Henderson State and Northwestern Oklahoma State with 10 wins apiece
- The Bulldogs have the second-best winning percentage among GAC teams, with an 8-2 record (.800) through the first 10 matches
 
SWOSU Notes
- The 2018 SWOSU Volleyball team set a new program-best with a seven-match winning streak, which was snapped on Saturday against Washburn
- SWOSU went 3-1 at the LCU Chap Classic last weekend and 4-1 overall last week with a conference-opening over East Central last Tuesday
- Danusia Sipa Borgeaud led the Dawgs offensively in Lubbock, putting down 44 kills (3.38 per set) and hitting .155 in the four matches
- Allie Hoang averaged 9.0 assists per set and added 34 digs and seven service aces while in Lubbock, including a double-double of 35 assists and 14 digs against Washburn
- Kaitlyn Dillon continued her steady play from the libero position, totaling 79 digs (6.08 per set) at the Chap Classic, including 31 in the Bulldogs win over Lubbock Christian to establish a new single-game school record for digs in a three-set match
- Sofia Gruden put down 23 kills (1.77 per set) while hitting .345 at the Chap Classic to go along with 15 blocks (one solo, 14 assist)
 
Looking Ahead
- Next week brings another busy schedule with conference matches against Southeastern Oklahoma State (Sept. 18) and at Oklahoma Baptist (Sept. 20)
- The schedule at OBU is a tri-match, which will also see the Bulldogs take on Arkansas-Fort Smith, which starts a stretch that will see SWOSU face seven consecutive opponents from the state of Arkansas