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SALT LAKE CITY – The Westminster College women's volleyball team begins a three-game home stand with a match against Montana Western on Saturday in the Behnken Field House. First serve is scheduled for 2 p.m. with the team signing autographs after the match.
The match will be carried live on Griffins TV and on Comcast 6 in northern Utah. You can also watch the match on Roku players by downloading the Livestream app and searching Griffins. Live Stats will also be available for the match with links for all of the live features available in the calendar section of WestminsterGriffins.com.
GRIFFIN NOTEBOOK
Westminster returns home at 8-10 on the season and 2-3 in Frontier Conference play. They split a pair of road games last weekend at Great Falls (Mont.) and Montana State-Northern. The Griffins have dropped two straight home matches after beginning the year with three straight wins.
The Griffin attack is hitting .172 on the season while averaging 11.7 kills per set. They have recorded more kills than the opposition in 10 matches this season and gone 7-3 on those occasions. The Griffins post 10.8 assists per set and also average 1.14 service aces.
The opposition is also hitting .172 against the Griffins and posting 11.8 kills per set. Westminster records 15.3 digs per set while also posting 2.05 blocks per set. Westminster has recorded more blocks than the opposition during 13 matches with an 8-5 record in those situations.
AGAINST THE OPPOSITION
Westminster is 17-4 all-time against Montana Western, including a four-set win early this season in Dillon. The Griffins are 9-1 all-time in Salt Lake City and they haven't lost at home since 2003. In the win last month, Westminster had three players in double figures in kills and they held Western to .122 hitting.
AALONA ON THE ATTACK
Outside hitter
Alexis Aalona is averaging 2.77 kills per set to rank sixth in the Frontier Conference. She has been the team leader in kills in 12 matches and nine times reached double figures in kills. Aalona matched her career high with 23 kills in the loss at Montana Tech.
Aalona also leads the team with seven double-doubles and is second on the team with 191 digs. She has been in double figures in digs in 10 matches. The junior is third on the team with 41 blocks and is averaging 0.56 blocks per set.
ALL ABOUT ATKINSON
Senior All-American candidate
Emily Atkinson has recorded 549 assists so far this season and she is second in the Frontier with an average of 7.52 assists per set. In the match against Cornerstone (Mich.), Atkinson became the Westminster career leader in assists as she notched her 2,810th career assist. She enters this weekend with 3,239 career helpers.
Atkinson ranks third on the team with 139 digs and she has posted four double-doubles. She has been in double figures in digs during four matches, including a season-high 15 at Montana Western. Atkinson leads the team with 22 service aces and her 103 career aces are one shy of tying the school record held by Bree Riet.
DIGGING WITH KORDAKIS
Senor libero
Kyndall Kordakis has notched 361 digs on the season and is averaging 4.95 per set to rank second in the Frontier and 35th in the NAIA. She has been the team leader in digs in all 18 matches the team has played and 10 times she has reached 20 digs.
Kordakis now has 1,661 digs in her Westminster career and she ranks second in school history on that category. Riet holds the all-time lead with 1,712 digs which means Kordakis needs to just 52 digs to become the all-time leader. At her current average, Kordakis will break the record against at home on Oct. 11 against Rocky Mountain (Mont.).
REJECTED BY RAMIREZ
Junior
Mayra Ramirez has recorded 72 blocks this season and she is 29th in the NAIA with that total. She is averaging 1.00 blocks per set to place fourth in the conference while leading the team in blocks during 12 matches. Ramirez has totaled at least five blocks in seven of the matches played this season.
Ramirez has also been efficient on the offensive end. She leads the squad with a .254 hitting efficiency while averaging 2.00 kills per set. Ramirez was named to the Julie Martin Memorial Classic All-Tournament Team after averaging 1.86 kills and 0.86 blocks per set during the four matches. She hit .231 during the weekend and also picked up six digs.
NORMAN NEARING 150
Head Coach Kim Norman is in her 10th season as the head coach of the women's volleyball team at Westminster in 2013. During that time, Norman has guided the Griffins to a 143-138 overall record and a .509 winning percentage. The team has four winning seasons and has gone 77-55 (.583) in Frontier Conference play while winning regular season titles in 2005 and 2006.
FRONTIER PRESEASON COACHES' POLL
The Griffins have been picked to finish fifth in the Frontier Conference this season according to a poll of the league's coaches. Carroll (Mont.) was selected as the favorite to win the 2013 title after receiving five first-place votes and 60 points. Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) was picked second with 57 points and three first-place votes. Rocky Mountain (Mont.) took one first-place vote to earn 48 points to be selected third with Montana State-Northern coming in fourth with 41 points. Great Falls (Mont.), Montana Tech and Montana Western were selected sixth, seventh and eight respectively. Dickinson State (N.D.) was selected ninth.
FOLLOWING THE GRIFFINS
To keep up with all of the latest news and information about the Westminster women's volleyball team, fans are encouraged to "Like" the Griffins on Facebook and follow them on Twitter. And as always, make sure to visit WestminsterGriffins.com for all things Griffins during the 2013 season.
LOOKING AHEAD
Westminster remains at home for a pair of games next weekend. They open the action against Rocky Mountain on Oct. 11 at 7 p.m. before facing Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) at 2 p.m. on Oct. 12.