Complete Release (PDF)

This Week:
The No. 16 Metro State volleyball team will host its homecoming match on Saturday at 3 p.m. against No. 8 Nebraska-Kearney at the Auraria Event Center.

Scouting the Opponent:
Nebraska-Kearney: The Lopers enter Saturday 13-1 overall and 4-0 in the RMAC, with a seven-match winning streak. UNK has dropped just six sets all season, including its 3-1 loss to No. 5 Ferris State (Mich.) on Sept. 4. Setter Cola Svec runs one of the top offenses in the country, averaging 11.38 assists/set, ranking eighth in the nation in assist average. Nikki Scott leads the team in total kills and averages 3.19 kills/set, followed by Erica Burson with 2.60 and Jeri Walkowiak with 2.51. Scott is 11th in the nation in hitting percentage at .425. Chelsea Carson, who missed four matches earlier this season, leads the team with an average of 3.23 kills. Kelli Wemhoff leads the team defensively with an average of 3.40 digs, followed by Svec at 3.21. The Lopers average 14.48 kills, while allowing their opponents just 9.96. They also enjoy a .285 team hitting percentage and hold opponents to .107.

All-Time Series Records:
Nebraska-Kearney: Metro State trails the all-time series 27-14 and UNK also holds an 11-6 edge in matches played at Metro State. UNK has won the past four meetings with Metro State's last win on Nov. 3, 2006.

Watanabe Nears Digs Record:
Senior libero Amy Watanabe (Littleton, Colo./Heritage H.S.) is closing in on the school's all-time digs record. She currently has 1,277 and needs just 27 to tie Chris Hines and Heather Hotchkiss' record of 1,304.

Career Digs
1. Chris Hines (1989-90) 1,304
Heather Hotchkiss (1988-89) 1,304
3. Jessy Roy (2000-03) 1,293
4. Stacey Hoyt (1994-96) 1,277
Amy Watanabe (Littleton, Colo./Heritage H.S.) (2006-09) 1,277

Curtis in Top-10 in Career Assists:
Gabe Curtis (Arvada, Colo./Ralston Valley H.S.) is currently eighth in Metro State's all-time list of assist leaders with 2,492 set assists. Devon Herron (2000-03) is the career leader with 6,286.

Career Assists
1. Devon Herron (2000-03) 6,286
2. Jennifer Drees (1990-91) 3,304
3. Lora Houdek (1992-93) 3,267
4. Sue Hays (1983-85) 3,222
5. Laurie Anderson (1994-97) 3,124
6. Stephanie Levi (2006-07) 2,881
7. Verna Julaton (1987-88) 2,703
8. Gabe Curtis (Arvada, Colo./Ralston Valley H.S.) (2004-05, 09) 2,523

Finally Ranked:
The Metro State volleyball team is ranked No. 16 in the latest NCAA Division II American Volleyball Coaches Association top-25 poll. The Roadrunners were ranked No. 14 two weeks ago, but dropped two spots after splitting two conference road matches. Their No. 23 ranking on Aug. 31 was the first national ranking for Metro State since the being ranked No. 25 on Sept. 5, 2005. Metro State has received votes four times since then (Sept. 12, 2005; Aug. 21, 2006; Nov. 13, 2006; Nov. 20, 2006).

Metro State is in the top-25 for the fourth week in a row, the longest streak in the poll for the Roadrunners since spending 46 consecutive weeks in the top-25 from the 2001 preseason poll through the Sept. 7, 2004, poll.

Hendricks Hits Two Milestones:
Head coach Debbie Hendricks reached her 200th win at Metro State on Saturday, Aug. 29 against No. 16 Florida Southern. She is in her 10th season at the helm of the Roadrunners volleyball program.

On Saturday, Sept. 5, she won her 400th career match in a 3-2, come-from-behind thriller against No. 3 West Texas A&M. She became the 20th active NCAA Division II coach to reach 400 career wins.

Roadrunners Update:
The Roadrunners are 10-3 overall and 3-2 in the RMAC entering Saturday. They dropped a 3-0 decision on Tuesday at Regis to snap a three-match winning streak. Bri Morley (Parker, Colo./Cherokee Trail H.S.) led the team with 10 kills, while Julie Causseaux (Dumas, Texas/Dumas H.S.) had nine kills and hit .571. Gabe Curtis (Arvada, Colo./Ralston Valley H.S.) still managed 31 assists despite just a .111 attack percentage by Metro State

Morley enters the weekend leading the team in kills for the season with an average of 3.65 per set, while hitting .267. Emily Greenhalgh (Conifer, Colo./Conifer H.S.) is second with a 3.05 average. Curtis is averaging 11.04 assists, while Watanabe averages 4.83 digs. Complete individual and team rankings in the RMAC are listed on page 4.

RMAC Players of the Week:
Bri Morley (Parker, Colo./Cherokee Trail H.S.) was named RMAC Offensive Player of the Week on Aug. 31. In four matches at the St. Mary's Invitational, Morley led Metro State with 4.08 kills/set, a total of 53 kills in 13 sets. She hit .370 (53k-9e-119a), while adding 17 digs and four blocks. She led the Roadrunners and their opponent in kills in each of the final three matches at the tournament.

Gabe Curtis (Arvada, Colo./Ralston Valley H.S.) was named RMAC Setter of the Week on Sept. 7 after finishing third among all setters at the tournament in assists per set, averaging 11.64 assists, a total of 163 in 14 sets played. She added eight kills, two service aces, 27 digs and six total blocks as well. Her setting helped the Roadrunners to a .200 hitting percentage (192-84-540) in four matches.

Amy Watanabe (Littleton, Colo./Heritage H.S.) earned RMAC Defensive Player of the Week honors on Sept. 7 after placing third among all players at the tournament in digs per set, averaging 4.93 digs, a total of 69 in 14 sets. She also had three assists, three aces, two kills and only two receiving errors all weekend. Opponents hit only .171 against Metro State (152-68-490).

Watanabe earned RMAC Defensive Player of the Week honors again on Sept. 21 after totaling 47 digs in two matches over the weekend and averaged 5.88 digs per set in those two matches. She also had two assists. In Metro State's 3-2 win over UC-Colorado Springs on Saturday, Watanabe had a career-high 37 digs, just four off the school record of 41. Her 37 digs tied her for the fourth-most in a single match in school history.

The four players of the week have already surpassed last season's total of one RMAC player of the week (Watanabe, Defensive POW, Oct. 13, 2008).

Colorado Premier Challenge:
Metro State went 3-1 at the 2009 Colorado Premier Challenge to win the Silver Division championship. It was the best finish for Metro State at the Premier since going 3-1 and taking third place in the Gold Division in 2005. Senior setter Gabe Curtis (Arvada, Colo./Ralston Valley H.S.) earned all-tournament honors for the second time in her career.

Watanabe earned RMAC Defensive Player of the Week honors again on Sept. 21 after totaling 47 digs in two matches over the weekend and averaged 5.88 digs per set in those two matches. She also had two assists. In Metro State's 3-2 win over UC-Colorado Springs on Saturday, Watanabe had a career-high 37 digs, just four off the school record of 41. Her 37 digs tied her for the fourth-most in a single match in school history.

The four players of the week have already surpassed last season's total of one RMAC player of the week (Watanabe, Defensive POW, Oct. 13, 2008).