Volleyball Opens Conference Play at Home Versus Army and Colgate

Setting the Scene, Part I
Who: Bucknell (4-5, 0-0 PL) at Army (3-6, 0-0 PL)
When: Friday, Sept. 15 at 7 p.m.
Where: Davis Gym – Lewisburg, Pa.
Live Video: ESPN+
Live Stats: bucknellbison.com

Setting the Scene, Part II
Who: Bucknell (4-5, 0-0 PL) vs. Colgate (6-4, 0-0 PL)
When: Saturday, Sept. 16 at 4 p.m.
Where: Davis Gym – Lewisburg, Pa.
Live Video: ESPN+
Live Stats: bucknellbison.com

About Bucknell

Bucknell hit the road for the CSU Invitational and went 2-1 against strong competition. The Bison defeated Akron on Friday in a three-set comeback. Bucknell fell to Harvard on Saturday in three sets but defeated Cleveland State in five.
Bucknell will play Army on Friday and Colgate on Saturday. Both contests will be streamed on ESPN+ and live stats will be available for both games. The links are in this article and on the Bucknell volleyball schedule page.
Bucknell is 15-12 in non-conference matchups under Head Coach Tyler Hagstrom. Last season, the Bison were 7-2 in non-conference games, including a 6-0 start. That start was the best in Bucknell's history.
The Bison were picked to finish fifth in the preseason poll. Reigning champion Colgate was selected to repeat as title-winners. Jordan Hardy was crowned Preseason Libero of the Year. It is the first time a Bucknell libero was awarded the honor. She led the Patriot League in digs (591), 71 more than the nearest opposition, and digs per serve (5.68). Her digs per serve mark ranked her fifth in the nation. Hardy was All-Patriot League Second Team last season.
The Orange & Blue return most of their offensive and defensive prowess. Bri Frazilus, the 2022 Patriot League Rookie of the Year, totaled 293 kills to lead the team and finish fifth in the Patriot League. Senior Catherine "Cat" Jamison collected 263 kills and 277 points, both top-ten in the Patriot League. Along with the returners, the Bison welcome five newcomers to the squad.
Hagstrom enters his fourth season at the helm of the Bison herd. He is joined by third-year assistant Jeremy Young and newly hired assistant coach Haylie Clark, who recently graduated from Elon after a stellar playing career.
Jordan Hardy currently leads the Patriot League in digs per set and ranks fifth in the nation for the category. Her 36 digs against Cleveland State are tied for third-most in a five-set game in the NCAA this season.

Scouting Army/Series History

The Black Knights are 3-6. They went 2-1 last weekend at the Georgia Invitational as they defeated Samford (3-1) and Jacksonville University (3-1) but were swept by Georgia.
Army finished 18-9 overall and 14-2 in the Patriot League in 2022 but were upset by Navy in the Patriot League Semifinals.
Savannah Bray leads the Black Knights with 78 kills.
The Black Knights of the Hudson were selected to finish second in the Patriot League Preseason Poll. They ranked two points behind leading vote receiver Colgate. Paige Fixemer received a slot on the All-League Preseason Team.
Head coach Alma Kovaci Lee is in her 17th season as the head general of the Army team with a career record of 304-160.
Bucknell is 14-45 all-time against Army. The Bison have lost the last 12 games and 29 out of 30 contests to the Black Knights.

Scouting Colgate/Series History

The Raiders are 6-4 on the season and just hosted a tournament where they went 3-0, including a defeat of Big 12 West Virginia and wins over Albany and Cornell. Colgate bested rival Syracuse on Tuesday night.
Colgate finished 24-6 in 2022, with a 14-2 mark in Patriot League play. They won the Patriot League Tournament and lost 3-0 to Pittsburgh in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament.
Gillian Hauschild leads the squad with 87 kills.
Colgate was picked first in the Patriot League League preseason poll. Abby Shadwick was selected for the preseason All-League Team.
Head Coach Ryan Baker enters his 18th season as head coach of the Colgate program. He has won three Patriot League crowns.
Bucknell is 23-46 against Colgate. The Bison have lost nine straight to the Hamilton, New York team.

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