Volleyball 9/28/2017 4:52:00 PM

HIGHLANDERS HIT THE ROAD FOR A DOUBLE DOSE OF BIG SOUTH ACTION

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RADFORD, Va. – After a week without any matches, the Radford volleyball team returns to the court for road matches against Campbell on Friday and High Point on Saturday. The Campbell match is set to begin at 7 p.m., with the High Point match slated for 2 p.m.

MATCH INFORMATION
• Location: Buies Creek, N.C. (Gore Arena) / High Point, N.C. (Millis Center)
• Time: 7 p.m. / 2 p.m.
• Live Stats (Campbell)
• Live Stats (High Point)
• Watch Live (High Point)

SETTING THE STAGE
• The three teams were selected by the Big South Coaches in the preseason top four with High Point predicted to finish first and Radford second. Campbell was picked to finish fourth.
• Radford begins conference play 3-0 for the second consecutive season. The back-to-back 3-0 Big South record happened for the first time since 2000 and 2001.
• The 12-1 start for the Highlanders is the best start since 1988.
• Radford trended up in the VolleyballMag.com Mid-Major Poll coming in at No. 24.

HIGHLANDER HIGHLIGHTS
• The Highlanders (12-1) has opened Big South play 3-0 and is coming off a sweep at Gardner-Webb.
• Radford ranks inside the top 15 nationally in three categories: sixth in winning percentage (.923), 11^th in opponents hitting percentage (.140) and 14^th in service aces per set (1.76). All of those are tops in the Big South as well.
• Radford is second in the Big South in hitting percentage averaging .229 percent.
• Maddie Palmer leads the league in kills per set with 3.84 and points per set averaging 4.46.
• Palmer leads the team with 188 kills, which ranks second in the Big South.
• Haley Kleespies is second in the conference with 9.22 assists per set.
• Palmer and Kleespies lead the league in kills per set (4.0) and assists per set (11.57) against Big South Competition.
• Kleespies leads the team with 20 service aces, with Palmer and Alyssa Carruth right behind her tied with 18 each.
• Freshman Maci Keaton has 0.95 blocks per set, which ranks inside the top five in the Big South. She leads all freshmen in that category.
• As a team the Highlanders have just under 100 more kills and 100 assists than their opposition.

SCOUTING CAMPBELL (10-7, 0-3 BIG SOUTH)
• Series: Radford leads 27-4 (Last Meeting: November 19, 2016 | W, 3-1)
• Campbell (10-7) has lost three straight matches against UNC Asheville, Winthrop and High Point. The Fighting Camels only mustered one set win in those three matches.
• Prior to the two-match loss, the team won four straight matches only losing three sets altogher.
• Campbell is second in the Big South in assists per set, kills per set, team assists and team kills.
• Allena Heath leads the conference in points with 248 and total kills with 229. She ranks second in the conference averaging 3.82 kills per set and 4.13 points per set.

SCOUTING HIGH POINT (10-6, 3-0 BIG SOUTH)
• Series: Radford leads 27-18 (Last Meeting: November 20, 2016 | L, 1-3)
• High Point (10-6) has won five matches in a row and won six of the last seven. Three of the last five wins came on the road against Big South opponents.
• The Panthers were picked to finish first in the Big South preseason polls.
• High Point is first in the Big South in hitting percentage (.229), kills per set (13.18), team assists (764) and team kills (817).
• Abby Bottomley is averaging 5.19 digs per set, which leads the league and has 322 total digs.
• Molly Livingston is averaging 1.03 blocks per set, hitting a .363 and has 64 total blocks.

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Players Mentioned

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

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

#4 Maci Keaton: OH/MB; 6' 1"; Freshman

#11 Alyssa Carruth: DS/L; 5' 4"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

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

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

#4 Maci Keaton
: 6' 1"; Freshman
: OH/MB

#11 Alyssa Carruth
: 5' 4"; Freshman
: DS/L