Friday, September 20
Morgantown, W.Va.
7:00 p.m.
West Virginia University
vs
Duquesne
Photo by: Katie MacCrory
Mountaineers Return to the WVU Coliseum
September 19, 2019 04:59 PM | Volleyball
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Following three consecutive weeks on the road, the West Virginia University volleyball team returns to the WVU Coliseum this weekend to wrap up the bulk of its nonconference schedule, as the squad plays host to Duquesne, Eastern Kentucky and Navy in the 2019 Mountaineer Invitational, from Sept. 20-21, in Morgantown.
Live stats and video for all three matches can be found on WVUsports.com.
"It's good to be back," fifth-year coach Reed Sunahara said. "We're excited to play on our home court and in front of our home crowd. We play three good teams this weekend, but we have to take it one match at a time. We have to play our game. We have to continue to serve and pass well. We have to win that battle. We have to attack at a high level and play good volleyball. I'm excited to see them play this weekend."
WVU (5-4) will give away jersey koozies to the first 250 fans in attendance at Friday's home opener against the Dukes (4-6) at 7 p.m. Additionally, Mountaineer Maniac students in attendance will receive free food and a giveaway item. Autographs also will take place following the match.
WVU kicks off Saturday's doubleheader event with free donuts and coffee to the first 100 fans, as the Mountaineers take on Eastern Kentucky (5-6) at 10 a.m. West Virginia returns to the court later that evening, as the squad goes head-to-head with Navy (4-4) at 7 p.m. The Mountaineers will host a canned food drive during their evening tilt. Fans who bring a canned food item to donate to The Rack, WVU's student food bank, are eligible for a discounted ticket ($3). The second autograph session of the year also will follow the match against the Midshipmen.
Fans can purchase tickets by visiting WVUGAME.com, calling 1-800-WVUGAME or at the Mountaineer Ticket Office, located at the Gold Gate of the WVU Coliseum. All tickets are general admission.
When purchasing online, tickets are $5 each and $3 for groups of 10 or more. At the WVU Coliseum ticket window, tickets will be $7 for adults, $5 for youth and seniors and $3 for groups. The discounted online pricing will be available until first serve on game day. Fans are encouraged to order tickets in advance online at WVUGAME.com to avoid lines at the gate.
Tickets for WVU students are free with a valid student I.D.
The Mountaineers and the Dukes have met 46 times in program history, with West Virginia holding a 27-19 advantage in the all-time series. The two teams have not played each other since 2013, with WVU's last win taking place at the WVU Coliseum on Nov. 11, 2007.
It's been 13 years since West Virginia and Eastern Kentucky last squared off. The two teams have played just five times since 1981, with EKU holding a slim, 3-2 edge in the all-time series. The Mountaineers last defeated the Colonels on Sept. 16, 2000, in a neutral-site matchup.
West Virginia and Navy will go head-to-head for the fourth time in program history. WVU is 3-0 in the all-time series, with the Mountaineers claiming their latest victory over the Midshipmen on Sept. 7, 2013, in Morgantown.
The Mountaineers are coming off a 1-2 weekend at the Outrigger Hotels and Resorts Volleyball Challenge, held at the Stan Sheriff Center, in Honolulu, Hawai'i. Junior defensive specialist Alexa Hasting earned all-tournament team honors for her efforts at the three-day event.
The Mountaineers started the weekend off with a 3-1 setback to host Hawai'i, which was ranked No. 18 in the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Top-25 Poll last week, on Sept. 12, followed by a 3-0 loss to UCLA on Sept. 13. Despite back-to-back losses, West Virginia bounced back in its final match of the tournament, picking up a 3-0 sweep over Utah Valley on Sept. 14.
"Good teams win on the road," Sunahara said. "We have to win on the road. I thought that was a great experience for us. It was a good progression for us. I liked that our team came together and bonded on the road. The chemistry was good. I thought we played pretty well at times, but we have to be a lot more consistent."
As a team, West Virginia is hitting .204, while holding its opponents to a .194 clip. Sophomore middle blocker/outside hitter Kristin Jordan leads the team with 108 kills to average 3.48 per set, while sophomore outside hitter Kristin Lux ranks second with 85, averaging 2.66 kills per set. Hasting leads the floor defense with 142 digs to average 4.44 per set, while redshirt junior middle blocker Audrey Adams has a team-high 30 blocks, averaging 1.00 blocks per set.
Duquesne went 2-1 at the Valley Forge Sports Invitational held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, last weekend. Sophomore outside hitter Summer Slade and senior middle hitter Liz Wayne each landed on the all-tournament team for their efforts at the two-day event. Slade led the Dukes with 40 kills (3.64 k/s) and ranked second on the squad with 36 digs (3.27 d/s), posting two double-doubles on the weekend. Wayne posted a .415 hitting efficiency, connecting on 29 kills and a team-high eight blocks.
Eastern Kentucky is coming off a three-set loss to Marshall at home on Tuesday. However, the Colonels have already equalized their victory total from last season, picking up wins against Gardner-Webb, Dartmouth, North Carolina A&T, Seton Hall and St. Francis. Freshman outside hitter Abby Noll paces EKU's offense with 121 kills on the year to average 3.67 per set. She also ranks second on the team with 116 digs, averaging 3.52 per set. Of note, the Colonels rank first in the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) with 17.44 digs per set as a team.
Navy competed in the Michigan Challenge last weekend, losing in three sets to then-No. 24 Michigan on Friday and picking up a five-set win over Eastern Michigan on Saturday. The squad currently averages 13.3 kills per set, posting a .225 hitting percentage through eight matches this season. Additionally, the Midshipmen qualified for the 2018 NCAA Tournament, suffering a three-set loss to the Wolverines in the first round.
