VOLLEYBALL PREPARES FOR FRIDAY CLASH WITH DEFENDING CHAMPS

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Site: Radford, Va. | Dedmon Center
Series vs. Liberty: Liberty leads 41-25
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RADFORD, Va. – Radford hosts its in-state Big South foe Liberty Friday night at 7 p.m. inside the Dedmon Center. It will be the 67th all-time meeting between the two rivals.

LIBERTY SERIES AT A GLANCE
Radford's all-time record against Liberty is 25-41. The Highlanders will be seeking their first win since 2001 against the two-time defending Big South champion, which is a span of 24 matches. However, of those contests six have went to five sets, including three of the previous five encounters.

SCOUTING THE FLAMES
The Flames bring a 1-11 mark into the Dedmon Center Friday. Liberty's lone win came at home against Georgetown on Sept. 3. However, the Flames' record is deceiving as they have played a brutal nonconference slate that featured matches against No. 23 Ohio State and No. 21 Kentucky. In all, Liberty played three NCAA Tournament qualifiers, seven 20-win teams and one conference regular-season champion from a year ago.

Lillie Happel tops the kill chart with an average of 2.70 per set. Setter Jade Craycraft has 269 assists on the year and is averaging 7.27 per set, which rank 10th in the Big South. Gabrielle Shipe anchors the defense with 3.70 digs per set (seventh in the conference), while Kendle Rollins tops the Big South in blocking with 1.16 rejections per frame. Rollins also ranks 10th in the league in hitting percentage (.279).

An important note is the Flames have played their first 12 matches without 2012 Big South Freshman and Player of the Year Caroline Douglas.

SCOUTING THE HIGHLANDERS
Radford enters the match with a 10-6 record after going 2-2 in the Highlander Classic last weekend. Jordan Watson (188) and Rachel Wiechecki (182) pace the Highlanders in kills. Their 3.24 and 3.14 kills per set rank third and fifth, respectively, in the Big South. In addition, Wiechecki has racked up a conference-best 32 aces.

Cheyanne James is coming off one of her best matches as a Highlander, in which she tied her career high for kills (16). Jena Braden leads the team in assists having registered 430 so far this year, while Emma Deininger leads the team in total blocks (64), which is the highest mark in the Big South.

As a team, Radford leads the league in hitting percentage (.252), opponent's hitting percentage (.173) and blocks (150), while ranking second in assists per set (11.67), second in kills per set (12.76) and fourth in aces per set (1.46).

RECORD WATCH
A number of current Highlanders are making their marks on the program's record books. Wiechecki is closing in on Elizabeth Aldredge for fifth all-time in career kills. Wiechecki (699) needs 10 more to pass Aldredge on the list. The junior is already fourth in kills per set (2.73) and fifth in aces (94). Braden is fourth all-time in the assists' category with 1,469.

Defensively, Deininger (257) and senior Jesse Miedema (155) are fourth and 10th, respectively, in total blocks. In addition, Deininger is third in block assists (229), while Miedema is seventh (145).

UP NEXT
Radford will travel to Durham, N.C. to face North Carolina Central at 6 p.m. Tuesday. The Highlanders are 3-0 all time against the Eagles.

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