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Volleyball

HIGHLANDERS TO OPEN HOME SLATE AGAINST N.C. CENTRAL



LIVE STATS  |  BIG SOUTH NETWORK

RADFORD, Va. – The Radford volleyball team will play in front of its home crowd for the first time in 2014 when the Highlanders take the Dedmon Center court Tuesday at 7 p.m. against N.C. Central.
 
WE MEET AGAIN
For the fourth consecutive season, RU will face the Eagles in volleyball. Radford has won all four previous meetings with NCCU.

 
10/13/09HW, 3-2
09/27/11AW, 3-0
09/25/12HW, 3-1
10/01/13AW, 3-2

 




PRE-MATCH FESTIVITIES
The 13 returning Highlanders and the coaching staff will be honored prior to tomorrow night's match with a special pre-match ceremony, which includes the handing out of championship rings and three banner unveilings. Fans in attendance will receive a commemorative championship banner as well.
   
SCOUTING THE EAGLES
N.C. Central opened its season by hosting the NCCU Invitational over the weekend in Durham, N.C. The Eagles dropped matches to Campbell (0-3), Wofford (0-3) and Valparaiso (1-3). Kelsey Murphy and Ashley McCarthy lead the attack, averaging 2.50 and 2.20 kills per set, respectively. McCarthy was selected to the all-tournament team.
 
Paige Phillips sets up the NCCU offense with her 5.56 assists per set. Defensively, Melissa Rabell Pineiro averages a team-best 3.10 digs per set, while Kelly Rossip has a team-best 10 blocks through three matches.
 
RECORDS ARE MADE TO BE BROKEN
A trio of Highlanders enter their senior campaigns with program records in their sights. Rachel Wiechecki, who became Radford's first AVCA all-region honoree last December, is six kills away from Divona Cox's rally-scoring record of 1,066. After unleashing 39 kills at the Eagle Challenge in Morehead, Ky., the 5-foot-10 outside hitter is in great position to surpass that mark Tuesday.
 
In addition, Wiechecki became the program's sixth 1,000-1,000 performer. Wiechecki has accumulated 1,060 kills and 1,005 digs during her time at RU. She joined Anne Jackson, Anne Fontaine, Ami Orr, Katie Sherwood and Laura Marcuson as the only Highlanders to accomplish the milestone.
 
Meanwhile, Emma Deininger is well within reach of the rally-scoring blocks record (378), which also belongs to Cox. Deininger, who is coming off a junior campaign where she set the single-season record (145), only needs 27 to eclipse the mark.
   
Senior setter Jena Braden is climbing the rally-scoring era's Top-10 chart for assists. The New Knoxville, Ohio native currently has 2,295, which rank third in program history.
   
ON DECK
Radford is scheduled to compete in the La Quinta Invitational hosted by New Mexico State at the Pan American Center in Las Cruces, N.M. Tournament play begins Friday for the Highlanders when they square off against California at 12 p.m. (10 a.m. MT). The Bears received 50 points in this week's AVCA Top-25 poll, which is good for 30th in the country.
 
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