#3 Quincy (22-5, 11-2 GLVC) vs. #6 Truman State (12-16, 7-6 GLVC)
Friday, November 21 • 8:30 PM • Williamsville, Illinois — Williamsville High School Field House

Postseason volleyball returns on Friday night as the third-seeded Quincy University Hawks travel to Williamsville for a GLVC Quarterfinal matchup with sixth-seeded Truman State. Quincy enters at 22-5 overall and 11-2 in conference play, while Truman State finished the year 12-16 with a 7-6 mark in GLVC action.

Coaching Matchup

The Hawks are led by Head Coach Mark Jones, now in his seventh season at QU and 15th overall as a collegiate head coach. Jones owns a 147-57 record at Quincy, winning 22+ matches in four straight seasons, guiding the Hawks to three consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances and two GLVC Regular Season Co-Championships. The only accomplishment missing from his résumé at QU is a GLVC Tournament title.

Truman State is guided by fifth-year head coach David Gannon, who has now taken the Bulldogs to the GLVC Tournament for the first time in his tenure. Gannon improved the program to match its season-high 12 wins, previously reached in 2023, and enters with a 39-98 career record.

Program Tournament History

This marks Quincy's 15th GLVC Tournament appearance and the program's sixth straight, dating back to 2020. QU has never won the conference tournament, with its lone championship match appearance coming in 1998 against Northern Kentucky.

For Truman State, this is the program's seventh GLVC Tournament appearance and first since the 2020-21 season. The Bulldogs have two GLVC Tournament championships, in 2014 and 2016, and are one of just seven programs in league history with multiple titles. Their 2016 squad was also the last to reach the NCAA Tournament.

Series History

Friday will mark the 73rd meeting between Quincy and Truman State in a series that has shifted drastically over the decades.

Truman State leads the all-time series 45-27, fueled heavily by a staggering run from 1999 to 2018, in which the Bulldogs won 20 straight meetings. However, the momentum has flipped entirely; Quincy has now won 11 straight matches against Truman State, with the Bulldogs' last victory coming in 2018.

The teams met earlier this season on October 5 inside Pepsi Arena, where Quincy earned a 3-1 win. The Hawks dominated sets one, two, and four—25-17, 25-12, and 25-14—while Truman State claimed set three 25-23. QU tallied 66 kills, tied for its second-highest match total of the season, and hit .381, its third-best mark of the year.

The programs have never faced off in the GLVC Tournament, and have only played at a neutral site once, a 1987 meeting in Warrensburg, Missouri, won by Truman State.

Statistical Comparison

• Makayla Way (MB) – Senior force at the net with 94 blocks (0.99 B/S) and a .327 hitting percentage, both top-10 in the GLVC. A crucial piece in slowing QU's attack.
• Autumn Erickson (MB) – Team leader in kills (207, hitting .320) and second in total blocks (67). Way and Erickson must control the middle if the Bulldogs hope to pull off the upset.
• Addy Janssen (DS/L) – The defensive anchor with 471 digs (4.91 D/S), ranking 5th in the GLVC, and a strong .941 reception percentage. Truman needs her steady ball control to handle QU's dangerous serving unit.

• Susanna Beretti (OH) – A 2024 All-American Honorable Mention candidate playing like a national star. Leads the GLVC in kills, kills/set, points, and points/set, while ranking top-10 in both aces and digs. QU is tough to beat when she's efficient; in 4 of QU's 5 losses, she hit below .200 with 5+ errors.
• Elena Kasavica (S) – The engine of QU's offense and one of the top setters in the nation. With 1,071 assists (11.39 A/S) and a team-leading 37 aces, she creates constant pressure with tempo and dangerous serves.
• QU Secondary Attack – For the Hawks to make a deep run, a second scoring threat must complement Beretti. Whether it's the middles or pin hitters stepping up, a strong supporting role will be key to breaking Truman's block-heavy defense.

Quincy enters the postseason riding a nine-match winning streak, seeking its second double-digit win streak of the year. Truman State enters looking to bounce back from a Senior Day sweep against Upper Iowa.

The winner of Friday's quarterfinal advances to the GLVC Semifinals on Saturday at 5:30 PM, where they will face the winner of #2 Rockhurst vs. #7 Drury.