LOUISVILLE, Ky.—The Bellarmine volleyball team remains at home this week as the Knights welcome Atlantic Sun foes Lipscomb and Austin Peay for matches on Friday and Saturday.
 
For the second consecutive week, the Knights will face one of the top teams in the league on Friday as the Bisons enter play this week with a 9-1 conference record and 14-6 overall.  It will be the second meeting between the Knights and Lipscomb.  On Oct. 7 in Nashville, Bellarmine fell in four sets in a highly competitive match.  
 
The Bisons have been one of the top offensive teams with setter Sophia Hudepohl leading the league in assists at 10.23 per set.  She's setting a strong group of attackers, led by Jada DiVita with a 2.83 kills per set average.  Right on DiVita's heels are Courtney Jones and Meg Mersman averaging 2.77 and 2.72 kills per set. Lipscomb also boasts the ASUN leader in service aces with Delaney Smith registering 47 aces on the year for an average of .60 per set. On defense, Mersman is the leading blocker with 73 (0.94/set) with Berkley Mischler adding 58 (0.74/set). Smith is the Lipscomb digs leader, averaging 3.9 per set.
 
Saturday's opponent, Austin Peay, starts the week 10-17 and 3-7 in league play.  Bellarmine topped the Governors in the first meeting with Knights earning a 3-0 sweep on Oct. 6 in Clarksville, Tennessee.
 
Austin Peay features the league's second-most prolific hitter with Mikayla Powell ranking second in the ASUN at 3.79 kills per set.  On defense, Maggie Keenan is the top blocker with 63 while Kalliann Cook is the digs leader at 2.9 per set.
 
Despite dropping both of their matches last week, the Knights are still in the hunt for one of the eight spots available in the postseason ASUN tournament.  In fact, the Knights are in a strong position, currently tied for third in the ASUN standings with a 6-4 record. 
 
Over their last nine matches, the Knights are 6-3, and during that time, Kylie VanHoy has put up impressive numbers.  In the first meeting against APSU, VanHoy recorded a triple-double, the first recorded at Bellarmine and the only one in the ASUN this season.  Over the last nine matches, she's leading Bellarmine with 2.89 kills per set while also averaging 5.34 assists and 1.89 digs.  Senior Bailey Venard has almost matched VanHoy in the kills department, totaling 98 over the last nine matches for a 2.8 kills per set average. On defense, Maddie Hagan's 0.74 blocks per set leads the team while senior libero Anna Lococo remains among the ASUN digs leaders with a 4.16 digs per set average.
 
Prior to Saturday's match, Bellarmine will hold Senior Day ceremonies at which time five Knights will be honored. Macie Garrison, Hallie Westmeyer, and MaryAnn O'Toole will join Lococo and Venard in the recognition.
 
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