Volleyball Starts Conference Play This Weekend Versus Lehigh & Lafayette

Setting the Scene, Part I
Who: Bucknell (3-6) vs. Lehigh (6-3)
When: Friday, Sept. 19 at 7 p.m.
Where: Davis Gym - Lewisburg, Pa.
Live Video: ESPN+
Live Stats: bucknellbison.com

Setting the Scene, Part II
Who: Bucknell (3-6) at Lafayette (2-8)
When: Sunday, Sept. 21 at 4 p.m.
Where: Kirby Sports Center - Easton, Pa.
Live Video: ESPN+
Live Stats: goleopards.com

About Bucknell

Bucknell Volleyball begins Patriot League play this weekend with two Keystone State rivalry matches against Lehigh and Lafayette. Both contests will be streamed on ESPN+. Live Stats links for both matches can be found on the Bucknell Volleyball schedule page. Live updates will be tweeted on Bucknell Volleyball's X account.
Non-conference play wrapped up last weekend at the Binghamton Invitational. The Bison conquered Canisius for the second straight season and defeated Mercyhurst but dropped a five-set epic to host Binghamton.
Cameron Lloyd and Sidney Shaffer earned spots on the All-Tournament Team. Shaffer posted a team-high 47 kills. Lloyd played a strong libero, shoveling 58 digs and collecting seven aces.
Shaffer won her first Patriot League Volleyball Player of the Week award on Tuesday. She earned two Rookie of the Week laurels in 2023.
The Bison were selected to finish third in the Patriot League preseason poll behind reigning champion Colgate and Army. Bucknell lost 3-2 in the Patriot League semifinals last year to the Black Knights of the Hudson.
Caleigh O'Connell returns for her senior season after winning 2024 Patriot League Setter of the Year. O'Connell picked up the 2025 preseason edition of the honor and along with Sidney Shaffer landed on the All-Patriot League Preseason team.
Tijana Kostic has one final year with the Bison after notching Second Team honors in 2024.
The program lost two-time Patriot League Libero of the Year Jordan Hardy to graduation. She was the first Bison to win the award and earn AVCA Honorable Mention honors. Hardy graduated as the program's all-time leader in digs with 1986.
Five freshmen join the Bison for 2025: Avery Bryan, Stephanie Eroh, Brynna Guy, Peyton McGee, and Klea Tarja. Four of the five players have seen action for Bucknell.
Bucknell has a new head coach at the helm. Tyler Hagstrom, who rebuilt the program, left in July for the head position at Penn. Assistant coach Jeremy Young was elevated to interim head coach. Young enters his fifth year overall in Lewisburg.

Scouting Lehigh/Series History

The Mountain Hawks finished 16-13 overall and 8-8 in Patriot League play in 2024. Lehigh earned the sixth seed for the Patriot League Tournament. They upset third-seed American in quarterfinal action before being erased in four sets by one-seed and eventual conference champion Colgate in the semifinals.
Lehigh sits at 6-3 after non-conference play. They went 2-1 last weekend, defeating NJIT and Sacred Heart before losing to Valparaiso.
Bucknell and Lehigh shared one common opponent in Binghamton. The Mountain Hawks swept the Bearcats in Binghamton.
The Mountain Hawks were projected to finish fifth in PL Preseason Poll and placed Natalie Luscomb on the All-Preseason Team.
Lehigh has four players with 70+ kills with Ufuoma Omene leading the way with 89.
Madison McCartney leads the PL in blocks per set (1.25).
Shawn McLaughlin enters his first season as Lehigh's head coach. His previous stop was at Delaware where he won a CAA title.
Bucknell trails Lehigh 34-55 in the all-time series but the Bison have won the last four matches.

Scouting Lafayette/Series History

Lafayette sank to 7-18 overall and a 2-14 mark in Patriot League play last season. The team did not qualify for the PL Tournament and finished the year losing their last 12 out of 13 games.
The Leopards have started 2-8 albeit against an ambitious schedule which included two ranked foes in #24 Dayton and #23 Utah. They also faced and were swept by Tyler Hagstrom's Penn squad.
Bucknell and Lafayette did not share a common non-conference foe.
Lafayette was picked to finish eighth in the nine-team PL volleyball circuit.
Auma Mbeche-Odhiambo is third in the loop with 130 kills.
Jeff Werneke is another brand-new Patriot League head coach. He will be familiar with the Bison, as he spent the last three seasons as Binghamton's associate head coach.
Bucknell owns the 51-27 series lead over Lafayette. The Bison have won six straight over Lafayette, including three consecutive sweeps.

Up Next

Bucknell continues Patriot League competition when the Bison travel to Holy Cross and preseason favorite Colgate on Sept. 26-27.

Volleyball Starts Conference Play This Weekend Versus Lehigh & Lafayette

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Avery Bryan

Stephanie Eroh

Brynna Guy

Jordan Hardy

Tijana Kostic

Cameron Lloyd

Peyton McGee

Caleigh O'Connell

Sidney Shaffer

Klea Tarja

Volleyball Starts Conference Play This Weekend Versus Lehigh & Lafayette

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Avery Bryan

Stephanie Eroh

Brynna Guy

Jordan Hardy

Tijana Kostic

Cameron Lloyd

Peyton McGee

Caleigh O'Connell

Sidney Shaffer

Klea Tarja

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