WILLIAMSBURG, Va. — William & Mary heads to Boone, N.C. to compete in the Mountaineer Classic this weekend. The three-day tournament hosted by Appalachian State will see the Tribe take on the Mountaineers on Friday at 3 p.m. followed by Western Carolina on Saturday at 5 p.m. The tournament concludes on Sunday against North Florida with an 11 a.m. first serve.
All matches will be streamed on ESPN+. Live stats will be provided along with live updates from @WMTribeVB on X/Twitter and Instagram.
LAST TIME OUT
The Tribe secured its second straight sweep with a 3-0 win over Norfolk State on Tuesday. W&M posted a season-high .340 hitting percentage while holding the Spartans to a .146 clip. Audrey Brcka paced the Green & Gold with 10 kills while Avery Horejsi totaled a season-best 21 digs.
DOWNED THE BUCS
W&M swept ETSU on Saturday to bookend the VCU Invitational in Richmond, Va. Freshman Teagan Pocius led the Tribe with a career-high 10 kills, posting a .714 hitting percentage with no errors as W&M took down the defending Southern Conference regular season champions.
STUFFING THE STAT SHEET
Olivia Westfort recorded eight blocks in the Tribe's win over ETSU, including three solo. That is the most blocks by any CAA player in a three-set match this season.
GOING TO THE MIDDLES
Pocius (.412) and Westfort (.400) both rank top-five in the CAA and top-100 in Division I in hitting percentage through the first two weekends of the season.
FIRST WIN FOR COACH
William & Mary defeated Virginia Tech in five sets on opening day to secure the first career win for head coach Kellie Catanach Johnson. It marked the Tribe's first victory over a Power Four opponent since 2016, and its first win over the Hokies since 2000.
CRAFTED BY CATE
Cate Hatfield poured in a career-high 44 assists against Virginia Tech in just her second career start. It was the most assists by a Tribe player since Amy Schwem recorded 46 against Elon on Oct. 31, 2021. Hatfield leads the CAA in assists with 212.
CAREER MILESTONE
Audrey Brcka reached the 500-kill mark for her career against Virginia Tech, delivering a match-high 18 kills. So far, the senior captain leads the Tribe in kills (70) and points (82.0).
PRESEASON LAURELS
Two Tribe players earned preseason recognition from the league as senior opposite hitter Katherine Arnason earned Preseason All-CAA honors while graduate libero Avery Horejsi was an honorable mention selection.
Arnason had 250 kills last season which ranked second on the team. She averaged 2.53 kills per set while racking up 76.0 blocks and 298.0 points. The Marine on St. Croix, Minn. native also posted a .234 hitting percentage.
Horejsi had a highly productive first season in Williamsburg, finishing third in the CAA in digs (455) and digs per set (4.60). Both figures rank second-most in a single season during the modern scoring era (2008-present).
It marks the fourth straight year the Tribe has had representation on the Preseason All-CAA squad, equaling the program's longest streak set from 2008-11.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
App State is 3-4 this season with notable wins over Charlotte and CAA foe Elon. The Tribe is 3-3 all-time against the Mountaineers, the last matchup coming at the Classic in 2023, a 3-0 App State win.
Western Carolina is 3-4 overall and has won three of its past four matches. Senior setter Katie Boney is the nation's leader in assists with 293, averaging 9.16 assists per set. W&M has won all five of the matchups in the series, most recently in Williamsburg in 2016.
North Florida is 3-3 on the year. Senior outside hitter Kaili Doctor ranks 13th nationally with 4.50 kills per set. The Tribe's lone prior matchup against the Ospreys came at App State in 2009, a 3-1 win.
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