Volleyball 8/23/2018 9:00:00 AM

VOLLEYBALL OPENS SEASON AT BALTIMORE BASH

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RADFORD, Va. – The Radford women's volleyball team opens up the 2018 season at the Baltimore Bash, hosted by Loyola (Md.), with its first match on Friday afternoon at 3 p.m., against Towson.

The bash continues on Saturday as the Highlanders will play their first match at 10:30 a.m., against the host Loyola (Md.), and the final match of the tournament at 5 p.m., facing Siena.

SETTING THE STAGE
Tournament: Baltimore Bash
Location: Baltimore, Md. (Reitz Arena)
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ABOUT THE MATCHUPS
This will be the first time Radford and Towson will face each other in 18 years. The all-time series between the two programs is tied 3-3. The Highlanders hold a 4-1 advantage over Loyola (Md.). The two teams met last in 2009 with Radford claiming a five-set victory. Siena and Radford have never met on the court and this will be their first meeting.

HIGHLANDER HIGHLIGHTS
The 2017 Big South Tournament champs look to build off a season that saw numerous milestones. Not only did the Highlanders compete in the 2017 NCAA Tournament, they knocked off three Power Five opponents, were ranked in the VolleyMag.com Mid-Major Top 25 and posted a 25-win season. The Highlanders ended last season winning 10 of the last 11 regular season matches and added two wins to claim the Big South Tournament title and earn an NCAA Tournament berth.

WHO'S NEW AND WHO'S RETURNING
With five returning starters, the hopes are high for the 2018 season. Two of the returning starters garnered preseason conference recognition as Haley Kleespies and Stephanie Neast were named Preseason All-Big South members. Other returning starters include Amaya Rousseau, Mallory McKnight and Valerie Gonzalez. The Highlanders added eight newcomers into the mix of five other letterwinners returning.

LAST TIME OUT
The Highlanders didn't travel very far to have their first competition as they visited Virginia Tech last Thursday. Gonzalez and Rousseau tallied 27 kills together, while Kleespies tacked on 31 assists. Newcomer, Grace Green led the squad with 16 digs.

ABOUT THE TIGERS
Towson posted 27 wins last year, but lost to James Madison in the Colonial Athletic Association Championship. Towson had 1,709 kills compared to opponents 1,399 in 2017, with just over 14 kills per set. The 1,709 kills ranked first in the CAA. The Tigers also tallied 155 aces. Jocelyn Kuilan, who tallied almost a fifth of those kills is the top returner for Towson. Kuilan posted 375 kills, which was top 10 in the CAA last year.

ABOUT THE GREYHOUNDS
Loyola (Md.) went 13-16 last season and only managed to pick up four wins in conference play. The Greyhounds were outkilled by opponents 1,336 to 1,265, including a .221 hitting percentage compared to their own .184. Ann Ernst and Haley Puddy had 515 kills and will play a heavy role in the 2018 team.

ABOUT THE SAINTS
Siena was picked to finish seventh in the MAAC this season. The Saints went 7-22 last season, with all seven wins coming against conference opponents. Siena tallied 10.1 kills per set and averaged 1.3 blocks per set. Jojo Ishida led the team with 3.37 digs per set in 2017 and returns for the 2018 season.

FOLLOW VOLLEYBALL ON SOCIAL MEDIA
For more information on the Radford volleyball team follow @RadfordVB on Twitter and Instagram or Radford Volleyball on Facebook.

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Players Mentioned

#5 Valerie Gonzalez: RS; 6' 1"; Senior

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

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

#19 Stephanie Neast: RS; 6' 0"; Junior

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

#18 Grace Green: DS/L; 5' 8"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

#5 Valerie Gonzalez
: 6' 1"; Senior
: RS

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

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

#19 Stephanie Neast
: 6' 0"; Junior
: RS

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

#18 Grace Green
: 5' 8"; Freshman
: DS/L