VOLLEYBALL SET TO CO-HOST RADFORD/VIRGINIA TECH INVITATIONAL

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SETTING THE STAGE

Radford and Virginia Tech are co-hosting a six-team volleyball tournament Friday and Saturday.
Nine matches are on the docket this weekend, including six inside the Dedmon Center.
The remaining three matches will be played at the Hokies' Cassell Coliseum.
Joining RU and Tech will be LIU Brooklyn, East Tennessee State, Elon and Washington State.

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE

Friday, Aug. 28 (at Dedmon Center | Radford, Va.)
Washington State at Radford, 1 p.m. (Live Stats | Live Video)
Washington State vs. Elon, 7 p.m. (Live Stats)

Friday, Aug. 28 (at Cassell Coliseum | Blacksburg, Va.)
East Tennessee State at Virginia Tech, 2 p.m. (Live Stats)
LIU Brooklyn at Virginia Tech, 7 p.m. (Live Stats)

Saturday, Aug. 29 (at Dedmon Center | Radford, Va.)
Washington State vs. East Tennessee State, 9 a.m. (Live Stats)
LIU Brooklyn at Radford, 11:30 a.m. (Live Stats | Live Video)
LIU Brooklyn vs. East Tennessee State, 4:30 p.m. (Live Stats)
Elon at Radford, 7 p.m. (Live Stats | Live Video)

Saturday, Aug. 29 (at Cassell Coliseum | Blacksburg, Va.)
Elon at Virginia Tech, 12 p.m. (Live Stats)

HIGHLANDER HIGHLIGHTS

2014 record: 24-8 overall, 12-2 Big South
Marci Jenkins, a three-time Big South coach of the year, enters her eighth season as Radford's head coach.
Over the past two seasons, her teams have compiled a 49-18 overall record (73.1 win percentage).
Last year, the Highlanders climbed to as high as No. 87 in the RPI—the program's highest ranking in recent history.
Radford returns eight letterwinners from 2014, including three starters.
Among the returners is preseason All-Big South selection Maddie Palmer, who put down 271 kills last season as a freshman.
Kelby Jackson will begin her third season as the Highlanders' libero. She averaged 3.43 digs per set in 2014.
Jackson already ranks eighth in RU history in career digs for the rally scoring era with 807.
Radford welcomes 10 newcomers to its roster this year. Freshmen Haley Kleespies and Ashley Hillyard are vying for the starting setter position, which was vacated by Jena Braden, who graduated in May.
The Highlanders bring a 12-match home winning streak into this weekend. RU has not lost inside the Dedmon Center since a 3-2 setback to Coastal Carolina on Oct. 18, 2013.

SCOUTING WASHINGTON STATE

2014 record: 10-22 overall, 1-19 Pac-12
WSU has won its season-opening match in 22 of the past 24 years.
The Cougars have eight freshmen on their roster. Their recruiting class was ranked No. 21 in the nation by PrepVolleyball.com.
Head coach Jen Greeny is in her fifth season as WSU's head coach.
Libero Kate Sommar anchors the Cougars' backline, accumulating 1,475 career digs. She is only 298 digs away from breaking the WSU record.
Kyra Holt is just 129 kills away from joining the 1,000 club.

SCOUTING LIU BROOKLYN

2014 record: 25-7 overall, 14-0 NEC
The Blackbirds were the unanimous choice to earn their fourth straight Northeast Conference championship in the NEC preseason coaches' poll.
They have won 46 consecutive NEC matches, the nation's longest active winning streak in regular season conference play for NCAA Division I volleyball.
LIU returns the 2014 NEC Libero of the Year, Adriana Viñas Joy, along with first-team All-NEC hitter Tamara Ignjic.
The Blackbirds are under the guidance of first-year head coach Ken Ko, who previously served as associate head coach at the University of San Francisco. He replaced Kyle Robinson, who left to be an assistant coach at Oklahoma.

SCOUTING ELON

2014 record: 6-26 overall, 1-15 CAA
Elon was predicted to finish eighth in the Colonial Athletic Association preseason coaches' poll.
The Phoenix is in its second year in the CAA.
Elon returns nine players from last year, including five starters.
Six newcomers are set to play for the Phoenix this weekend.
Mary Tendler enters her 13^th season as Elon's head coach.
Setter Sydel Curry is the younger sister of NBA MVP Stephen Curry.

UP NEXT

Radford heads to the George Washington Invitational, Sept. 4-5. The four-team tournament will be hosted by the Colonials.

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Players Mentioned

#7 Jena Braden: S; 5' 8"; Senior

#11 Kelby Jackson: L; 5' 5"; Junior

#20 Maddie Palmer: OH; 6' 0"; Sophomore

#3 Haley Kleespies: S; 5' 8"; Freshman

#4 Ashley Hillyard: S; 5' 8"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

#7 Jena Braden
: 5' 8"; Senior
: S

#11 Kelby Jackson
: 5' 5"; Junior
: L

#20 Maddie Palmer
: 6' 0"; Sophomore
: OH

#3 Haley Kleespies
: 5' 8"; Freshman
: S

#4 Ashley Hillyard
: 5' 8"; Freshman
: S