Bucknell University Athletics
Bison Volleyball Opens Home Schedule with Bucknell Invitational
9/16/2009 8:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Sept. 16, 2009
Schedule and GameTracker Links
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Bucknell volleyball will play at home for the first time this season when it hosts the Bucknell Invitational Friday, Sept. 18 and Saturday, Sept. 19. The Bison will welcome Delaware State, Radford and Rutgers to Davis Gym for the 27th annual tournament. Live stats on GameTracker will be available for all matches at BucknellBison.com.
ABOUT THE BISON
- Bucknell took on some particularly tough opponents last weekend at the Akron Invitational. Despite the team's progress, the Bison's record took a hit as they fell 3-0 to West Virginia, Akron and Saint Francis (Pa.).
- Kaitlin Segal (Pacific Palisades, Calif./Harvard-Westlake) was named to the All-Tournament Team at Akron. The junior outside hitter recorded a team-best 21 kills and was second on the squad in digs with 16.
- Bucknell has seen a good amount of success on the blocking front this season. The Bison have recorded 63 total blocks compared to 49.5 for their opponents. Bucknell has out-blocked their opponents in six of their nine matches.
- Cindy Opalski hit a career milestone when the Bison took on Providence in the last game of the Marist Invitational Sept. 6 by coaching her 700th career match. Opalski is now in her 24th year as a head coach, 20 of which have been in the Orange and Blue. Her record in those matches stands at 374-329 overall and 282-281 at Bucknell.
- This weekend marks the 27th time the Bison have hosted a Bucknell Invitational. The event began in 1982 with Bucknell defeating Towson State, Scranton, West Chester, Robert Morris and SUNY-Cortland. The home team also dropped their final contest against West Chester for an inaugural tournament record of 5-1. The Bison have amassed a winning record at their home tournament for a 26-year tally of 50-47. The only year the invitational was not held was in 2001 following the attacks on September 11.
ABOUT THE HORNETS
- Bucknell leads the series with Delaware State 2-0. The last time the two teams met was at the Hartford Tournament in 1996 with the Bison winning 3-0.
- Delaware State is 6-5 on the year. The Hornets just hosted their own tournament, going undefeated against Norfolk State, Navy and La Salle.
- Leading the Hornets offensively this season are Cassandra Joyner, Erica Tajchman and Sarah Wheatcroft. Joyner, who was named the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Player of the Week last Monday and is Delaware State's lone senior, has recorded a team-best 129 kills (3.32/set) and 39 blocks (0.98/set). Tajchman also has crossed the century mark in kills with 104 (2.67/set). Wheatcroft has played a major role in those kills total, as she leads the team with 289 assists (7.61/set).
- Defensively, the Hornets rely on Martina Ferrari. The Italian has 159 digs (3.97/set) on the year.
ABOUT THE HIGHLANDERS
- Bucknell has taken on Radford just once in program history, falling 3-2 at the 2007 Bucknell Invitational. The Bison's Rachel Rodriguez (Sagamore Hills, Ohio/Walsh Jesuit) set a career high with 35 assists in that matchup. Segal posted a double-double with 14 kills and 12 digs, while Heidi Kamp (Eugene, Ore./Henry D. Sheldon) had 10 kills.
- Radford is 7-5 this year. The Highlanders most recently fell 3-0 to Elon last Tuesday on the road.
- The Highlanders have a balanced attack with multiple players getting in on the action. Laura Waddell leads the team with 103 kills (2.19/set), Desiree Aramburu has a team-best 353 assists (8.02) and Kiley Kent leads at the service line with 33 aces (0.70/set). Defensively, Radford has three players with at least 100 digs in Katelyn Meeks (176 digs), Lauren Clary (146) and Kent (112). Carly Fleming is tops on the squad with 32 total blocks (0.74/set).
ABOUT THE SCARLET KNIGHTS
- Similar to their experience with Radford, the Bison are 0-1 in the all-time series with Rutgers and like their experience with Delaware State, the last time the Bison played the Scarlet Knights was at the 1996 Hartford Tournament. Rutgers came out on top in Connecticut, 3-1.
- Rutgers is 3-7 in 2009. Two of those wins came at its most recent tournament. The Scarlet Knights finished 2-2 at the NC State Classic last weekend with wins over the host Wolfpack and Dartmouth. They also lost to George Mason and Xavier in Raleigh. Rutgers' other win this year came at the expense of Princeton.
- Leading the way at the net for the Scarlet Knights is Caitlin Saxton with 148 kills (3.70/set). Rutgers also has two setters with more than 100 assists in 2009. Stephanie Zielinski has 283 (8.32/set), while Kallie Pence is at 106 (4.61/set).
- Defensively, Jamie Godfrey has a team-best 164 digs (4.10/set). Alex Jones is tops in blocks with 23 (0.57/set) for the year.
BUCKNELL INVITATIONAL SCHEDULE
| Friday, Sept. 18: | Radford vs. Rutgers, 5 p.m. |
| Bucknell vs. Delaware State, 7:30 p.m. | |
| Saturday, Sept. 19: | Delaware State vs. Rutgers, 10 a.m. |
| Bucknell vs. Radford, 12 p.m. | |
| Delaware State vs. Radford, 3 p.m. | |
| Bucknell vs. Rutgers, 5 p.m. |
UP NEXT
Following its invitational, Bucknell will stay in Davis Gym for their first Patriot League matches of the year. The Bison start off by hosting Army at 7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 25. The match with the Black Knights will be broadcast on Bison Vision. League play will continue at 5 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 26 with Holy Cross. Live stats on GameTracker will be available for both matches at BucknellBison.com.
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