QUINCY, Ill. – The Quincy University women's volleyball team hits the road for a pair of crucial Great Lakes Valley Conference matches this weekend, traveling to Upper Iowa on Friday, October 30, before facing Truman State on Saturday, October 31.

Quincy opens the weekend at 6 PM Friday inside Dorman Memorial Gymnasium in Fayette, Iowa, before making the trip to Kirksville, Missouri, for a 6 p.m. Saturday matchup at Pershing Arena.

The Hawks enter the weekend at 17-8 overall and 4-5 in GLVC play, riding a five-match winning streak with just four regular-season contests remaining.

Both matches carry significant postseason implications. Upper Iowa sits one position behind Quincy in the conference standings, while Truman State enters the week one spot ahead of the Hawks.

Hawks Carry Five-Match Winning Streak

Quincy enters the weekend playing its best volleyball of the season.

The Hawks have won five consecutive matches, beginning with a perfect 3-0 performance at the Midwest Region Crossover before sweeping Illinois Springfield twice last week.

Quincy first defeated UIS 25-21, 25-23 and 25-18 in a non-conference matchup Tuesday in Springfield.

Erin Matzke led the attack with 15 kills while hitting .591, while Monika Bíliková added eight kills on a .438 hitting percentage and a match-high six service aces. Macey Rocco distributed 31 assists, while Milica Stamenic collected 21 digs.

The Hawks returned home Saturday and defeated the Prairie Stars again, taking the GLVC matchup 25-17, 26-24 and 25-22.

Matzke remained efficient with 11 kills on 17 attempts, hitting .588. Rocco filled the stat sheet with six kills on eight attempts, 29 assists and three service aces, while Aysem Kocaalp added 10 kills. Bíliková recorded five more aces as Quincy finished with 11 as a team.

The Hawks held UIS to hitting percentages of .167 and .148 across the two matches while not dropping a set.

GLVC Tournament Race Intensifies

With just four regular-season matches remaining, every conference result becomes increasingly important.

Quincy enters the weekend at 4-5 in GLVC play, positioned directly between its two opponents in the standings.

Upper Iowa sits immediately behind the Hawks at 4-6, making Friday's matchup especially important for creating separation from a team chasing Quincy.

Truman State enters the week at 5-5 and sits one spot ahead of the Hawks. The Bulldogs host Illinois Springfield on Thursday before welcoming Quincy to Pershing Arena for Senior Night on Saturday.

A successful road weekend could significantly strengthen Quincy's position in the race for one of the eight GLVC Tournament spots as the Hawks pursue their seventh consecutive conference tournament appearance.

Serving Could Define the Weekend

Three of the GLVC's most productive serving teams will be on display.

Upper Iowa leads the conference with 2.02 service aces per set, while Quincy ranks second at 2.01 and Truman State is third at 1.85. Quincy leads the GLVC with 185 total service aces.

Kocaalp has recorded 44 aces while averaging 0.51 per set, ranking second in the conference in aces per set. Bíliková has added 40 aces at 0.43 per set, giving the Hawks multiple ways to apply pressure from behind the service line.

The opposite side of that matchup will be equally important.

Serve receive has played a major role in Quincy's results this season. The Hawks are 3-7 when opponents record at least eight service aces, making their ability to handle two aggressive serving teams one of the biggest keys to the weekend.

Hawks Continue to Win With Defensive Pressure

Quincy enters the weekend ranked third in the GLVC in opponent hitting percentage, holding teams to a .163 mark.

That defensive efficiency has translated directly into results.

The Hawks are 14-1 when holding opponents to a .190 hitting percentage or lower, with the lone loss coming at Wayne State when the Warriors hit .189. Quincy held Illinois Springfield below .170 in both meetings last week.

That formula could be particularly important Friday against an Upper Iowa offense hitting .183 as a team.

Truman State presents a different challenge Saturday, entering the week with a .215 team hitting percentage while averaging nearly 13 kills per set.

Matzke, Bíliková Provide Efficiency in the Middle

Quincy's middle attack has become increasingly important during the Hawks' winning streak.

Matzke enters the weekend hitting a team-best .339 with 209 kills. She has also recorded 73 total blocks.

Bíliková is hitting .309 with 148 kills and a team-high 75 blocks while also serving as one of Quincy's most dangerous players from behind the line.

The pair combined for particularly efficient performances against UIS.

Matzke totaled 26 kills while committing just three errors across the two sweeps, while Bíliková added 12 kills and 11 service aces.

Their production could be especially important against an Upper Iowa team that ranks last in the GLVC with just 1.37 blocks per set.

Game One: Upper Iowa

Upper Iowa enters Friday at 11-11 overall and 4-6 in GLVC play.

The Peacocks are 2-3 at home this season and split a pair of conference matches last weekend. Upper Iowa defeated Southwest Baptist in four sets before falling to Drury in straight sets.

The Peacocks are led by second-year head coach Sarah Hull, who holds an 18-20 record at Upper Iowa.

Upper Iowa Creates Pressure From Service Line

The strongest area of Upper Iowa's game comes from behind the service line. The Peacocks lead the GLVC with 2.02 aces per set and have recorded 170 total aces. 

Grace Fruzen and Addy Vaughn lead the team with 32 aces apiece. Fruzen averages 0.43 aces per set while also directing the offense with 652 assists.

Upper Iowa's serving ability creates an important matchup against a Quincy team that has struggled when opponents consistently generate pressure in serve receive.

Offensively, however, the Peacocks rank 11th in the GLVC with a .183 hitting percentage and ninth with 12.07 kills per set. Upper Iowa also ranks last in the conference in blocks per set.

