Volleyball 10/13/2016 3:00:00 PM

VOLLEYBALL TAKES WINNING STREAK TO CHARLESTON SOUTHERN

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SETTING THE STAGE

The last two unbeaten teams in Big South Conference play square off Friday night as Radford travels to Charleston Southern for the first of four straight road matches.
First serve is set for 7 p.m. on the Big South Network.
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HIGHLANDER HIGHLIGHTS

Records: 16-3, 7-0 Big South
Radford enters on a season-long seven-match winning streak and is looking to equal the program's best record of this century through 20 contests. The 2000 squad went 17-3 on its way to a 28-7 mark that year.
Reigning Big South Defensive Player of the Week Kelby Jackson is 21 digs away from passing Katelyn Meeks for the program's career rally-scoring record. Jackson is on a streak of 10 straight matches with double-digit digs.
Four-time Big South Player of the Week Maddie Palmer has recorded 16 aces over the last six matches, giving her a Big South-best 33 for the year to rank tied for ninth in the NCAA. The junior also stands 21st nationally in points per set and 33rd in kills per set.
Palmer averaged 16.0 kills, 9.6 digs and 22.5 points during the last three contests and is now up to 4.19 kills and 4.96 points per set for the year.
Haley Kleespies has moved up to 21st in the country in assists per set, now averaging 11.03 after posting over 40 in four consecutive matches, giving her 750 for the season. Kleespies also stands fifth in the conference in aces per set.
Amaya Rousseau recorded 52 kills and 18 blocks in the last five matches and now ranks fifth in conference play with 0.92 blocks per set.
Mallory McKnight totaled 27 kills with a .342 hitting percentage in her last three outings.
Radford is tied for first in the Big South and 16th nationally with a .151 opponent hitting percentage.
The Highlanders have held their opponents below .200 in six of the seven conference matches, including an average of .177 in the three road contests. Offensively, Radford hit .263 in those three victories.

SCOUTING CHARLESTON SOUTHERN

Records: 9-11, 4-0
Picked seventh in the preseason poll, Charleston Southern is off to its best conference start since 1988.
The Buccaneers own four-set victories over Presbyterian, Gardner-Webb and most recently UNC Asheville on Tuesday, along with a five-set win over Campbell.
In league play, CSU ranks fifth in both hitting percentage (.204) and opponent hitting percentage (.200), fourth in blocks per set and first in aces per set.
Five Buccaneers have totaled over 120 kills on the season, led by sophomore outside hitter Addison Kaderli's 212. Freshman Brooke Monssen has 175, while junior middle blocker Kylie Klein has 121 with a .274 hitting percentage.
Klein also leads the Big South with 1.18 blocks per set, totaling 87 on the year, nine more than any other player.
Sophomore Madison Martin stands third in the conference in digs per set at 4.55, with 355 for the season.
Freshman setter Rachel Smith averages 7.39 assists per set, third-most in the league.

UP NEXT

Radford begins the second half of its conference schedule with its second trip to the Carolinas next weekend, playing at Gardner-Webb and Winthrop on Friday and Saturday, respectively.

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Players Mentioned

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

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

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

#8 Amaya Rousseau: MB; 6' 1"; Sophomore

#9 Mallory McKnight: MB; 5' 11"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

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

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

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

#8 Amaya Rousseau
: 6' 1"; Sophomore
: MB

#9 Mallory McKnight
: 5' 11"; Freshman
: MB