Volleyball Hits the Road for Two Patriot League Matches

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LEWISBURG, Pa. – Fresh off a thrilling win at home over Holy Cross, the Bucknell volleyball team is on the road this weekend as it continues conference play with matches against Patriot League opponents on back-to-back days. The Bison will play at American on Friday night, and will head to Annapolis, Maryland to play Navy the following day.

Bucknell improved to 1-1 in the conference with its win over Holy Cross, which it clinched with a wild 38-36 victory in the fourth set. The Bison are currently third in the Patriot League standings, but three teams will make their PL season debuts this weekend.

The Bison will have their hands full on Friday when they travel to Washington, D.C. to play the perennial power of the conference. American has won 11 of the past 13 Patriot League titles, and advanced to third round of last year's NCAA Tournament. The Eagles, who have won four straight matches to improve to 8-4 overall, will be playing their first league match of the season.

They will then turn their attention to Navy (4-6, 1-0) on Saturday. Based on the all-time series results, fans can expect a competitive match. In a series that began back in 1981, the Mids have just a slight 24-21 lead, including a sweep of last year's two matches.

Bucknell's young squad – it hasn't had a senior on the court yet, while five freshmen have seen significant playing time – has put up some of the best defensive statistics in the conference. Those stats were bolstered in the win over the Crusaders, as four players had at least 17 digs, and the team combined for four solo blocks and 22 block assists.

The Bison still lead the Patriot League in blocks by a wide margin, averaging 2.61 per set compared to second-place American's 2.06. They also hold the top two spots in the individual leaders of the category. Erika Eastley (1.23 digs/set) is first, while Karen Campbell (1.21/set) is right behind her in second.

Kristen Parks leads Bucknell in digs and ranks fifth in the conference, averaging 3.72 per set. Katie Price is sixth at 3.59 per set.

Following the weekend road trip, the Bison will play at Lehigh on Oct. 3, before returning home for an Oct. 4 match against Lafayette at Davis Gym.