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Volleyball Travels To Intrastate NEC Foe Sacred Heart Wednesday
Quinnipiac University
Bobcats (2-12, 0-1 NEC) at
Sacred Heart
University Pioneers (11-4, 1-0 NEC)
Wednesday,
Sept. 29, 2010 - 7 p.m.
William H. Pitt Center - Fairfield,
Conn.
Bobcats
Continue NEC Play At Intrastate Rival Sacred Heart
The Quinnipiac University volleyball team continues NEC
play at intrastate rival Sacred Heart Wednesday night at the
William H. Pitt Center. The Bobcats are coming off a tough,
five-set loss at Bryant to open the NEC schedule Sunday. Meanwhile,
the Pioneers defeated Fairleigh Dickinson, 3-1, Saturday to open
NEC play at 1-0.
Follow the
Bobcats
Live video and live stats for Wednesday's match at Sacred
Heart will be available through Sacred Heart's website,
www.sacredheartpioneers.com. To access the live video and live
stats, please click on the appropriate links on the volleyball
schedule at www.quinnipiacbobcats.com.
Scouting the Sacred Heart Pioneers
Sacred Heart (11-4, 1-0 NEC) is led by Dianis Mercado,
whose 3.45 kills per set are a team-best. Courtney Kidd-Kadlubek
has run the offense with 11.33 assists per set, while Jessica
Colberg leads the defense at 4.36 digs per set. Johanna Ovsenek and
Ashlyn Trimble have also contributed 0.75 and 0.70 blocks per set,
respectively. Christina Bauch has also added a team-best 23 service
aces, good for 0.41 service aces per set.
Fighting Through Five
The Bobcats played to a five-set decision in three of five
matches, Sept. 17-26. Quinnipiac sandwiched a pair of 3-2 defeats
to Delaware State and La Salle around a 3-0 sweep of host Lafayette
at the Lafayette Invitational, Sept. 17-18. After a 3-1 loss to
Providence, the Bobcats fell to NEC foe Bryant, 3-2, on Sept.
26.
Aces
Up
The Bobcats currently rank 25th in the nation in service
aces per set (1.76), after finishing 199th in the nation (1.14) in
2009. Individually, Kayla Lawler ranks 61st in the nation at 0.41
service aces per set.
Dig
It
Led by Logan Riker's 4.2 digs per set, the Bobcats rank
70th in the nation at 15.88 digs per set.
2K-ayla Assists
With 44 assists in the Bobcats 3-2 defeat to Delaware
State on Sept. 17, junior Kayla Lawler (Louisville, Ky.) eclipsed
the 2,000-assist mark.
Earning Their Spots After Hart-Break
After sweeping the University of Hartford for their first
win in 12 tries against the Hawks at the Division I level, Sept.
11, in Hamden, the Bobcats swept Lafayette for their first victory
over the Leopards in four tries, Sept. 18.
Record Breaker
Just two weeks after setting a new personal four-set
single-match record with 46 assists against Fordham, Aug. 28, Kayla
Lawler compiled a new personal three-set single-match record with
43 assists against Hartford, Sept. 11. Her previous record four-set
record was 41, set twice in her freshman year of 2008. Meanwhile,
Lawler's prior three-set record was 40, set last Sept. 20 against
St. Francis (N.Y.). Her five-set record is 53, set last Oct. 9 at
St. Francis (N.Y.).
Good
To Biediger Back
Sophomore Stephanie Biediger (Houston, Texas) made her
return to the court after missing more than a year due to injury on
Sept. 10. In her first tournament back, the outside hitter led the
Bobcats with 25 kills in three matches and added 34 digs, earning
Quinnipiac Invitational All-Tournament Team honors. Joining
Biediger on the all-tournament team was Lawler, who piled up 110
assists in three matches.
Grattan Grabbing Attention
In three matches during the Quinnipiac Invitational,
freshman Olivia Grattan (Pittsburgh, Pa.) had team highs in both
kills (25) and blocks (10).
Riker's Versatility Rewarded
Logan Riker (Bowling Green, Ohio) was named to the Yale
Invitational All-Tournament Team after compiling 12 kills and 28
digs, Sept. 3-4. Riker took her customary position at libero to
rack up 23 digs in the first two matches of the weekend, before
moving outside to compile 10 kills against Stony Brook.
Starting Strong
A pair of newcomers to the Bobcats made impressive debuts
at the Beanpot Classic. Graduate student transfer Amanda Armstrong
(Waukesha, Wis.) was named to the All-Tournament Team after
totaling 30 kills on the weekend, including 15 against Fordham.
Freshman Tracey Wright (Fair Lawn, N.J.) had 44 digs on the
weekend, including 17 to conclude the weekend against Boston
College.
Sophomore Surge
Taylor Payne (Warwick, N.Y.) began her sophomore season
with a team-high 31 kills at the Beanpot Classic. At 3.10 kills per
set at the first tournament of the year, Payne showed marked
improvement from her 0.90 kills per set average as a freshman.
Returning Cast
Quinnipiac returns much of last season's core of
student-athletes, as well as its 2008 Team MVP. Junior setter Kayla
Lawler, who almost solely ran the Bobcats' attack, returns as team
captain after dishing out 785 assists in 2009. The team's leading
hitter, Kelby Carey (Surfside, Calif.), also returns for her junior
season, a year after piling up 317 kills. Sophomore libero Logan
Riker is also back for the Bobcats after compiling 406 digs as a
freshman. Meanwhile, redshirt sophomore outside hitter Stephanie
Biediger returns to the Bobcats after missing the 2009 season due
to injury. Biediger was named Team MVP as a freshman after
recording 233 kills, 244 digs, 31 blocks and 66 assists.
On
Deck
The Bobcats continue Northeast Conference action Sunday at
Fairleigh Dickinson. The match is scheduled for 1 p.m. Stratis
Arena in Hackensack, N.J.
