Volleyball Set to Play Three Matches at Marist's Volley in the Valley

LEWISBURG, Pa. – The Bucknell volleyball team looks to continue its outstanding start to the 2015 season as it prepares to play three matches at Marist's Volley in the Valley this weekend. The Bison will play La Salle on Friday at 7:30 p.m., and will return for Saturday matches against Bryant at 11 a.m. and the host Red Foxes at 7 p.m.

The Bison's 4-1 record through four matches is the program's best start to a season since 2005. They are coming off two wins at the SHU Hampton Inn Shelton Invitational, where Karen Campbell was named the Tournament MVP and Hana Sawanobori and Blake Buchholz were voted to the All-Tournament Team.

The Tournament MVP honor helped Campbell land Patriot League Player of the Week accolades, the first for Bucknell since 2010. She ranks fourth in the conference in both kills (3.26/set) and hitting percentage (.379) and is sixth in blocks (1.05/set). Meghan Wentzel is second in the league in assists (10.16/set), while Jenna Slusar has provided a spark with eight aces, which ranks fifth in the league. As a team, the Bison are second in hitting percentage (.218) and kills/set (12.89).

vs. La Salle – Friday, 7:30 p.m. – Live Stats
La Salle enters with a record of 4-4, including a 3-0 win over Lafayette. The Explorers are coming off a 3-0 win over Delaware State. They are one of the best serving teams in the Atlantic 10, ranking first with 1,86 aces/set. Hannah McGary and Laura Kuhlmeier fuel that number with 12 aces apiece. Bucknell holds a 15-7 lead in the all-time series, including wins in the past five meetings. The last matchup was a 3-1 Bison win in 2013.

vs. Bryant – Saturday, 11 a.m. – Live Stats
Bryant won its first four matches of the season but lost its past four to drop to 4-4. Included in their wins was a 3-1 victory over Holy Cross. The Bulldogs lead the Northeast Conference in digs/set (16.5). Debora Mahalhaes leads the conference in that category, averaging 5.40/set. The teams have met just one other time, a 3-1 Bucknell win in the 2009 Volley in the Valley.

at Marist – Saturday, 7 p.m. – Live Stats | Watch Live ($)
Marist is 3-4 after posting a 1-2 record against Patriot League teams in its past three matches. The losses came to Lehigh and Lafayette, while the win came over Army West Point in their most recent contest. The Red Foxes have the second best hitting percentage (.206) in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, set up by Amanda Schlegel, who ranks second in the conference with 7.41 assists/set. Marist has averaged 23 wins over the past two seasons, but Bucknell leads the all-time series 8-1.