Charleston Makes First Trip to Buies Creek, CAA Newcomer Campbell

Saturday, October 14

Buies Creek, N.C.

1 PM

College of Charleston

Campbell

Photo by: AlSamuels.com

Charleston Makes First Trip to Buies Creek, CAA Newcomer Campbell

10/13/2023 1:30:00 PM | Volleyball

10.14.23 Campbell

CHARLESTON, S.C. – College of Charleston heads to Buies Creek, N.C. for the first time since 1997 as CAA newcomer Campbell awaits for a pair of matches between teams separated by just one game in the league standings.

Charleston swept rival UNCW over the weekend taking all six sets from the then-first place Seahawks to climb back within two games of first place in the standings. Campbell split their series at frontrunner Towson falling in three Saturday and sweeping the Tigers Sunday.

Charleston and Campbell share a league for the first time since the 1990s when they were both members of the TAAC (now ASUN). Charleston spent time in the SoCon before making the move to the CAA in 2013 while Campbell stayed in the ASUN until moving back to the Big South and then making the CAA jump this summer.

Weekend Schedule

Charleston at Campbell | Saturday, October 14 at 1:00 p.m.
Charleston at Campbell | Sunday, October 15 at 1:00 p.m.

Video: FloVolleyball
Live Stats: CofCstats.com
Cougars on Social Media: Twitter // Instagram

Charleston earned a weekend sweep over UNCW, defeating the Seahawks in back-to-back straight-set matches. It marks the first weekend sweep for the Cougars in CAA play this fall.

Tynley Smeltzer averaged 5.33 digs per set, continuing a torrid stretch. She totaled 32 digs, with 16 in each match. Smeltzer has at least 10 digs in eighth straight contests and nine this fall.

Sopheea Mink paced Charleston with 16 kills (2.67/set) with just one error, hitting .341. Mink has posted an attacking percentage of .333 or better in six consecutive matches.

Charleston has a strong lead in series history against Campbell with a 14-2 mark overall. However, this weekend's matches are just the second and third in the series since the turn of the century. Charleston won the last meeting in 2021 inside TD Arena, their first since the late 1990s.

Both teams were members of the TAAC (Now ASUN) in the 1990s and battled 17 times in the regular and postseason as conference mates. Campbell joined the CAA this summer marking the second time the two have shared a league. Six current Cougars have seen the floor at least once against the Camels - Lexi Wierzbicki, Emma Appleman, Tynley Smeltzer, Kaylin Collins, Chandler Manusky and Sopheea Mink - with Mink facing Campbell multiple times her first four seasons at High Point

SCOUTING THE OPPONENT

Campbell (8-10, 5-3 CAA) has split three of their first four weekends with Delaware, UNCW and Towson with a sweep of William & Mary the second week. Campbell split its most recent weekend matchup against Towson. After falling in straight sets on Saturday, the Camels bounced back with a straight set win on Sunday.

Melody Paige led Campbell with 19 kills (3.17/set) and hit .515 for the weekend. Paige hit .450 or better in both contests and recorded her fifth double-digit kill performance this season. This fall, she ranks seventh in the CAA in hitting percentage (.334).

Claranne Fechter averaged 3.67 digs per set on the Campbell backline. Fechter totaled 23 digs, including 15 in the victory. She has 10 or more digs in 16 matches this season and leads the CAA with 4.58 digs per set.