FRIDAY LIVE COVERAGE
4 PM CT vs. Wheaton (IL) - LIVE STATS / LIVE VIDEO
7 PM CT at #12 Wisconsin-Whitewater - LIVE STATS / LIVE VIDEO

SATURDAY LIVE COVERAGE
10 AM CT vs Edgewood - LIVE STATS / LIVE VIDEO
2 PM CT vs Lakeland - LIVE STATS / LIVE VIDEO

TERRE HAUTE, Indiana -- The Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology volleyball team opens the 2023 regular season by traveling North to Wisconsin-Whitewater for a four-game weekend. The Fightin' Engineers will play two games on Friday evening and two games on Saturday afternoon.

ROSE-HULMAN NOTES:
* Rose-Hulman is coming off a 14-12 season that ended with a 4th place finish in the HCAC. 
* The Fightin' Engineers were picked to finish in top half of the HCAC again as they took the 5th spot in the preseason poll.
* RHIT returns both of their All-HCAC honorees from last year with Allie Fults and Lily Ebright, the HCAC Defensive MVP as a freshman.
* Ebright's Defensive MVP award last year made it four of the last six years that the Fightin' Engineers have had the HCAC Defensive MVP.
* Rose-Hulman returns to the court next weekend as they travel to DePauw for three games in the NCAC/MIAA Challenge, where we will compete with the NCAC since they are short one team.

OPPONENT NOTES:
* Wheaton (IL) is coming off of an 11-17 record after finishing just 2-6 in the CCIW in 2022. They were picked to finish 8th in the CCIW this season in the preseason poll.
* #12 Wisconsin-Whitewater won the WIAC in 2022 with a 27-7 record. The Warhawks advanced to the Sweet 16 before falling to Northwestern (MN).
* The Warhawks were picked to win the WIAC in the preseason poll this season, and they are ranked the #12 team in the nation.
* Edgewood finished 20-10 in 2022 and 11-2 in the NACC. They were picked to finish 4th in the NACC in 2023.
* Lakeland finished 16-14 in 2022 and 8-5 in the NACC. They were picked to finish 5th in the NACC in 2023.

SERIES NOTES:
* The Fightin' Engineers are 1-2 all-time against Wheaton (IL). Rose-Hulman beat the Thunder in 2017 at DePauw, but Wheaton beat the Fightin' Engineers in 2019 in Tacoma, Washington in the latest meeting.
* This is Rose-Hulman's first-ever meeting with #12 Wisconsin-Whitewater, Edgewood, and Lakeland.

RETURNING STATS LEADERS:
KILLS - Allie Fults (222)
ATTACK % - Kate Wood (0.295)
ASSISTS - Jillian Gregg (437)
SERVICE ACES - Sophia Koop (47)
DIGS - Lily Ebright (552)
BLOCKS - Allie Fults (88)

CAREER STATS NOTES:
* Allie Fults - 7th in Attack Percentage (0.243), 14th in Solo Blocks (68), and 14th in Total Blocks (202)
* Jillian Gregg - 11th in Assists (1017)

FULL INVITATIONAL SCHEDULE:
Friday, 9/1 - 4 PM CT - Lakeland at #12 Wisconsin-Whitewater - Court 1
Friday, 9/1 - 4 PM CT - Rose-Hulman vs. Wheaton (IL) - Court 2
Friday, 9/1 - 7 PM CT - Rose-Hulman at #12 Wisconsin-Whitewater - Court 1
Saturday, 9/1 - 10 AM CT - Rose-Hulman vs. Edgewood - Court 1
Saturday, 9/1 - 12 PM CT - Edgewood at #12 Wisconsin-Whitewater - Court 1
Saturday, 9/1 - 12 PM CT - Wheaton (IL) vs Lakeland - Court 2
Saturday, 9/1 - 2 PM CT - Wheaton (IL) at #12 Wisconsin-Whitewater - Court 1
Saturday, 9/1 - 2 PM CT - Rose-Hulman vs. Lakeland - Court 2