Red Flash Classic

Friday, Sept. 15	NSU vs. Morehead State	4 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 16	NSU at Saint Francis (Pa.)	9:30 a.m.
	NSU vs. Bucknell	2 p.m.

NORFOLK, Va. – The Norfolk State volleyball team will make one last road trek before a home stretch later this month. That road trip will find the Spartans back in Pennsylvania for the Red Flash Classic this Friday and Saturday at Saint Francis.
 
The Spartans play Morehead State on Friday at 4 p.m. at Degol Arena at Saint Francis. On Saturday, NSU takes on the host Red Flash at 9:30 a.m., followed by a matchup with Bucknell at 2 p.m. Live stats for all three matches will be available at www.sidearmstats.com/francis/wvball.
 
Norfolk State is looking to build momentum heading into that home swing, when the Spartans will play five matches in town during the next two weekends, all against teams from the MEAC. NSU currently owns a 2-5 record after the first two weekends of its season with wins over Lafayette and North Carolina Central.
 
Saint Francis
The Red Flash stand 4-6, which includes a win over NSU in the Crosstown Invitational on Sept. 1. Like the Spartans, Saint Francis also lost to Lehigh but defeated Lafayette at the tournament earlier this year. One of the Red Flash's losses was to Maryland Eastern Shore on Aug. 25 by a 3-0 score, an opponent NSU will see twice this year in league play.
 
Kelsey Roush (4.14 kills per set) and Emily Marcinowski (3.14) lead the way on offense. Jenna Veres (5.57 digs) has been unshakeable for a defense averaging nearly 16 digs per set.
 
Morehead State
The Eagles carry a 6-4 record into the weekend, with three of those wins coming against MEAC teams Delaware State, Savannah State and South Carolina State, all by 3-0 scores. Morehead State also swept William & Mary two weeks ago, the fourth opponent MSU and NSU will have in common. The Spartans face all four of those schools later this year, including Delaware State twice.
 
Lauren Rokey (2.90 kills per set) leads the way on offense with two other players in Olivia Lohmeier (2.40) and Jordan Jones (2.24) also play a big part on offense. Maddie Fella (1.41 blocks per set) and Lohmeier (0.90 blocks) have been a force at the net for a team averaging 2.24 blocks per set.
 
Bucknell
The Bison stand 5-4 on the season, including a sweep of their opening weekend tournament against La Salle, Iona and Saint Peter's. Bucknell, though, does not have any common opponents with NSU besides this weekend.
 
Blocking has been the team's forte, as Bucknell averages nearly three blocks a set. Mimi Richards (1.63) and Celeste Barker (1.14) lead the way in that category. On offense, Sophie Bullard paces all players with 3.03 kills, while Richards (2.40) and Blake Buchholz (2.03) also give the Bison some offensive punch.
 
Early MEAC Challenge
Besides the normal 12 matches against MEAC Northern Division foes, NSU will play four teams from the South, including three next weekend in the MEAC North-South Challenge. The Spartans got off to a good start last weekend against the first opponent from the other division, North Carolina Central. NSU won 3-1, winning 25-18, 25-22 and 25-22, with the Eagles taking the third set, 25-17.
 
Of the four teams from the South that NSU will play this year – Savannah State, South Carolina State and North Carolina A&T next weekend – at least two of those teams will advance to the MEAC tournament in November. Following this weekend, the Spartans will have just one match against a non-MEAC school, a Tuesday night contest at William & Mary on Oct. 10.
 
Moving Up
Senior Clarke Tyler began the year in the top 15 in career blocks and block assists. After the first couple of weekends, she now sits seventh with 113 blocks assists. She needs just 11 more to move all the way up to third place. She is also within reach of second place all-time at NSU, needing just 31 more.
 
Tyler also ranks 10^th with 141 total blocks in her career.
 
Series History
NSU has never faced Bucknell or Morehead State. The Spartans have played Saint Francis twice, including the 3-0 loss in the first match of the year by scores of 25-18, 25-17 and 25-22. The only other time was in 2007, a 3-1 setback in a tournament at Maryland Eastern Shore.
 
Up Next
NSU will host the MEAC North-South Challenge in conjunction with Hampton. The Spartans will play Savannah State on Sept. 22 at Gill Gymnasium at 7 p.m., then head down to the Tidewater Volleyball Center in Virginia Beach for contests against South Carolina State and North Carolina A&T on Sept. 23.