DURHAM, N.C. - The Gardner-Webb volleyball team is back on the road on Tuesday night, taking on NC Central in its fourth game of the early 2025 season and in its first stand-alone, non-tournament game of the campaign

GAME INFORMATION
Game 4: Gardner-Webb (1-2) at NC Central (1-2)
Location: McDougald-McLendon Arena - Boiling Springs, N.C.
Start Time: 6:00 pm
Most Recent Meeting: 2023 - Gardner-Webb 3, NC Central 0 in Durham
Series History: Gardner-Webb leads 11-1

GARDNER-WEBB NOTES

• Of the Runnin' Bulldogs full 21 player roster, Gardner-Webb returns seven players while also welcoming 10 freshman and another redshirt freshman
• Among the returnees are sophomore outside hitter Isabel Sandstrum, who is the team's active leader in several major statistical categories. One of the star freshmen in the Big South last fall, Sandstrum was named to the All-Big South Freshman Team for her contributions, bursting on the scene in 2024 with 193 total kills, 216.5 points, 138 digs and 29 total blocks.
• Sophomore outside hitter Samia Sayd is also back for Gardner-Webb and is once again expected to feature strongly in the Gardner-Webb rotation. The Falls Church, Va. native tallied 119 kills for GWU last fall, including a pair of games with double digit kills against Norfolk State and Charleston Southern
• On the right side, sophomore outside hitter Caroline Franklin is also among the strong cast of returning players. Franklin recorded 91.5 points, 86 kills last fall as a freshman for the Runnin' Bulldogs, including a season best 14 against Charleston Southern in October
• Redshirt junior setter Sloane Rooney is also back for another season for GWU, and is expected to anchor Gardner-Webb defensively. The Bloomsbury, N.J. native is the team's active leader with 255 assists a year ago, while also recording 109 digs
• Newcomers for Gardner-Webb this season include graduate transfer Nalani McBride, who arrives from Temple. McBride was previously a regular in the Owls rotation, playing 87 games over the last three seasons, including 30 last season where she averaged 5.5 digs per game.

THIS WEEKEND AT UNC GREENSBORO

• McBride recorded 29 digs, three assists in a Gardner-Webb win over Sacred Heart, followed up with 25 digs, six assists and 26 digs, six assists against Queens and UNCG at the Spartan Classic. The Temple transfer recorded 80 digs for the whole weekend across just 13 sets played
• Sandstrum was scored with 13 kills, 12 digs in a Gardner-Webb win over Sacred Heart, then added seven kills, 14 digs and nine kills, 11 digs against Queens and UNCG at the Spartan Classic. Finished the opening weekend of the season with 34.5 points for the Runnin' Bulldogs in total
• Junior outside hitter Emma Kerwin lead Gardner-Webb with 30 kills during the tournament, posting 13 and 11 back to back against Sacred Heart and Queens in the opening two games of the weekend. Kerwin also posted a .237 hitting percentage in the GWU win over Sacred Heart
• Rooney, along with sophomore setter Olivia Lefebvre helped pace Gardner-Webb in the assist column. Rooney finished with a team-high 61 over the three games including 26 against Sacred Heart, while Lefebvre recorded back-to-back 20 assists games against Sacred Heart and Queens, posting 22 in the opener and 20 in the Runnin' Bulldogs second game of the day on Saturday