Tough Test Awaits Cougars At Bluegrass Battle

Friday, August 31

Lexington, Ky.

6:30 PM

College of Charleston

Kansas

Photo by: Michael Wiser

8/30/2018 11:39:00 AM | Volleyball

Match Notes (PDF)

CHARLESTON, S.C. --- The No. 12 (VolleyballMag.com Mid-Major Poll) College of Charleston volleyball team heads north this weekend to Memorial Coliseum and the University of Kentucky campus to take part in the Bluegrass Battle. Charleston will face host and No. 16 Kentucky on Friday at 12:00 pm, followed by a bout with Kansas at 6:30 pm. The Cougars will cap the weekend with a matchup against Dayton on Saturday at 1:00 pm.

How to Follow the Cougars
Twitter: @CofCVolleyball
Live Stats: UKAthletics.com
Video: WatchESPN (Kentucky match only)

Tournament Preview
The Cougars travel to Lexington, Ky. to participate in the Bluegrass Battle on the University of Kentucky campus. Charleston will face No. 16 Kentucky, Kansas, and Dayton during the two-day event. Two of the Cougars' three weekend opponents advanced to the 2017 NCAA Tournament, including Elite Eight participant Kentucky.

Tournament Schedule
Friday, August 31
12:00 pm: Charleston vs. No. 16 Kentucky
6:30 pm: Charleston vs. Kansas

Saturday, September 1
1:00 pm: Charleston vs. Dayton

Top Tier Cougars
For only the fourth time in program history, the Cougars are ranked in the VolleyballMag.com Mid-Major Poll and come in at No. 12 - the highest national ranking in the school's NCAA Division I era. The Cougars were ranked by VolleyballMag three times during the 2017 season.

Best in Show
Senior libero McKala Rhodes was named CAA Defensive Player of the Week for the fourth time in her career on Monday after averaging 4.08 digs per set on opening weekend. The First Baptist product reach double digits in each of the Cougars' three matches, including match-highs of 20 digs against Missouri State and 18 against Alabama.

Milestone Madison
Senior Kennedy Madison began the 2018 season in style last weekend with three straight double-digit kill totals to become the 17th player in program history to reach the 1,000-kill mark. The 6-foot right side leads the Cougars in kills (4.00) and blocks (1.17) per set this season to go along with a .333 hitting percentage.

Chasing History
Head coach Jason Kepner enters his 12th year at the helm, and already ranks as the longest tenured coach in program history. Kepner's 264 career wins ranks second on the school's all-time list, trailing only Nancy Wilson's (1974-83) total of 286 victories.

Shaking Off The Rust
Junior Mandy Napierala wasted little time shaking off the rust following a year away from match competition, putting up 13 kills and six blocks in the Cougars' thrilling come-from-behind win over Missouri State last Friday. She added 10 kills and a pair of blocks in Saturday's 3-1 defeat of Western Kentucky, and finished opening weekend with averages of 2.08 kills and 0.75 blocks per set.

Scouting No. 16 Kentucky
Kentucky emerged from the season's opening weekend with a disappointing 0-3 record following defeats at the hands of Creighton, Southern California, and Northern Iowa. Leah Edmond paced the Wildcats with 3.50 kills per set, while Gabby Curry recorded a team-high 56 digs (4.00/set).

Scouting Kansas
The Jayhawks split a back-to-back with Arkansas over the weekend to open the season with a 1-1 record, as each team won on the road. Patricia Montero paced Kansas with 35 kills (3.89/set), while Allie Nelson (4.56) and Lacey Angello (4.44) are each averaging over four digs per set.

Scouting Dayton
Dayton opened the season with a 3-0 weekend at the Dayton Invitational, while dropping only one set in victories over Marshall, Ball State, and South Alabama. Lauren Bruns paces the Flyer attack with 4.36 kills per set and a .451 hitting percentage, as Dayton boasts a .289 team hitting percentage and an average of 3.23 blocks per frame.