VOLLEYBALL PREPARES FOR COLOSSAL CLASH WITH LIBERTY

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RADFORD, Va. – The Radford volleyball team opens Big South action on Friday with a 7:00 p.m. tilt with Liberty in a rematch of last season's conference tournament championship game.

The Flames raced out of the gates to start the year, winning eight of their first nine contests. Liberty snapped a three-match losing streak on Tuesday, dispatching BIG EAST member Georgetown in four sets.

SCOUTING THE FLAMES
♦ Friday's intra-state contest marks the 65th meeting all-time between the two league rivals, with Liberty leading 39-25.

♦ The Flames are led by Caroline Douglas in the kills department, putting down over three per set. Jade Craycraft and Preseason Big South Player of the Year Loren Thomas carry over 30-percent attack clips.

♦ Thomas is the lead blocker for Liberty, rejecting just over one attack per set. Craycraft has accumulated 456 assists through 52 sets, while Gabrielle Shipe contributes 3.60 digs per set.

LAST TIME OUT
♦ Playing in its last regular season tournament match, Radford romped to the 3-1 (26-24, 9-25, 25-22, 25-17) victory over Penn in the Highlanders' finale of the Crowne Plaza Philadelphia West Penn Invitational last Saturday.

♦ Rachel Fertitta tallied a career-high 12 kills, while nearly hitting 40 percent from the floor for RU. Katelyn Meeks charted a season-best effort in the digs column with 27, to go along with one ace. Fertitta and Meeks earned spots on the all-tournament team for their part in the Highlanders' 2-1 weekend.

ON DECK
♦ Radford returns to the Dedmon Center for a Tuesday matchup with N.C. Central at 7:00 p.m. The contest marks the first match at home since Sept. 4, when the Highlanders welcomed Elon.

YA DIG?
♦ Katelyn Meeks certainly knows how to as she posted 78 digs last week, including a season-high 27 against the Quakers in Radford's last match of the Crowne Plaza Philadelphia West Penn Invitational.

♦ For her efforts, Meeks was selected Big South Co-Defensive Player of the Week. The honor was the senior's third accolade from the league office in her stellar career. As for her ascent to the top of the career digs chart, Meeks is now only 54 shy of second place with 1,246 digs - Rachel Newton is currently in second with 1,300 and first place is occupied by Lauren Clary with 1,378.

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