Lady Demon Volleyball | 9/13/2018 1:15:00 PM

NORMAN, Oklahoma – Tournament season concludes for the Northwestern State volleyball team this weekend as it plays in the Oklahoma Nike Invitational.
 
With three tournaments behind them, it is natural to think the Lady Demons have settled on a rotation as they prepare to face host Oklahoma at 11 a.m. Friday in the opening match of the two-day tournament.
 
NSU also will face Texas A&M at 11 a.m. Saturday in its final tournament match of the regular season. Friday's match against Oklahoma will be available on Fox Sports Oklahoma (Channel 675 on DirecTV).
 
"We have enough options now that we've been experimenting with things," fourth-year Sean Kiracofe said. "It may be rougher at times leading into conference play next week, but it will be better for us in the long run to know who can do what in what situations. We know we have those options, we want to get them experience now. We're still playing with some things, which is both good and bad."
 
That depth has helped the Lady Demons fashion a 4-4 record entering its final non-conference tournament. One win would guarantee Northwestern State its first .500 or better non-conference mark since 2012.
 
Northwestern State's second straight trip to the Sooner State comes with a different set of challenges than its entry in the Tulsa Volleyball Invitational this past weekend.
 
For the first time since the opening weekend of the season, the Lady Demons will face a member of a Power Five conference. This time, NSU squares off with a pair of those foes in Oklahoma (4-4) and Texas A&M (6-3), both of whom have first-year head coaches.
 
"They both have big kids and are long at the net," Kiracofe said. "Neither of them is doing anything off the wall and crazy. We'll have some advantages in some situations. We have to be consistent and exploit them when we have them."
 
With the Sooners and Aggies having played several matches under their first-year coaches, the Lady Demons were able to better put together a scouting report on their opponents as opposed to facing them on the opening weekend of the season.

Regardless of when those Power Five foes fell on the schedule, Kiracofe said he expects his team to perform at a high level.
 
"I think we can compete with anybody," he said. "It's not always going to be banging heads with bigger athletes, but we have experience, ball control and defense that can keep us in rallies and any type of game. We are experienced and smart enough players to be able to score and compete against anybody we play."
 
A pair of seniors paced Northwestern State this past weekend in Tulsa.
 
Madeline Drake was named to her second straight all-tournament team, knocking down 14 kills in two matches against only one error in her hometown. Through eight matches, Drake is hitting .343, a mark that would stand second in school single-season history.
 
"She's been great," Kiracofe said. "We've changed some things with how we have our middles attacking, which is not easy. You have different setters and now you have different sets on how we're attacking as far as her tempo and approach. She's done a fantastic job with it. She's been dedicated and working hard to make this a great year."
 
Defensively, Channing Burleson continues to anchor the Lady Demons' back row.
 
Burleson collected the sixth 30-dig match of her career in a four-set loss to Oral Roberts on Sept. 7. It marked the fifth time Burleson has notched 30 or more digs in a four-set match.
 
Entering this weekend, Burleson ranks 29^th nationally and leads the Southland Conference in digs per set (5.28). She stands six digs behind the conference co-leaders in total digs despite playing 12 fewer sets.
 
"Her consistency is amazing," Kiracofe said. "You expect it, and it gets to a point where you almost overlook it. It's always there. Even when teams are hitting or serving away from her, she finds a way to be productive. At the end of the match, you look at the stat sheet and she's put up great numbers. She just produces."