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Volleyball

BLACK AND GOLD CHALLENGE UP NEXT FOR VOLLEYBALL



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RADFORD, Va. – After prevailing in five sets over defending MEAC champion Hampton, the Radford volleyball team's schedule doesn't get any easier as the Highlanders head to Boone, N.C. this weekend for Appalachian State's Black and Gold Challenge at the Holmes Center.
 
The two-day event, which begins Friday, features host App State, Maryland, Georgia State and RU. Of the four teams there, App State (8-0) and Maryland (6-0) are still unbeaten.
 
TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
Below is the schedule for the Black and Gold Challenge:
 
Friday, Sept. 12
Radford vs. Maryland, 4 p.m.
Georgia State at Appalachian State, 7 p.m.
 
Saturday, Sept. 13
Maryland vs. Georgia State, 10 a.m.
Radford at Appalachian State, 12:30 p.m.
Radford vs. Georgia State, 4 p.m.
Maryland at Appalachian State, 7 p.m.
 
SCOUTING THE TERRAPINS
Maryland, which transitioned into the Big Ten over the summer, will be Radford's second opponent from that conference in nine months. The Highlanders squared off against Minnesota in the first round of the 2013 NCAA tournament last December. Friday's encounter will be the first meeting between the two programs.
 
Under the direction of former Penn State assistant and first-year head coach Steve Aird, the Terps have won both of their tournaments to open the 2014 campaign. They defeated Elon, Liberty and San Jose State to capture the Elon Phoenix Classic, before taking down Lehigh, East Tennessee State and George Mason last weekend in the Patriot Invitational.
 
Adreene Elliott, an All-ACC performer in 2013, paces the attack with 3.92 kills per set. Ashleigh Crutcher, another All-ACC honoree in 2013, is right behind with 3.29 kills per set. Carlotta Oggioni, a transfer from Oregon State, stabilizes the offense with her 10.12 assists per set.
 
Maryland is directed on the defensive front by Amy Dion's 3.56 digs per set. Blocking is one of the Terps' strengths, as they ranked 23rd nationally in blocks per set in 2013. Maryland returned over 80 percent of its blocking crew, including Ashlyn MacGregor, who finished 28th in the national rankings in blocks per set.
 
SCOUTING THE MOUNTAINEERS
Off to its best start in program history, App State will be riding a wave of momentum into this weekend. After shocking tournament host and then-No. 24 Louisville in the Active Ankle Challenge last weekend, the Mountaineers took care of Big South foe Presbyterian in straight sets Tuesday night.
 
Their success has not gone unnoticed. When the AVCA Top-25 poll was released Monday, App State received 13 votes, good for 32nd in the nation.
 
Emily Corrigan, who was the tournament MVP of the Active Ankle Challenge, delivers 5.44 kills per set to lead the Mountaineers' offense. Lauren Gray contributes 3.41 kills per set, while Paige Brown hands out 12.41 assists per set. Defensively, Meghan Mahoney accounts for 4.04 digs per set, and Hailey Kerr averages a block per set.
 
Radford leads the all-time series with App State, 15-9. However, the two sides have not played since 2006 when the Highlanders traveled to Boone, N.C. for a season-opening tournament.
 
SCOUTING THE PANTHERS
Georgia State is coming off a 1-2 trip to the Sunshine State where it competed in the Jax Marriott Challenge hosted by Jacksonville. The Panthers' only two wins have come against Jacksonville State and Bethune-Cookman.
 
Deidra Bohannon averages a team-best 3.44 kills per set to pace the Georgia State attack. The Panthers run a two-setter offense with Natalia Nieto (176) and Sydney Mauer (91) carrying the workload. Gabby Serafin charts 2.67 digs per set, while Eliza Zachary has recorded 19 blocks.
 
The Highlanders have won all three previous meetings with Georgia State. RU last met the Panthers in 2010, prevailing in straight sets at DePaul's home tournament.
 
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, broke Divona Cox's rally-scoring kills record of 1,066 last Tuesday night against N.C. Central.
 
In addition, Wiechecki became the program's sixth 1,000-1,000 performer at RU's season-opening tournament in Morehead, Ky. Wiechecki has accumulated 1,123 kills and 1,078 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.
 
The Wilmington, Del. native has the potential to chase down the rally-scoring digs record, which is held by former teammate, Katelyn Meeks (1,506). Wiechecki also ranks second in aces at 126. Kiley Kent owns the rally-scoring record with 174.
 
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 12 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 2,464, which rank third in program history.
 
ON DECK
Tournament play concludes for Radford next weekend when the Highlanders make the short trip to Blacksburg, Va. for the Hokie Invitational. The two-day event held inside Cassell Coliseum will feature host Virginia Tech, Marshall, UNC Wilmington and the Highlanders.
 
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