SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Omaha and Denver make up the top two spots in the league standings through the halfway point of the season each only suffering one loss in league play so far.
 
Denver currently is riding a four-match win streak and looks to extend it during another full week of league action ahead.
 
The back half of league play continues Thursday with eight of our ten teams taking the court at 7 p.m. CT.
 
Around The Summit League | All Match Times Central
Thursday, October 21
Omaha at Western Illinois | 7 p.m.
Denver at St. Thomas | 7 p.m.
North Dakota State at Oral Roberts | 7 p.m.
North Dakota at Kansas City | 7 p.m.
 
Friday, October 22
South Dakota at South Dakota State | 7 p.m.
 
Saturday, October 23
Denver at Western Illinois | 11 a.m.
North Dakota at Oral Roberts | 1 p.m.
North Dakota State at Kansas City | 1 p.m.
Omaha at St. Thomas | 3 p.m.

Around The League

• Denver moved to 7-1 in league play after defeating South Dakota State (3-0) and South Dakota (3-2) last week. Brianna Green guided the Pioneers notching 18 kills on the week and an impressive .552 clip through two matches. In Denver’s comeback win over USD, Green hammered down a season-high 11 kills.
• Defensively, Gianna Bartalo continues to lead the pack for Denver. She finished with 24 digs on the week. She tallied nine digs against SDSU and 15 in the win over USD.
• Oral Roberts is now 6-2 in league play after two road sweeps over St. Thomas and Western Illinois. Sakira LaCour dominated on both ends putting away 11 blocks, 1.8 blocks per set, 24 kills, 4.0 kills per set and hit at a .590 clip. She tallied 15 kills on 20 swings and had three blocks at UST. She followed that with a career-best eight block assists against WIU.
• In addition to LaCour’s efforts, Trinity Freeman paced the offense for ORU. She totaled 29 kills, 4.8 kills per set, and added 20 digs, 3.3 digs per set recording a double-double in each outing. She tallied 10 kills and 10 digs against St. Thomas and recorded a career-high 19 kills and a .381 clip at Western Illinois.
• Omaha went 2-1 on the week suffering its first league loss of the season to South Dakota (3-0) but bounced back and defeated South Dakota State (3-0) and Kansas City (3-0).
• Sadie Limback paced the offense for the Mavericks finishing with 41 kills, 3.72 kills per set and a .319 hitting percentage in the three matches. She recorded her fifth double-double of the season against USD with 12 kills and 14 digs.
• Defensively, Rylee Marshall defended the net for the Mavericks putting up 16 total blocks in three matches. She recorded five against South Dakota and another eight against South Dakota State.
• Kansas City moved to 6-3 in league play after sweeping Western Illinois and St. Thomas then falling to Omaha in three. Melanie Brecka led KC in both winning sweeps totaling 33 kills, 5.5 kills per set and a .329 clip. Against WIU she posted a 19-kill, 18-dig double-double performance.
• Maddie Renn led the Roos defensively in the victories. Against UST, she notched 21 digs, 7.0 digs per set, and was the only Roo to reach double-digits in the match.
• South Dakota split the week’s competition. USD served Omaha its first league loss of the season in a five-set thriller in Omaha then dropped a tough five-set loss in Denver to the Pioneers.
• Madison Harms paced the offensive effort for the Coyotes totaling 23 kills in the two matches and hitting .358. Harms finished with 15 kills and hit .316 against Omaha and hit .467 and tallied a season-high seven total blocks against Denver.
• North Dakota State claimed its third league victory of the season defeating in-state rival North Dakota in three sets. Ali Hinze logged her third straight double-double with 17 digs and 10 kills while Raegen Reilly notched her third double-double of the season with a match-high 36 assists and season-best 13 digs.
• Offensively, Syra Tanchin led the way connecting on a match-best 12 kills to go along with a .296 hitting percentage.
• North Dakota, South Dakota State, St. Thomas and Western Illinois all went winless in this week’s competition falling to their respective opponents in straight sets.