This Week's Home Schedule
Tuesday: vs. North Carolina A&T, 6 p.m.
Wednesday: vs. Hampton, 6 p.m.
Friday: vs. Coppin State, 6 p.m.
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NORFOLK, Va. – Nearing the end of September, the Norfolk State volleyball team will finally kick off its home schedule with three matches in four days, beginning Tuesday against North Carolina A&T at 6 p.m. at Joseph Echols Hall.

NSU will also host Hampton on Wednesday in the team's MEAC opener and Coppin State on Friday. Both matches will start at 6 p.m. and take place at Echols Hall. Fans can follow all of the action through NSU's live stats page, as well as through a live video stream, which is available for all Spartan home matches. Cost is $5 per match or $35 for a season pass for all eight home matches.

Coming in with a 3-8 record, NSU will look to get things started off on the right foot in conference play against Hampton as the Spartans start their first season in the MEAC Northern Division following the additions of Savannah State and North Carolina Central to the league this year.

Despite the record, NSU comes in averaging more kills than its opponents, led by junior Charlotte Armstead with 3.13 kills per set on a .296 attack percentage. Junior Beatriz Ferreira and freshman Adriana Ramos have chipped in with 2.39 and 2.29 kills, respectively, while junior Kristen Burt is averaging 8.87 assists.

Senior Tracey Copley totals 2.11 digs, having replaced sophomore Noelle Eagles at libero the last two weekends. Armstead and senior Jasmine Frazier provide the blocking up front with 0.63 and 0.55 blocks per set, respectively. Frazier leads the team in service aces with 0.34 per set.

Another Superb Performance
Burt tallied 54 assists on Saturday in a 3-2 win over High Point, falling just one assist short of tying the all-time program mark of 55 set by Afreya Allen on Oct. 17, 2003 against Howard. Allen also had 54 later on that season. NSU did tie the team record for assists in a match with 60, set against Coppin State on Nov. 15, 2003.

NSU Media Guide Now Online
The 2011 NSU volleyball media guide is now online and ready for viewing. Check out this year's guide for all the information about the program, including interviews, records, bios, and more.

MEAC Preseason Predictions
Picked fourth in the preseason poll in August, NSU will face the No. 6 and 7 teams in that Northern Division poll in Hampton and Coppin State.

About North Carolina A&T
NSU has already beaten A&T this year, a 3-0 victory on Sept. 16 against the short-handed Aggies, who stand 0-16 on the year and have yet to win a set. A&T has had just six regular players and only recently added a few more walk-ons to the lineup.

Jenea Daniels has tallied 1.60 kills per set and also leads the team with 1.71 digs. Tatiana Cooper and Andrea Evans also average more than a kill per set, and Evans leads the team up front with 0.50 blocks. Chelsea Fox has posted 4.12 assists and has a team-leading 0.27 service aces per set.

About Hampton
The Pirates own a 3-7 record on the year, and will enter the match against the Spartans having not played in 10 days. Along with a 3-1 win over Stetson and a 3-2 victory over Florida Atlantic, Hampton has also beaten North Carolina Central, 3-2.

Krista Kraskura has averaged 3.00 kills and 4.14 digs per set in limited action, and Ornela Cadavid leads all regular players with 1.71 kills. Eight players for the Pirates are averaging at least one kill per set. Lihi Elkayam has averaged 5.89 assists, and Sheileen Pagan is tops among regular starters with 2.37 digs. Mariah Baylor and Cadavid have been Hampton's primary blockers with 0.77 and 0.56 blocks per set, respectively.

About Coppin State
The Eagles own a 3-12 record prior to their match against Morgan State on Sunday, with wins over Chicago State, St. Francis (NY) and Loyola. Their match against the Bears on Sunday marks their first conference match and their only one in the 12 days leading up to the contest against the Spartans.

Ariel Richard provides the offense with 2.89 kills per set, while four other players also average at least 1.50 kills. Salena Weekly is one of those players with 1.53 kills, and she also leads the team with 1.00 blocks per set. Kristine Bindule averages 7.32 assists, and Gabrielle Otero is tops among all players with 3.74 digs. Janka Schmitt and Richard have averaged 0.46 and 0.43 service aces, respectively.

Up Next
After this week, the homestand will continue against Howard on Oct. 9 at 3 p.m. at Echols Hall.