If Quincy can remain steady in serve receive and keep the Peacocks from generating easy points behind the line, the Hawks could have opportunities to take advantage offensively.

Players to Watch: Upper Iowa

Freshman outside hitter Natalie Bystol leads the Upper Iowa attack.

The Shawano, Wisconsin, native has recorded 202 kills, averaging 2.81 per set. Bystol has reached double-digit kills 10 times this season.

Senior middle blocker/opposite Kailey Porter provides Upper Iowa with its most efficient attacking option.

Porter has 171 kills while averaging 2.48 per set and hitting .311. She has also recorded 35 blocks.

Junior Morgan Block anchors the Peacock defense and is one of the best back-row players in Division II. Block has collected 429 digs, averaging 5.50 per set. That mark leads the GLVC and ranks sixth nationally.

Her ability to extend rallies will provide another challenge for a Quincy offense looking to continue the efficiency it showed against UIS.

Series History vs. Upper Iowa

Quincy holds a 5-3 advantage over Upper Iowa in meetings since 2007. The Hawks have won four consecutive matches in the series.

Quincy is 1-0 when playing in Fayette during that stretch and swept the Peacocks at Pepsi Arena last season.

Friday gives the Hawks an opportunity to extend that streak while creating valuable separation in the GLVC standings.

Game Two: Truman State

Quincy will make the quick turnaround Saturday to face Truman State at Pershing Arena.

The Bulldogs enter the week at 11-12 overall and 5-5 in GLVC play and own a 4-2 record at home.

Truman split its two matches last weekend, falling to Drury in four sets before responding with a straight-set victory over Southwest Baptist.

The Bulldogs will face Illinois Springfield on Thursday before hosting Quincy for Senior Night.

Truman is led by sixth-year head coach David Gannon, who owns a 50-111 record with the program. The Bulldogs are chasing their strongest season under Gannon. Truman won 12 matches in 2023 and is seeking its first season above .500 since 2018.

Bulldogs Bring Balanced Attack

Unlike Upper Iowa, Truman does not rely on one overwhelming statistical strength.

Instead, the Bulldogs rank around the top half of the GLVC in several offensive and defensive categories.

Truman ranks fifth in the conference in kills per set at 12.96 and assists per set at 12.14. The Bulldogs are also fourth with 17.08 digs per set and third with 1.85 service aces per set.

Truman averages 38.36 attacks per set, second-most in the GLVC, allowing the Bulldogs to generate a high volume of offensive opportunities.

The biggest opening for Quincy may come from Truman's defensive efficiency.

Opponents are hitting .229 against the Bulldogs, ranking Truman 11th in the GLVC.

Quincy is 10-2 when hitting above .200 this season, with its only losses in those matches coming against UMSL and Lewis.

If the Hawks can remain efficient offensively, they could find opportunities against a Truman defense that has allowed opposing teams to consistently produce kills.

Players to Watch: Truman State

Junior outside hitter Laci Neece serves as Truman's primary attacking option.

Neece leads the Bulldogs with 277 kills, averaging 3.30 per set. That average ranks fifth in the GLVC. She has also recorded 29 service aces, 202 digs and 23 blocks, giving her 319 total points and an average of 3.80 points per set, also fifth in the conference. Neece has reached double-digit kills in 14 matches this season.

Senior setter Tori Creason directs the Truman offense.

Creason has recorded 880 assists, averaging 10.48 per set. Both marks rank second in the GLVC, while her assists-per-set average ranks among the top 20 in Division II.

She has also contributed 32 service aces and 261 digs while recording 14 double-doubles.

Junior middle blocker Autumn Erickson gives Truman another efficient option.

Erickson has 215 kills while hitting .333. She leads the Bulldogs with 36 service aces and 68 total blocks, totaling 291.5 points. Erickson has reached double-digit kills 11 times.

The Bulldogs also receive strong back-row production from Addy Janssen, who averages 4.81 digs per set.

Series History vs. Truman State

Truman State holds a 45-28 advantage in the series dating back to 1982, but Quincy has completely controlled the recent matchups.

The Hawks have won 12 consecutive meetings against the Bulldogs. Truman's most recent victory over Quincy came in 2018.

Five of Quincy's victories during the current winning streak have come in Kirksville despite Truman holding a 24-13 historical advantage against the Hawks on its home floor.

The programs met twice last season.

Quincy earned a four-set victory during the regular season before the teams met again in the GLVC Tournament quarterfinals. The Hawks swept Truman in the postseason meeting to advance.

Saturday provides another opportunity for Quincy to extend its recent control of the series, this time against a Bulldog team sitting directly ahead of it in the conference standings.

Matchup Outlook

Quincy's five-match winning streak will be tested by a challenging road weekend with significant implications in the GLVC Tournament race.

Friday's matchup presents a clear challenge from behind the service line.

Upper Iowa leads the conference in aces per set and will look to take advantage of an area that has caused problems for Quincy throughout the season.

If the Hawks can control first contact, their middle attack and defensive efficiency could provide an advantage against a Peacock team hitting .183 and ranking last in the GLVC in blocking.

Saturday brings a different type of matchup.

Truman combines a high-volume offense with strong setting, serving and back-row defense. Neece and Erickson give Creason multiple productive attacking options, but the Bulldogs have allowed opponents to hit .229.

For Quincy, maintaining the defensive pressure that held UIS below .170 in consecutive matches while continuing its own strong serving could be critical.

With only four regular-season matches remaining and both opponents sitting directly next to Quincy in the standings, every set could carry additional weight in the race for the GLVC Tournament.

The Hawks open the weekend against Upper Iowa at 6 PM Friday at Dorman Memorial Gymnasium before facing Truman State at 6 PM Saturday at Pershing Arena.