EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - SIUE volleyball begins Ohio Valley Conference play this weekend, opening with a two-game series at home against UT Martin Friday and Saturday. Friday's match will be played at 6 p.m. and Saturday's will be at 3 p.m.
 
The team will be competing as their alternate identity this weekend, the SIUE 66ers, in celebration of the centennial of Route 66.
 
SERIES: SIUE and UT Martin have faced off a total of 35 times, winning the all-time series 19-16. The Cougars have won each of the last four against the Skyhawks, and own an 11-7 record in First Community Arena.
 
TEAM EFFORT: The Cougars rank in the top half of the OVC in nearly every major statistical category, ranking fourth in hitting percentage (.181), second in assists (533), third in kills (562), third in blocks per set (1.9), second in service aces (79), and fourth in digs (616).
 
AT THE NET: Senior Anika Ivester leads the OVC in blocks per set, at 1.04 (192nd in the country). Additionally, senior Vienna Elliott leads the Cougars in total blocks with 30, including a season-high seven block performance against Gardner-Webb last weekend.
 
SETS AND SERVES: Fifth-year setter Paige Bernstein ranks among the top-10 in the OVC in both assists (7th, 228) and service aces (4th, 16), while sophomore setter Ally Hughes also sits in the top-10 in both assists (10th, 178) and service aces (8th, 14). Sophomore libero Kinley Quast ranks in the top-10 for service aces (6th, 15) and digs (8th, 121).