GWU Volleyball Set to Host Three Home Matches This Week
September 24, 2012 | Volleyball
Boiling Springs, N.C. - The Gardner-Webb volleyball team will have a busy week this week, as the Runnin' Bulldogs will host three matches beginning on Tuesday night versus USC Upstate and ending with back-to-back conference bouts versus Liberty and Radford on Friday night and Saturday afternoon in Paul Porter Arena.
The Runnin' Bulldogs will host a "Red Wave" on Friday night at 7 p.m. in the match versus Liberty, in which all fans are encouraged to wear red to the match. On Saturday afternoon, Gardner-Webb will host a "Black Out" at 2 p.m. in the match versus Radford and encourage fans to come decked out and black to support the Runnin' Bulldogs.
Gardner-Webb is 1-0 in Big South Conference play for the first time since 2008 when the Runnin' Bulldogs started the conference slate off at 2-0 that season.GWU, which has won four of its last six matches, has posted a team attack percentage over .245 overall in four of its five wins on the season.The Runnin' Bulldogs were 6-3 at home in 2011, but are only 2-4 thus far this season in Paul Porter Arena.
On Tuesday night, the Runnin' Bulldog will host USC Upstate in a non-conference contest at 7 p.m.
The Spartans of USC Upstate are 4-8 overall on the season and 0-5 in true road contests this year. Upstate has dropped each of its last matches, both of which have come on the road in Atlantic Sun Conference play. Kayla McAvoy, who has a team-high 145 kills and 25 total blocks, and Emily Bingham, who leads the team with 30 total blocks, lead the Spartans.
On Friday night at 7 p.m. GWU will welcome Liberty to Paul Porter Arena.
Liberty, who like GWU plays out of conference on Tuesday night, enters play this week at 10-4 overall and 1-0 in Big South Conference play. The Lady Flames, who are the defending Big South Champions, were picked to finish first this season in Big South Preseason Coaches' Poll. Liberty, who put together a 10-match winning streak earlier this season, is coming off a 3-0 sweep of Radford at home last Friday night.
GWU will wrap up the week with a home match versus Radford at 2 p.m. on Saturday afternoon.
The Highlanders, who will take on N.C. Central at home on Tuesday night, and then UNC Asheville on the road Friday night, enter play this week at 8-8 overall and 0-1 in Big South Conference play. Radford, who was voted on to finish second in the Big South this season by the coaches in the preseason poll, are coming off a road loss at Liberty. The Highlanders are led by the duo of Rachel Wiechecki and Emma Deninger who have each posted over 100 kills on the year.
Live stats for all three matches this week will be available at www.gwusports.com.
Live video via the Big South Network, presented by State Farm, will be available at www.bigsouthsports.com for the Tuesday night and Friday night matches only.
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| Week 6 Volleyball Match Notes (Sept. 25, 28 & 29) |
