WILLIAMSBURG, Va.- Tribe volleyball will head on the road this weekend to kick off a busy stretch of five matches in just nine days. The Green and Gold will look to avenge a pair of early-season losses, heading north to Hofstra on Saturday before facing Northeastern on Monday afternoon. Hear what coach Doyle had to say about the Tribe's progress on the offensive side of the net, the challenges of playing five games in nine days, and more in the video above.
Scouting the Tribe
William & Mary enters the match against Hofstra with a 6-13 record on the season. The Tribe has netted two wins in eight CAA tries at the midpoint of the conference slate. Despite the record, coach Doyle's team has been strong at the net ranking in the top half of the league in both hitting percentage and blocks per set.
Julia Brown has led the effort at the net averaging 1.19 blocks per set, the third-best mark in the CAA.
Kaitlyn Ferguson,
Claire Farrell, and
Kate Dedrick are each recording over .50 blocks per frame. Dedrick has been the Tribe's go-to player offensively leading the way with 213 kills while Brown, Farrell, and
Lauren Merrill have all added at least 100 kills to the cause. With 172 kills and 160 digs, Merrill is the first Tribe player to break the 150-mark in both categories.
Scouting the Pride
At the midpoint of the conference season, Hofstra has been the league's best team from the service line. The Pride has posted a CAA best 47 assists, led by 12 from Luisa Sydlik and 10 from Ana Martinovic. Sydlik recently recorded her 4,000th career assist and leads all CAA setters with 752 dishes this season. Outside hitter Laura Mascuilla has spiked 4.52 kills per set, one of just two players hitting at a better clip than the Tribe's
Kate Dedrick.
Scouting the Huskies
The Huskies open the weekend with an even 10-10 mark on the year and a 4-4 record at the midway point of conference play. Northeastern has been strong offensively in league play ranking second in the CAA with nearly 13 kills per set and third in hitting percentage. The Huskies have been just as lethal from the service line averaging over 1.50 aces per set. Natalie Shollin and Evelyn Gonzalez both sit in the league's top-10 in hitting percentage while Erica Staunton and Samantha Shupe rank among the league's best in kills per set and assists per set respectively.
Series History
Hofstra got the best of the Tribe in a 3-0 decision to expand their all-time series lead to 18-29. Despite the loss, the Tribe hit .265 with 12 kills in the final set and out-blocked the Pride 10-3. William & Mary will be looking for their first win in Hempstead since the 2012 season. A September win at Kaplan Arena helped Northeastern to a 20-10 advantage in the series against the Tribe.
Great Dedrick
Kate Dedrick continues to dominate CAA opposition with 56 kills over her last 10 sets of action. The junior has eclipsed the 15-kill mark in each of the Tribe's last three contests and recorded a hitting percentage north of .330 in three of the last five outings. Midway through the CAA slate, Dedrick is averaging an outstanding four kills and has added 1.36 digs per frame.
Diggin' Duo
A pair of freshmen liberos have been key to the Tribe's strong backline this season.
Anna Porter has racked up 223 digs, 3.52 per set ranking first among all CAA freshmen. The Atlanta native leads the Tribe with 10 double-digit dig matches and has amassed 66 scoops in conference play. Fellow first-year
Gabi Ganley has been equally impressive ranking seventh in league play with over 3.50 digs per set. Over the last six matches, Ganley has averaged 4.10 digs per set and has delivered at least 12 stops on five occasions.
Offensive Outbursts
The Tribe has been solid on the block all season, but it has been the offense that has found a rhythm of late. Doyle's side has hit above .300 in at least one set in each of the past five matches. William & Mary is averaging 12 kills per set during the five-match run.
Miss 300
Entering the weekend
Lauren Merrill sits on a career 295 kills and 298 digs. The sophomore will have an opportunity to reach the 300-mark in both kills and digs in Saturday's match at Hofstra. With eight matches to play, Merrill has already eclipsed the number of kills and digs she recorded in her first season on campus.
SCHEDULE AHEAD
Saturday, 10/26- Tribe at Hofstra 1:00 p.m.
Monday, 10/28- Tribe at Northeastern 5:00 p.m.
