BOWLING GREEN, Ky. - A couple of 2017 NCAA Tournament teams await the Miami University volleyball team as it competes in the Holiday Inn - University Plaza Invitational this weekend. On Friday, the RedHawks face Chattanooga at 4:30 p.m. (EDT). On Saturday, Miami opens with Notre Dame at 10:30 a.m. (EDT) and takes on host Western Kentucky at 3:30 p.m. (EDT).

FRESHMEN CONTRIBUTING: Freshman outside hitter Gaby Harper continued her strong play from opening weekend, but in week two she was joined by three more freshmen as Miami's new class continues to breakout. Freshman middle hitter Corinne Jemison earned an All-Tournament honor at the Saluki Invitational and is now fourth on the RedHawks averaging 1.53 kills per set. Freshman outside hitter Sophie Riemersma has started each of the past three matches and has gotten the opportunity to play both front and back row. Freshman setter Jennifer Schulze has settled in as the second setter in Miami's 6-2 system, and is tasked with finding Jemison during her time on the court.

PAYNE MVP: For all the contributions of the freshmen class, it is a veteran leading the way in junior middle hitter Margaret Payne. She earned Saluki Invitational Tournament MVP honors after finishing with 30 kills, an average of 2.73 per set, and also contributing 12 blocks, an average of 1.09 per set. Payne had one of the best blocking matches of her career with seven (two solo and five assisted) against Dayton on Tuesday. She now has 28 blocks on the season, an average of 1.00 per set.
  ABOUT CHATTANOOGA: The Mocs are 4-3 on the season. They won their home tournament last weekend with victories over UNC Asheville (3-1), Tennessee State (3-1) and North Alabama (3-2). They dropped their last contest at Tennessee Tech (1-3) on Tuesday. Chattanooga has a very balanced offense with six different athletes averaging 1.6 kills per set or more. Leading the way is junior middle hitter Dani Szczepanski with 71 kills, an average of 2.63 per set. She is hitting .473 on the season.

SERIES WITH MOCS: Miami won its only meeting with Chattanooga, 3-2 (25-17, 25-23, 18-25, 21-25, 15-11) on Sept. 14, 2012 in Bloomington, Indiana. The RedHawks overcame a 6-9 deficit in the final set with a 9-2 run to earn the victory. Madison Dodd recorded 17 kills for Miami, while Meg Riley had a triple-double with 13 kills, 22 assists and 10 digs.

ABOUT NOTRE DAME: The Fighting Irish are 4-1 on the season. Last weekend they defeated Oakland at home on Friday, 3-0. They followed that up with their first loss of the season, in four sets, to 20th-ranked Purdue on Sunday. While Notre Dame is replacing several starters from last season's NCAA Tournament team, it does return one of the best liberos in the nation in senior Ryann DeJarld. She already has 97 digs in five matches this season, an average of 6.06 digs per set.

SERIES WITH FIGHTING IRISH: The series between Miami and Notre Dame is tied at three wins apiece. The last meeting came on Sept. 18, 1999 at Notre Dame with the Irish winning in straight sets. Alissia Thompson led the 'Hawks with 10 kills.

ABOUT WESTERN KENTUCKY: The Lady Toppers are 3-4 on the season. They went 1-2 at the Saint Louis tournament last weekend, defeating host Saint Louis (3-0) on Friday before falling to Marquette (0-3) and Kansas State (1-3) on Saturday. Similar to the RedHawks, WKU is integrating a large number of newcomers into its team after having a senior dominated team the season before. It has been led by senior middle hitter Rachel Anderson. She has 81 kills, an average of 3.38 per set.

SERIES WITH LADY TOPPERS: Miami holds a 4-3 lead in the all-time series with Western Kentucky. The RedHawks fell to the Lady Toppers, 1-3 (22-25, 20-25, 27-25, 19-25) in their last meeting on Aug. 25, 2017 in Oxford. Stela Kukoc led the way with a double-double of 13 kills and 11 digs for Miami.