Looking ahead, West Virginia will kick off its Big 12 season against Texas Tech on Wednesday, Sept. 25, in Lubbock, Texas. First serve is set for 7 p.m. ET on ESPNU.
For more information on the Mountaineers, visit WVUsports.com and follow WVUVolleyball on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
Live stats and video for all three matches can be found on WVUsports.com.
"It's good to be back," fifth-year coach Reed Sunahara said. "We're excited to play on our home court and in front of our home crowd. We play three good teams this weekend, but we have to take it one match at a time. We have to play our game. We have to continue to serve and pass well. We have to win that battle. We have to attack at a high level and play good volleyball. I'm excited to see them play this weekend."
WVU (5-4) will give away jersey koozies to the first 250 fans in attendance at Friday's home opener against the Dukes (4-6) at 7 p.m. Additionally, Mountaineer Maniac students in attendance will receive free food and a giveaway item. Autographs also will take place following the match.
WVU kicks off Saturday's doubleheader event with free donuts and coffee to the first 100 fans, as the Mountaineers take on Eastern Kentucky (5-6) at 10 a.m. West Virginia returns to the court later that evening, as the squad goes head-to-head with Navy (4-4) at 7 p.m. The Mountaineers will host a canned food drive during their evening tilt. Fans who bring a canned food item to donate to The Rack, WVU's student food bank, are eligible for a discounted ticket ($3). The second autograph session of the year also will follow the match against the Midshipmen.
Fans can purchase tickets by visiting WVUGAME.com, calling 1-800-WVUGAME or at the Mountaineer Ticket Office, located at the Gold Gate of the WVU Coliseum. All tickets are general admission.
When purchasing online, tickets are $5 each and $3 for groups of 10 or more. At the WVU Coliseum ticket window, tickets will be $7 for adults, $5 for youth and seniors and $3 for groups. The discounted online pricing will be available until first serve on game day. Fans are encouraged to order tickets in advance online at WVUGAME.com to avoid lines at the gate.
Tickets for WVU students are free with a valid student I.D.
The Mountaineers and the Dukes have met 46 times in program history, with West Virginia holding a 27-19 advantage in the all-time series. The two teams have not played each other since 2013, with WVU's last win taking place at the WVU Coliseum on Nov. 11, 2007.
It's been 13 years since West Virginia and Eastern Kentucky last squared off. The two teams have played just five times since 1981, with EKU holding a slim, 3-2 edge in the all-time series. The Mountaineers last defeated the Colonels on Sept. 16, 2000, in a neutral-site matchup.
West Virginia and Navy will go head-to-head for the fourth time in program history. WVU is 3-0 in the all-time series, with the Mountaineers claiming their latest victory over the Midshipmen on Sept. 7, 2013, in Morgantown.
The Mountaineers are coming off a 1-2 weekend at the Outrigger Hotels and Resorts Volleyball Challenge, held at the Stan Sheriff Center, in Honolulu, Hawai'i. Junior defensive specialist Alexa Hasting earned all-tournament team honors for her efforts at the three-day event.
The Mountaineers started the weekend off with a 3-1 setback to host Hawai'i, which was ranked No. 18 in the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Top-25 Poll last week, on Sept. 12, followed by a 3-0 loss to UCLA on Sept. 13. Despite back-to-back losses, West Virginia bounced back in its final match of the tournament, picking up a 3-0 sweep over Utah Valley on Sept. 14.
"Good teams win on the road," Sunahara said. "We have to win on the road. I thought that was a great experience for us. It was a good progression for us. I liked that our team came together and bonded on the road. The chemistry was good. I thought we played pretty well at times, but we have to be a lot more consistent."
As a team, West Virginia is hitting .204, while holding its opponents to a .194 clip. Sophomore middle blocker/outside hitter Kristin Jordan leads the team with 108 kills to average 3.48 per set, while sophomore outside hitter Kristin Lux ranks second with 85, averaging 2.66 kills per set. Hasting leads the floor defense with 142 digs to average 4.44 per set, while redshirt junior middle blocker Audrey Adams has a team-high 30 blocks, averaging 1.00 blocks per set.
Duquesne went 2-1 at the Valley Forge Sports Invitational held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, last weekend. Sophomore outside hitter Summer Slade and senior middle hitter Liz Wayne each landed on the all-tournament team for their efforts at the two-day event. Slade led the Dukes with 40 kills (3.64 k/s) and ranked second on the squad with 36 digs (3.27 d/s), posting two double-doubles on the weekend. Wayne posted a .415 hitting efficiency, connecting on 29 kills and a team-high eight blocks.
Eastern Kentucky is coming off a three-set loss to Marshall at home on Tuesday. However, the Colonels have already equalized their victory total from last season, picking up wins against Gardner-Webb, Dartmouth, North Carolina A&T, Seton Hall and St. Francis. Freshman outside hitter Abby Noll paces EKU's offense with 121 kills on the year to average 3.67 per set. She also ranks second on the team with 116 digs, averaging 3.52 per set. Of note, the Colonels rank first in the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) with 17.44 digs per set as a team.
Navy competed in the Michigan Challenge last weekend, losing in three sets to then-No. 24 Michigan on Friday and picking up a five-set win over Eastern Michigan on Saturday. The squad currently averages 13.3 kills per set, posting a .225 hitting percentage through eight matches this season. Additionally, the Midshipmen qualified for the 2018 NCAA Tournament, suffering a three-set loss to the Wolverines in the first round.
Looking ahead, West Virginia will kick off its Big 12 season against Texas Tech on Wednesday, Sept. 25, in Lubbock, Texas. First serve is set for 7 p.m. ET on ESPNU.
For more information on the Mountaineers, visit WVUsports.com and follow WVUVolleyball on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
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