Bucknell University Athletics
Volleyball Welcomes Navy and American to Bucknell for Weekend of Patriot League Action
9/26/2013 4:42:00 PM | Volleyball
LEWISBURG, Pa. – After opening up Patriot League play with two road games last weekend, first-year head coach Anna Allison's Bison will return to Davis Gymnasium on Friday evening for the first of two Family Weekend matches. Bucknell will kick things off with a 7 p.m. game against Navy on Friday night before welcoming American to Lewisburg for a 5 p.m. matchup on Saturday. Action between the Bison and the Midshipmen will be broadcast live on Bison Vision on the Patriot League Network.
Friday's game marks the 44th meeting between Bucknell and Navy, with the Midshipmen holding a slight, 22-21 series advantage over the Bison. Navy claimed both matches between the two teams last season, but Bucknell put up a hard fight each time, bringing the Midshipmen to five sets last November. American presents a formidable challenge for Bucknell, as the Bison have claimed just one victory in the 34 meetings between the two teams, with the Eagles claiming both matches last season.
Under Allison's guidance, the Bison competed impressively in all three of their early season tournaments. The team heads into this weekend with a 6-5 overall record and is one of five Patriot League teams with a winning mark. The squad fell in three sets to Holy Cross on Friday and was narrowly overcome in three by Army on Saturday, giving Bucknell an 0-2 record in the Patriot League. Final results do not tell the whole story however, as the Bison brought both the Crusaders and the Black Knights down to the wire in each set, priming them for this weekend's competition.
Freshman Erika Eastley, one of the best blockers in the league and the nation, has made a significant impact for the Bison in her rookie season. She leads the Patriot League with 1.40 blocks per set, a number that puts her 17th in the country. The middle blocker is also the squad's top hitter, and her .351 hitting percentage ranks her third in the Patriot League. Sophomore Karen Campbell ranks third in the league with .93 blocks per set, while also producing a .305 hitting percentage, Bucknell's second best.
Morgan Mientus serves as a threat on both offense and defense, as the senior leads the team with 98 kills and has also contributed 3.10 digs per set. Defensively, sophomore libero Katie Price ranks fifth in the Patriot League with 4.28 digs per set, while the Bison's 2.44 blocks per set put the team second in the league. Additionally, Bucknell holds an advantage over its opponents in digs per set (14.56-14.16) and blocks per set (2.44-2.40).
Navy travels to Lewisburg with a 5-7 overall record and 1-0 mark in the Patriot League, earning its first league win of the season in a three-set victory over Lafayette last Saturday. Prior to that, the Midshipmen went 1-2 at the University of Cincinnati tournament.
Katie Sylakowski is the squad's best hitter, compiling a .342 hitting percentage to go along with her 2.02 kills per set. She is aided in the offense by Erin Fortner, who is averaging 3.46 kills per set, the second-best number in the Patriot Leage. Alex Karika is Navy's most prolific helper, contributing 9.62 assists per set, while Alli Graf anchors the defense with 183 digs. Both Fortner and Graf played a key role in the Midshipmen's win over the Leopards last weekend.
American, a perennial powerhouse in the Patriot League, saw its ten-match winning streak broken last Friday, falling to UC Irvine, 3-1. The Eagles rallied however, picking up three more wins to conclude the UC Irvine tournament and another against UMBC on Wednesday, and the team enters this weekend with a 14-1 record. Friday will kick off the Patriot League season for the squad, as American will play at Lafayette before traveling to Lewisburg on Saturday.
Kelly McCaddin is one of the Eagles' best offensive threats, hitting .440, a percentage that ranks her first in the Patriot League and 16th in the country. She is aided by Kristyna Lindovska's league-leading 158 kills and Morgan Hendrix's .358 hitting percentage. Reigning Molten Patriot League Player of the Week Julie Crum is also a strong contributor, earning her fifth consecutive double-double against UMBC. As a unit, the team currently leads the Patriot League in hitting percentage (.276), kills per set (13.88) and blocks (2.55).
The Bison will take on two more Patriot League foes next weekend, remaining at home on Saturday, Oct. 5 for a 5 p.m. game against the Lehigh Mountain Hawks before traveling to Easton for a 2 p.m. match against the Lafayette Leopards on Sunday, Oct. 6.
