WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – The William & Mary volleyball team wraps up the 2018 season with a pair of home matches against the College of Charleston and UNCW this weekend. The Tribe welcomes the Cougars to Kaplan Arena on Friday, Nov. 9, at 7 pm, before hosting the Seahawks on Sunday, Nov. 11, at 1 pm.
Prior to the start of Sunday's contest, W&M will recognize its seniors with a pre-match ceremony.
Scouting the Tribe
W&M (5-18, 1-13 CAA) aims to end its 2018 season on a high note. Last weekend, the Tribe was upended by a James Madison five-set comeback, before falling at Towson in three sets. Freshman
Anne Louise Seekford, sophomore
Lauren Moussaid and senior
Katie Kemp made the biggest impact in the last road trip. Seekford displayed her versatility after collecting 22 kills, 16 digs and seven blocks. Kemp commanded the offense behind 59 assists (7.38 per set), and Moussaid led the defensive effort with 38 digs (4.75 per set).
Scouting the Cougars
CofC (18-10, 9-5 CAA) boasts one of the most explosive offenses in the conference. The Cougars rank second in the league in hitting percentage (.246) and kills (13.9 per set). Seniors Rachel Devon and Kennedy Madison have provided the majority of the firepower. In the league, Devon ranks second on 3.83 kills per set, and Kennedy slots fifth via 3.59 kills per set. Additionally, classmate Allison Beckman is engineering the offense behind a proficient 11.41 assists per set.
Scouting the Seahawks
UNCW (13-11, 6-8 CAA) looks to snap a three-match skid in order to secure a spot in the CAA Tournament. The Seahawks will host a key matchup with Elon (Thursday, Nov. 8), before travelling to Williamsburg. The strength of the Seahawks is their front line. UNCW ranks second in the conference with 2.5 blocks per set. Individually, junior Kendall Bender (1.31 per set) and Anna Moss (1.02 per set) are both top five in the league in stops.
Series History vs. Charleston
W&M and CofC will face off for the 13
th time in series history on Friday night. The Cougars have won the last four matchups to lead the all-time series, 11-1. During the previous meeting (Sept. 23), sophomore
Julia Brown hit .429 with eight kills, but the Cougars won the match in three sets.
Series History vs. UNCW
W&M and UNCW will clash for the 66
th time in series history on Sunday afternoon. The Green and Gold has dominated the Seahawks by boasting a 51-14 all-time series lead. However, UNCW defended home court with a 3-0 win over the Tribe earlier this year (Oct. 16). The home team has won the matchup across the last five meetings.
Senior Day
The Green and Gold will celebrate its five senior members of the program during the season finale on Sunday. The group consists of
Casey Foote, Katie Primatic, Heather Pippus, Katie Kemp and volunteer assistant
coach
Will Perrine. The pre-match ceremony will acknowledge the impact each senior has made on the program.
Block Party
Brown is on a roll of five-consecutive matches with at least three blocks. The streak propelled her to eighth in career blocks (165) in W&M's 25-point record books. Rookie
Madeleine Bertz also recently went on a run of four blocks in three-straight matches. Bertz ranks second on the team with 58 total stops.
Can You Dig It
After tying her career best twice, Moussaid established a new personal record of 28 digs at James Madison. The Allen, Texas native recorded her previous milestone (23 digs) at JMU (Oct. 27, 2017) as well. Moussaid stands eighth in the CAA at 4.32 digs per set against league opponents.
Career Performance
Seekford registered the best outing of her rookie campaign vs. JMU. The Leesburg, Va., native notched season-highs of 16 kills and 13 digs for her first double-double. She also totaled her most blocks (five) of the year. The performance marked her first time posting a match-high in kills.
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.
