October 4, 2012

Volleyball Hosts North Division Rivals Samford And Chattanooga

GREENSBORO, N.C. – The UNCG volleyball team kicks off a three-match homestand this weekend, hosting Samford and Chattanooga at Fleming Gymnasium. The Spartans will battle the preseason Southern Conference North Division favorite Bulldogs Friday before entertaining the Mocs Saturday. Both matches are slated for 6 p.m.

The contests mark UNCG's annual "Fight Like a Spartan" matches. Pink merchandise will be sold at both contests, including pink t-shirts, koozies and other UNCG gear.

The Spartans split a pair of SoCon matches on the road last weekend, falling to Western Carolina in three sets before rebounding for a 3-1 victory over Appalachian State in Boone. Lauren Betlach earned her first career SoCon Freshman of the Week honor for her performance during the weekend as she averaged 3.43 kills and 2.57 digs per set in two matches over the weekend. She tallied her second double-double of the season at Western Carolina with a team-high 11 kills and a career-high 16 digs before posting 13 kills in the 3-1 road victory at Appalachian State as one of four Spartans in double figures.

Junior Karrian Chambers shined in the match against the Mountaineers, exploding for 20 kills and a career-high tying 22 digs for her team-best third double-double of the season.

SCOUTING SAMFORD...
Samford enters the weekend with a 12-6 overall record, including a 4-0 ledger in SoCon play, staking claim to first place in the North Division. The Bulldogs captured a five-set win over Furman in their last outing at home and have won seven-straight matches. Samford is led by senior Lauren Hutchinson who currently ranks first in the league in hitting percentage at .375. UNCG looks to snap a three-match losing streak against Samford.

CHATTING UP CHATT...
The Mocs are looking to build on a 3-2 win over Wofford in their last match after falling in three sets to Samford to begin last weekend. Chattanooga sits a game behind UNCG in the North Division standings at 2-2. Senior Paula Passmore is the defensive anchor for the Mocs as she is averaging a league-best 6.35 digs per set - good for third nationally. The Spartans split with UTC last season, falling in five sets on the road before sweeping the Mocs at home later in the year.

YOU MUST LIKE PLAYING A LOT OF VOLLEYBALL...
In 13 matches this season, UNCG has played eight that have gone the full five sets. The Spartans are 4-4 in those contests and have won three of the last four. UNCG is on track to set the program single-season record for five-setters as the Spartans played 11 of them in the 2009 and 1992 campaigns.

NEED A BETTER START...
To say that UNCG has struggled at the beginning of matches this season is an understatement. In 15 contests, the Spartans have won the first set just three times and the second frame on only six occasions. Conversely, UNCG is 11-4 in third-set play and 10-2 in the fourth interval.

STARTING OFF RIGHT IN THE SOCON...
The five-set victory over Elon continued a recent trend of success for the Spartans in league openers. It was the third-straight win for UNCG in a Southern Conference lidlifter and the sixth in the last eight seasons.

IT'S A LIBEROS' WORLD...
UNCG sports arguably the top libero tandem in the Southern Conference in junior Kellie Orewiler, the reigning SoCon Libero of the Year, and freshman Katherine Santiago have combined for 493 total digs while averaging 3.55 and 4.03 per set respectively.

TRIPLE YOUR FUN (ALMOST)...
Senior setter Ari Lysacek put on an impressive performance against Liberty, falling just one kill shy of a triple-double. She tallied 44 assists, 12 digs and nine kills to account for UNCG's first double-double of the season. The lone senior on this year's roster also hit for an efficient percentage - picking up the nine kills on 13 attempts with just one error (.615). Sophomore Emily McMurtrey also came tantalizingly close to a triple-double against The Citadel, racking up 56 assists and career-high marks in digs (13) and kills (seven).

WHAT'S NEXT?...
UNCG closes nonconference play Tuesday, Oct. 9 when it hosts South Carolina State at 6 p.m. inside Fleming Gymnasium.

- UNCG -