NORFOLK, Va. – Following its opening weekend tournament at home, the Norfolk State volleyball team will make the short trek to Hampton to face the Pirates Tuesday at 6 p.m. at Holland Hall.
Norfolk State comes in at 2-2 overall, while Hampton stands 0-4 after dropping all four matches at home last weekend in the Tiny L. Laster Memorial Tournament.
The Spartans will get a short turnaround after facing four teams in two days last Friday and Saturday during the Spartan Classic in Joseph Echols Hall. NSU defeated Providence, 3-1, and Navy, 3-0, Friday before falling in a heartbreaker to UNC Greensboro, 3-2, and to Kent State, 3-1, Saturday.
NSU has won the last four matches against Hampton, including both contests in 2009 by a 3-1 score.
The Pirates are led by Sheileen Pagan, who averages 2.64 kills per set, and Lihi Elkayam, who has handed out 8.92 assists per set. On the defensive side of the ball, Ivana Suput leads the MEAC with 5.83 digs per set, while Lina Cordoba and Aaryn Harrison average 1.20 and 1.12 blocks, respectively.
NSU is led by a pair of freshmen in Arielle Knafel and Noelle Eagles. Knafel leads the team with 3.69 kills per set, while Eagles boasts 5.25 digs. Junior Nicole Kessner has guided the offense with 9.25 assists, while junior Jasmine Frazier ranks first on the team with 0.44 blocks per set.
Frazier, at 2.19 kills per set, is one of four players to average more than two kills, joining sophomore Charlotte Armstead (2.44), redshirt sophomore Paige Gary-Canty (2.81) and Knafel, who also ranks second behind Eagles with 3.44 digs.
Record Setting Day
Eagles, in just the third collegiate match of her career, set the Norfolk State record for digs in a match with 30 against UNC Greensboro Saturday. The previous record was 29 set by April Johnson against Virginia Union on Oct. 23, 1996. Eagles also added 25 against Providence the day before in the team's season opener. The last time a NSU player topped 25 digs was Nov. 15, 2003, when Stacey Williams totaled 28 at Coppin State.
Eagles has 84 digs on the season through the first four matches, an average of 5.25 per set. With 28 more matches to go, she is well on her way to the season record of 449 set by Johnson in 1996.
Making a Rookie Splash
For her efforts, Eagles was named the MEAC Rookie of the Week Monday, with Knafel listed among some of the league's other top performers.
Nationally Ranked?
The national rankings won't be available for two weeks, but Eagle's current average of 5.25 digs per set would have put her in a tie for 17th at the end of the 2009 season.
Going Extra
NSU finally took the first set against UNCG Saturday by a 36-34 score, the longest set NSU has ever competed in. Since the NCAA went to the 25-point format prior to the 2008 season, only five other times has a team needed 36 or more points to win a set. The all-time record was set by Georgia Tech in 2004 with 48 points. NSU's win marked the 19th time ever a team needed 11 or more extra points to win a set.
Making a Rookie Splash II
Knafel nearly ended up with a school record as well when she posted 23 kills against Providence in the team's season opener. Her total was the most by a NSU player since Stacey Williams had 24 at Coppin State Nov. 15, 2003 and fell three short of the school record of 26 set by Amanda Johnson against Howard on Oct. 17, 2003.
With 59 kills and an average of 3.69 per set, Knafel is aiming for the school's season record of 307 set by April Johnson in 1996.
Early Season MEAC Leaders
Knafel currently sits second in the league in kills per set at 3.69, although league leader Tosin Elebute of Howard has only played in three sets. Redshirt sophomore Paige Gary-Canty ranks sixth with 2.81 kills. Knafel does rank first in points, however, with 4.12 per set.
Junior Nicole Kessner ranks second in assists with 9.25, while Eagles also sits second with 5.25 digs. Knafel ranks seventh in both digs (3.44) and service aces (0.31).
Team Records Nearly Fall
With 58 total assists against UNC Greensboro, NSU fell two short of tying the single-match record of 60 set against Coppin State Nov. 15, 2003.
The team also totaled 62 kills against UNCG. The last time the Spartans had more than 62 kills in a match also occurred in that match against the Eagles when NSU had 68. The all-time record stands at 72 against Howard on Oct 17, 2003.
Up Next
The Spartans head west to take part in the Radford Invitational Friday and Saturday. NSU will face the host Highlanders Friday at 5 p.m. then Canisius and East Tennessee State Saturday.
