Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Volleyball Opens Patriot League Action with American, Navy
9/23/2010 8:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Sept. 23, 2010
- In the Herd: Patriot League Volleyball Preview
- Bucknell-American Live Stats
- Bucknell-Navy Live Stats
LEWISBURG, Pa. – Bucknell will help the Patriot League kick off its 21st season of volleyball on Friday night, hosting American at 7 p.m. in Davis Gym. The Bison will have a stiff test in their match with the Eagles, but Bucknell hopes to have history on its side after having won 15 of their 20 Patriot League openers. Play will continue at 5 p.m. on Saturday with Navy making a stop at Davis Gym. Live stats for both matches will be available on GameTracker at BucknellBison.com.
ABOUT THE BISON
- For the second week in a row, Ragin Jackson (Cortlandt Manor, N.Y./Hendrick Hudson) was named to an all-tournament team, earning the honor at the Columbia Classic last Saturday. Jackson finished the weekend with 16 kills, which ranked third on the team, and led the Bison in blocks with 11.
- Despite Jackson's effort, the Bison fell in all three matches against Fairleigh Dickinson, Columbia and Fordham. The outcome dropped Bucknell's record to 2-10 on the season.
- Kat Tauscher (Washington, D.C./National Cathedral School) led Bucknell in assists last weekend with 47. The sophomore posted 18 against Columbia before adding 22 later in the day against Fordham. Both totals broke her previous career high for a single match.
- Lindsay Regruto (Atlanta, Ga./Marist School) set a career high of her own, serving four aces – all in one set – opposite Columbia. Emily Sawanobori (Warren, N.J./Watchung Hills) equaled the performance with four aces against Fordham.
- Five Bison finished the weekend with double-digit digs. Leading the way was Leylin Marroquin (Lone Tree, Colo./Highlands Ranch) with 27 digs in three matches. Also in double figures were Rachel Rodriguez (Sagamore Hills, Ohio/Walsh Jesuit), Morgan Clark (Purcellville, Va./Loudoun Valley), Tauscher and Kristen Titley (Coral Gables, Fla./Palmer Trinity School).
- Bucknell is 15-5 in Patriot League openers, including 7-3 since 2000. The Bison fell to Army in four sets in their league opener last season.
- As a team, Bucknell is tied for third in the Patriot League in total blocks with 2.0/set. Helping the Bison to that mark are Jackson, Anne Ellenberger (Phoenix, Ariz./Horizon Honors) and Heidi Kamp (Eugene, Ore./Henry D. Sheldon). Jackson ranks third in the league in locks with 1.03/set, while Ellenberger is eighth at 0.79/set.
- Kamp continues to make her way up Bucknell's all-time block assists list. The senior co-captain has 235 in her career, putting her four block assists shy of tying Hall of Famer Katie Steele for No. 3 in program annals.
- Bucknell has struggled in past meetings with American and trails the Eagles 1-26 in the all-time series. The Bison's lone win came in five sets in 1996.
- Bucknell managed just one set off American last season, falling 3-0 in October and 3-1 in November. In the teams' first match of 2009, Jackson led the Bison with seven kills, but the Eagles finished with four players in double-digits. American also out-blocked Bucknell 10-4 as a team. The Bison put up a stronger performance a month later in their home gym. Kamp finished with nine kills, while Rodriguez chipped in 14 assists.
- Bucknell is on the verge of taking over the all-time series lead from Navy but currently trails 18-19. That record is deceiving of Bucknell's recent success, however, as the Bison lead 14-6 since 2000.
- Bucknell and Navy traded sweeps in 2009. The Bison defeated the Midshipmen in straight sets in Annapolis, Md., in October, led by Kamp with seven kills, a .467 attack percentage and six total blocks. Navy returned the favor in November, giving the Mids their first win over Bucknell since 2007.
ABOUT THE EAGLES
- American comes to Lewisburg with an 11-2 record and a five-match winning streak. That stretch includes victories over Siena (3-0), Howard (3-1), Towson (3-0), Stony Brook (3-0) and Loyola (3-0). Through 13 matches, the Eagles have won 33 of 39 sets.
- Angelina Waterman and Magdalena Tekiel are neck-and-neck for the team lead in kills this season. Waterman has totaled 147 (3.68/set), and Tekiel is close behind at 146 (3.56/set). Krysta Cicala has a strong hold on the assists lead, however, tallying 370 (9.74/set) through 13 matches. Defensively, the Eagles have Deborah Frantz with 150 digs (3.57/set) and Katerina Cinkova with 41 total blocks (1.05/set).
- The Eagles also have claimed three of the first four Patriot League Player of the Week awards. Tekiel opened the season with back-to-back top player honors, while Waterman earned the latest on Monday. American leads the Patriot League in nearly every team statistical category through non-league play. As of Sept. 22, the Eagles were tops in attack percentage (.302), opponent attack percentage (.154), assists (12.26/set), kills (13.41/set), blocks (2.10/set) and aces (2.08/set).
- American was ranked second in the Patriot League Preseason Poll with 90 points prior to the start of competition. The Eagles were just two points behind defending champion Army.
- The Eagles finished second in the Patriot League last season, ending a streak of eight straight league championships. The 2009 season ended with an 18-13 record overall and an 11-3 tally in the league behind First Team All-Patriot League honors for Tekiel and second-team accolades for Waterman.
ABOUT THE MIDSHIPMEN
- Navy enters the weekend with a 4-10 record and its Patriot League-opening contest against Colgate in Hamilton, N.Y., on Friday. The Mids earned three of their victories in the first two tournaments of the season, taking decisions over Providence (3-1) at the Norfolk State Invitational and Central Connecticut State (3-0) and Delaware State (3-1) at the Buffalo Tournament. Most recently, Navy defeated Morgan State in straight sets.
- Leading the way for the Midshipmen this season is freshman Erin Fortner. Fortner, who was named the Patriot League Rookie of the Week on Sept. 7, is tops on the team in kills with 113 (2.31/set) this season. She also ranks second on the squad in assists with 202 (4.12/set). She has been edged out for the team lead by Jenny Rudewicz, who has 220 assists (4.23/set). Defensively, Navy has Holly Berger with 191 digs (3.67/set) and Ndidi Ibe with 54 total blocks (1.04/set).
- After finishing 2009 with an 8-21 record overall and a 3-11 record in the league, the Mids were picked seventh in this year's Patriot League Preseason Poll.
LOOKING AHEAD
Bucknell will continue with its Patriot League slate Oct. 1-2, making the short trip to Lehigh and Lafayette. Friday's matchup with the Mountain Hawks is slated for 7 p.m. in Bethlehem, Pa., while the showdown with the Leopards is set for 4 p.m. in Easton, Pa.
