VOLLEYBALL PREPARES FOR PIVOTAL WEEKEND IN NORTH CAROLINA

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RADFORD, Va. – The Radford volleyball team heads to North Carolina for a pair of Big South matches against High Point (Friday at 7 p.m.) and Campbell (Saturday at 2 p.m.). All three squads are tied for second in the league standings at 2-1.

HIGH POINT SERIES AT A GLANCE
Despite dropping six out of the last eight encounters, Radford leads the all-time series with the Panthers, 22-14.

SCOUTING THE PANTHERS
High Point scored victories over Coastal Carolina (3-2) and Charleston Southern (3-1) last weekend. The main threat offensively for the Panthers (8-10, 2-1 Big South) is Chelsea Davis. The junior has recorded 20 or more kills in four matches this season. She continues to top the conference in kills per set at 4.38. Davis also claims a team-best seven double-doubles this season.

Aiding Davis on the attack is Kristin Heldt, who is coming off two double-doubles of her own. She tallied 16 kills and a career-high 20 digs at Coastal Carolina, and a career-high 22 kills and 14 digs at Charleston Southern.

Annemarie Chin leads the Big South and is sixth in the NCAA with 5.74 digs per set. The sophomore has charted 20 or more digs in six-straight matches, including tying her career-high 34 digs against the Chanticleers. Chin has double-digit digs in 16 of High Point's 18 matches and is the only player in the conference with four matches of 30 or more digs.

CAMPBELL SERIES AT A GLANCE
The Highlanders have a commanding 17-3 favor in the all-time series with Campbell. RU is 15-0 when the two sides have met in conference play, which includes two sweeps in 2012.

SCOUTING THE CAMELS
Campbell has been a tough opponent at home, going unbeaten in its five contests. The Camels (11-8, 2-1 Big South), who are guided by first-year head coach Greg Goral, begin a six-match homestand against Liberty on Friday.

Jessica Groen (2.77 kills per set), Alexis Hein (2.31 kills per set) and Lindsey Coats (2.28) pace the offense. Heather Wilson, who earned Campbell's first volleyball player of the week honor on Sept. 9 since rejoining the Big South in 2011, has compiled 699 assists.

Defensively, Mary Crema has notched a pair of career-best 31-dig performances in 2013 en route to averaging 5.30 digs per set.

SCOUTING THE HIGHLANDERS
Radford enters the match with a 13-7 record following its 3-2 setback on Saturday against a red-hot Gardner-Webb squad. Rachel Wiechecki (250) and Jordan Watson (218) pace the Highlanders offensively. Their 3.38 and 3.03 kills per set rank third and seventh, respectively, in the Big South. In addition, Wiechecki has racked up a conference-best 35 aces.

Jena Braden leads the team in assists having registered 571 so far this year. Emma Deininger leads the team in total blocks (78), which is the highest mark in the Big South.

As a team, Radford leads the league in hitting percentage (.246), opponent's hitting percentage (.167) and blocks (186), while ranking second in assists per set (11.80), second in kills per set (12.90) and fourth in aces per set (1.38).

RECORD WATCH
A number of current Highlanders are making their marks on the program's record books. Over the weekend, Wiechecki moved past Laura Waddell and Lindsey Poole for second all-time in career kills with 767. Wiechecki is chasing the top mark in this category, which is currently held by Divona Cox who cranked 1,066 kills from 2002-05. The junior is also second in career kills per set (2.82), fifth in aces (97) and seventh in digs (731). Braden is fourth all-time in the assists' department with 1,610, while Rachel Flores is 10^th with 278.

Defensively, Deininger (271) and Miedema (157) are fourth and 10^th, respectively, in total blocks. In addition, Deininger is third in block assists (240), while Miedema is seventh (146).

UP NEXT
Radford returns to the Dedmon Center to host Coastal Carolina (Oct. 18) and Charleston Southern (Oct. 19) as part of Homecoming Weekend.

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