Volleyball Hosts Georgia Southern, Davidson
10/7/2010 2:00:00 PM | Volleyball
College of Charleston (14-5) vs. Davidson (11-8, 2-0) -Saturday Oct. 9, 2p.m.
Where: Charleston, S.C. (Carolina First Arena)
Live Stats and Video: Live stats and video will be available for both matches this weekend.
CHARLESTON, S.C. - The College of Charleston volleyball team will be in for a great challenge this weekend as they host Georgia Southern (Friday 7p.m.) and Davidson (Saturday 2p.m.) at Carolina First Arena.
CofC Head Coach Jason Kepner said he thinks his team will be ready to play at a high level.
"This is going to be a very tough weekend of volleyball for us," he said. "Hosting the only two undefeated teams in the conference in back-to-back matches will be a great challenge. I know this team will be ready and excited for the test this weekend holds."
Honoring Dawley and Johnson
Seniors Cole Dawley and Paige Johnson will be recognized prior to Friday's 7p.m. match against Georgia Southern for reaching career milestones. Dawley recently recorded her 3,000th career assist, while Johnson passed the 1,000 dig mark. With seven digs, Dawley will become the first athlete in Cougar volleyball history to total 3,000 assists, 1,200 digs and 200 blocks.
Scouting the Competition
This week will feature matches vs. Georgia Southern and Davidson. The Eagles of Georgia Southern are 12-6 overall and 3-0 in SoCon play this year. They are led by the attack of Bethany Sanford, an All-Southern Conference First-Team selection last year. Sanford is averaging 3.61 kills/set this season and hitting .269. Kate Van Dyke, the Eagles setter, leads the SoCon with 10.27 assists/set. Georgia Southern comes into the contest riding a nine match winning streak.
The Davidson Wildcats, winners of three in a row are 11-8 overall and 2-0 in conference play. The team is led by senior outside hitter Sarabeth Peele, who was selected as SoCon Player of the Week this week. Peele has racked up at least 20 kills in her last three matches for the Wildcats.
Double-Double Trouble
Senior setter Cole Dawley has been on a tear recently, racking up double-doubles in her last six consecutive matches. In the Cougars 3-1 victory over Wofford last week, Dawley totaled 44 assists to go along with 14 digs.
More Milestones
Earlier this season junior Elyse Chubb passed the 300 block mark, becoming just the 7th Cougar to reach that mark. Senior Whitney Russell recently recorded her 800th kill, becoming the 10th Cougar to reach that mark. Russell is five kills from moving into the number nine spot on the all-time list.
Dominating the SoCon
Since 2001 the Cougars are 152-13 in Southern Conference play, including nine consecutive conference championships. Last year CofC won the Sothern Conference Tournament with a 3-0 win over Furman and advanced to their sixth NCAA tournament.
Russell in the Record Book
After being honored as the offensive player of the week for the Southern Conference in the first week of the season, senior Whitney Russell followed that up with a record-setting performance at the Carolina Challenge.
Russell's 32 kills in the match vs. South Carolina are the second most in school history, and the most since Suzanne Lowry's 45 in the '92 season. Russell leads the SoCon in kills/set.
Out-Hitting the Opponent
The Cougars have out-hit their opponents in 14 of 19 matches this season and are a perfect 14-0 in those matches. CofC is third in the Southern Conference in hitting percentage at .235 for the season.
Friday Night Frenzy
Friday has been a good day for the Cougar volleyball team this season. CofC is 7-0 on Friday's this season with victories over South Dakota, Chicago State, Winthrop, Cincinnati, North Florida, Western Carolina and Wofford. The Cougars have only lost five games combined in those matches.
Players Mentioned
