WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – The William & Mary volleyball team concludes the road portion of its schedule at James Madison and Towson this weekend. The Tribe heads to Harrisonburg, Va., to face the Dukes on Friday, Nov. 2 at 7 pm, before visiting the Tigers on Sunday, Nov. 4 at 1 pm.
Scouting the Tribe
W&M (5-16, 1-11 CAA) fell to a pair of top four CAA teams in Hofstra and Northeastern at home last weekend. Individually, the trio of
Claire Farrell,
Julia Brown and
Katie Kemp registered the top performances. Kemp continued her torrid play after sparking the offense with 10.3 assists per set across the last two matches. Farrell took full advantage of her 72 attempts with 4.17 kills per set. Brown provided the efficiency with a .361 hitting percentage, while making 1.0 block per set.
Scouting the Dukes
After starting CAA play with nine consecutive wins, conference-leading James Madison (18-5, 10-2 CAA) is 1-2 in its last three matches. The Dukes fell at Hofstra and UNCW, but dealt Charleston its fourth conference loss. Despite the recent setbacks, JMU boasts the CAA's most stringent defense, leading the league with a .164 opponent hitting percentage. Juniors M'Kaela White and Sarah Driscoll are key players in preventing opponents from scoring. White tops the CAA with 1.45 blocks per set, while Driscoll is third best at 4.94 digs per set.
Scouting the Tigers
Following five consecutive road matches, Towson (12-14, 6-6 CAA) returns home to the SECU Arena for a three-match homestand. The Tigers went 3-2 during the road swing to maintain their .500 conference record. The Towson offense is fueled by its middle blockers Olamide Sonuga (.344 hitting rate) and Silvia Grassini (.337 hitting rate), ranking fourth and fifth in the league in attack percentage. Defensively, Anna Holehouse anchors the back line with an average of 4.8 digs per set.
Series History vs. James Madison
In-state rivals W&M and JMU meet for the 93
rd time in series history on Friday night. The Dukes improved its all-time series lead to 48-44 after upending the Tribe in three sets on Oct. 8. In its previous visit to Harrisonburg, Va., the Tribe took sets three and four, but came up just short in a five-set barn burner.
Series History vs. Towson
W&M and Towson extend their series history to 40 meetings on Sunday afternoon. The Tigers have won the last nine matchups to lead the all-time series by a 22-17 margin. During the previous meeting (Oct. 6), sophomore
Lauren Moussaid, led all players with 14 digs, while Brown hammered eight kills behind a .500 hitting clip.
Can You Dig It
Moussaid went eight consecutive matches with at least 10 digs before Sunday. The Allen, Texas native tied her career-best 23 digs twice during the stretch. The consistent effort improved Moussaid's average to 4.22 digs per set against CAA opponents, which is eighth best in the conference.
What Can Brown Do for You
Brown is making every swing count after coming off her ninth outing with an attack percentage above .300. Against Northeastern, it took Brown only 19 attempts to crush nine kills and she committed just one error for a .421 hitting efficiency. The middle blocker ranks seventh in the league in attack percentage (.295).
Double-Digit Kill Streak
Farrell had her best week of the season over the last three matches. The Alexandria, Va., native floored double-digit kills in every contest and recorded her first-ever double-double at Elon. Against Northeastern, Farrell was just shy of a double-double after registering 12 kills and eight digs. For the year, Farrell has exceeded 10 kills in 10 of her 21 appearances.
Power of an Assist
Kemp is shining in CAA play. The senior captain slots sixth in the league via 7.32 assists per set vs. conference foes. Kemp's improved assist rate is a result of exceptional efforts in two of her last three matches. Against the Phoenix, she distributed a season-high 50 assists in helping three players tally 10-plus kills. Kemp recorded another solid effort versus Northeastern with her most assists (33) in a three-set affair.
Digging Doyle
The Tribe nabbed a rising star in head coach
Tim Doyle as he was selected to the 2017 American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Thirty Under 30 list. Doyle built up an impressive resume before accepting his first head coaching opportunity at W&M. In four years at VCU, he helped the program capture 80 wins and make a 2017 NCAA Tournament appearance. He also mentored 13 all-conference selections and saw five players sign professional contracts during his six total years as an assistant.
Sideline Help
Doyle brought in high caliber assistants to help steer the program in a new direction. His first hire was former VCU standout
Janelle Sykes. She recently competed abroad in Azerbaijan and Belgium. Sykes is one the most elite middle blockers in Rams' history, ranking second all-time in blocks per set (1.21) and fourth in total blocks (345).
Colby Arrington was the second hire, and he brings a championship pedigree from James Madison. Arrington spent three years on the JMU staff serving in various roles, most recently as the volunteer assistant. He was also a key member of the JMU nationally-ranked men's club volleyball program.
