Live Stats
NORFOLK, Va. – The Norfolk State volleyball team will don the pink shirts Wednesday and go for its fifth win in a row as the Spartans host James Madison for breast cancer awareness night.
Because of Homecoming activities, the match will be played at Gill Gymnasium – located by the northwest end of the football stadium – but with the normal 6 p.m. start time.
Follow along with the live stats here.
Fans are encouraged to wear pink and pack Gill as NSU hosts its fourth straight match at home. Currently with a 3-1 record in the MEAC, the Spartans will attempt to improve upon their overall 9-14 mark on the season against the Dukes.
Five different players average 1.55 kills or better for the Spartans, led by freshman Arielle Knafel at 2.54 and sophomore Charlotte Armstead at 2.35. Sophomore Ellica Morris (1.98), redshirt sophomore Paige Gary-Canty (1.59) and junior Jasmine Frazier (1.55) also add to the attack. Junior Nicole Kessner has rebounded after missing time earlier in the year and averages 7.89 assists.
Freshman Noelle Eagles upped her average to 4.12 digs per set after posting 19 in the previous match, while Knafel (2.91) and Gary-Canty (2.24) have recently stepped up their defense along with Eagles. Frazier has a team-leading 0.63 blocks, while Armstead ranks second with 0.55.
NSU has begun to close the gap in attack percentage, hitting .113 compared to .169 for the opposition. NSU still averages more kills, 11.2-9.8 per set, and digs, 13.6-11.8, while the teams on the other side of the net hold the edge in service aces (1.7-1.6) and blocks (2.1-1.2).
About James Madison
The Dukes enter with a 16-5 overall record, including a 6-4 mark away from their Harrisonburg, Va., campus. However, the team has won five of its past six matches on the road.
Danielle Erb and Lindsay Callahan are a formidable 1-2 punch, as the duo averages 3.35 and 3.31 kills per set, respectively. Not far behind are Kelly Turner and Natalie Abel with 2.17 and 2.15 kills. Megan Wiechmann totals 6.36 assists and splits time with Lauren Fanelli, who logs 5.98 assists. Erb also carries a team-best mark of 0.36 service aces.
Six different players average two or more digs per set, led by Abel with 3.31 and Holly Wall with 2.75. JMU's frontcourt production comes from Jessica Zeroual, who has a team-best 0.92 blocks.
As a team, James Madison has a big edge in kills, 13.3-11.3 per set, and attack percentage, .207-.169, and also posts more digs (15.5-15.1) and service aces (1.3-1.1) than opponents. Despite's their record, the Dukes trail in blocks, 2.3-1.8.
Turning the Corner?
It almost feels like a new season for the Spartans, as NSU has cut way down on its attack errors recently, one of the biggest weaknesses earlier in the year. NSU has had 19 or fewer attack errors six times this year, including the last four straight matches.
In addition, three of the team's top 4 performances in terms of hitting percentage have come in the last four matches. On the flip side, five of the top 6 defensive performances on the year (based on opponent hitting percentage) have come in the last five matches.
Overall Production
The Spartans have also had a more balanced offensive attack lately, as five different players have led the team in kills the last six matches.
Going Out of Conference
The match against James Madison will mark the first time since Sept. 25 against Davidson NSU will not compete against a team currently in or set to join the MEAC. For the Dukes, Wednesday's match will be the first road contest since Oct. 3.
Up Next
NSU continues its homestand this weekend with a pair of matches against North Carolina A&T Friday at 6 p.m. and North Carolina Central Sunday at 3 p.m. Friday's contest will be played at Gill Gym, but Sunday's match will be back at Echols Hall.
