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Alex Irizarry
Gary Brittain

Women's Volleyball Mike Bello, Asst. SID

Spartans Face Howard on Friday in First Home Match of Year

This Weekend
FridayNSU vs. Howard (Gill Gymnasium)7 p.m.Live StatsLive Video
SundayNSU at Delaware State1 p.m.Live Stats

NORFOLK, Va. – After spending more than the first half of the regular season on the road, the Norfolk State volleyball team will finally play its first home match of the year on Friday. The Spartans will take on Howard at 7 p.m. in Gill Gymnasium during Norfolk State University's homecoming week.

The contest is set to be played in Gills because of homecoming activities taking place in NSU's regular home for volleyball, Joseph Echols Hall.

Both live stats and a live video feed will be available for the match against the Bison. The live stats are free, while the live video feed carries a cost of $5.

The Spartans also play at Delaware State on Sunday at 1 p.m. Live stats will be available for that match.

NSU enters Friday's contest with a 0-15 overall record and a 0-3 MEAC mark. Howard stands at an even .500 overall at 9-9, including 2-1 in conference play.

Keeping an Eye Out
Junior Darcy Moore needs just 19 more assists to move past Nicole Kessner for the NSU career record. Kessner tallied 2,424 assists during her four-year career with the Spartans that ended in 2012. Moore currently has 2,406 assists in her three-year career.

Finally at Home
The Spartans played their first 15 matches of the year on the road, what is believed to be the longest such streak to open a season in NSU's volleyball history. The program only hosts six home matches during the entire 2014 season, tied for the fewest in one year since the 1997 campaign, when NSU also had just six home contests on the docket.

NSU plays five of its last six matches of the year at home.

MEAC Standings
Hampton has taken the early lead in the Northern Division standings at 4-0 this year. Morgan State (3-1) and Howard (2-1) rank second and third, respectively, while Coppin State owns fourth place so far this year at 2-2. UMES owns fifth place at 1-2, while Delaware State and NSU are tied for sixth at 0-3.
 
Florida A&M and Bethune-Cookman have surged ahead of the rest of the pack in the Southern Division at 4-0 each.
 
MEAC Rankings
Moore and Jessica Johnson are the only two Spartan players ranked in the top 10 in the MEAC. Moore sits fifth in assists at 8.98 per set and ninth in service aces at 0.29. Johnson owns fifth place in kills at 3.29 and seventh in points at 3.48.

As a team, NSU stands fifth in kills (11.48) and assists (10.85), sixth in service aces (1.27), eighth in hitting percentage (.122), 11th in opponent hitting percentage (.255) and 12th in blocks (1.09) and digs (11.88).

Series History
The Bison lead the all-time series with NSU, 12-5. The teams have split the series 3-3 after NSU moved to the Northern Division in 2011. Howard won both matches last year by scores of 3-1 and 3-2, the latter on NSU's Senior Day that also took place in Gill Gymnasium.

About NSU
The Spartans have been led this year by junior Jessica Johnson, who has taken over the No. 1 hitter role and averages 3.29 kills per set. Freshman Hope Forsythe had been playing well, tallying 2.51 kills per set this year, but has been out the last several matches due to injury. Junior Janay Frazier (2.00 kills) returned to the lineup and hit well against Coppin State, while sophomore Dominique Parker (1.71 kills) had her best match yet at NSU with 13 kills last week at Morgan State.

Also making an impact at times this year have been freshman Clarke Tyler (1.67 kills per set), junior Angie Darcus (1.19 kills) and sophomore Tori Tulensru (1.15 kills). Junior Darcy Moore directs the offense with 8.98 assists to go along with a team-best 0.29 service aces.

On the defensive side of things, Moore (2.33 digs per set) and seniors Noelle Eagles (2.94 digs) and Adriana Ramos (2.09 digs) have provided stability in the backcourt, while senior Kylee Thiim tallies a team-leading 0.60 blocks per set. Parker (0.49 blocks) and Forsythe (0.46) have also chipped in throughout the year.

Scouting Howard
The Bison, selected to finish second in the MEAC Northern Division, are currently in the exact position they were expected to be with sweeps of UMES and Delaware State and a 3-1 loss to conference-leading Hampton. Howard picked up non-conference wins this year over such programs as George Mason, La Salle, William & Mary, Tulane and Florida Atlantic.

Freshman Khaila Donaldson leads the way for the Bison with 3.48 kills and 0.32 service aces per set. Katherine Broussard and Assata Conway also chip in with 2.41 and 2.34 kills, respectively. Setter Stephanie Shultis, a preseason all-MEAC pick along with Broussard and Conway, averages 9.48 assists. Conway (MEAC-leading 1.25 blocks) and the duo of Allyson Lods (3.28 digs) and Broussard (3.15 digs) pace the Bison on defense.

Up Next
So much for not having to travel. NSU will be back on the road again, first on Sunday at Delaware State and then on Oct. 17 at UMES.
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Players Mentioned

Angie Darcus

#11 Angie Darcus

RS/S
5' 11"
Junior
Noelle  Eagles

#6 Noelle Eagles

L
5' 2"
Redshirt Senior
Janay Frazier

#12 Janay Frazier

OH
5' 9"
Junior
Jessica Johnson

#1 Jessica Johnson

OH
5' 10"
Junior
Darcy Moore

#8 Darcy Moore

S
5' 6"
Junior
Dominique Parker

#10 Dominique Parker

MB
6' 1"
Sophomore
Adriana Ramos

#9 Adriana Ramos

DS/OH
5' 10"
Senior
Kylee Thiim

#15 Kylee Thiim

MB
6' 0"
Redshirt Senior
Tori Tulensru

#13 Tori Tulensru

RS/DS
5' 9"
Sophomore
Hope Forsythe

#14 Hope Forsythe

RS/OH
5' 11"
Freshman
Clarke Tyler

#2 Clarke Tyler

MB/OH
6' 0"
Freshman

Players Mentioned

Angie Darcus

#11 Angie Darcus

5' 11"
Junior
RS/S
Noelle  Eagles

#6 Noelle Eagles

5' 2"
Redshirt Senior
L
Janay Frazier

#12 Janay Frazier

5' 9"
Junior
OH
Jessica Johnson

#1 Jessica Johnson

5' 10"
Junior
OH
Darcy Moore

#8 Darcy Moore

5' 6"
Junior
S
Dominique Parker

#10 Dominique Parker

6' 1"
Sophomore
MB
Adriana Ramos

#9 Adriana Ramos

5' 10"
Senior
DS/OH
Kylee Thiim

#15 Kylee Thiim

6' 0"
Redshirt Senior
MB
Tori Tulensru

#13 Tori Tulensru

5' 9"
Sophomore
RS/DS
Hope Forsythe

#14 Hope Forsythe

5' 11"
Freshman
RS/OH
Clarke Tyler

#2 Clarke Tyler

6' 0"
Freshman
MB/OH