Tournament CentralLive Stats vs. NAU |
Live Stream vs. NAULive Stats vs. LMU | Live Stats vs. LibertyFLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – The HBU volleyball team will look to continue their fast start to the 2015 season, participating in the Lumberjack Classic at Northern Arizona on Friday and Saturday.
The Huskies (4-0) will play the host Lumberjacks in an 8 p.m. match on Friday inside Rolle Activity Center, before seeing fellow participants Loyola Marymount (12 p.m.) and Liberty (7 p.m.) on Saturday. HBU is 0-1 against the tournament field, falling 3-1 to NAU to open last season.
The Huskies have won their first four matches in straight sets, marking the best set-start (12 consecutive wins) in program history. HBU is led offensively by junior outside hitters
Bailey Banks and
Jessica Wooten. Banks landed a career-high 19 kills in Tuesday's sweep at Prairie View A&M, while Wooten recorded her first double-double of the season with 14 digs and 14 kills, both season-highs. On the season, Wooten leads the team with 3.67 kills per set, followed by Banks at 3.27. Junior setter
Kayla Armer has also been a steady presence for the offense, averaging 11.08 assists per set.
Defensively, Wooten (2.92), Banks (2.18) and sophomore
Hailey Erickson (2.17) anchor the back line, all averaging over two digs per set. Sophomore
Blair Gillard leads the Huskies at the net with 11 blocks, all assisted, while senior
Allison Doerpinghaus follows closely with nine block assists.
The 'Jacks enter the weekend with a 2-1 record with straight-set wins over Lehigh and St. Francis – Brooklyn at the James Madison Classic across August 28-29. NAU is led by seniors Janae Vander Ploeg and Payton Bock. Vander Ploeg leads the 'Jacks in kills (50) and digs (43), while Bock holds team mark in blocks with 15 (3 solo, 12 assisted) across 11 sets played each.
Liberty is 3-0 entering the tournament with straight-set victories over UNC – Greensboro and Hampton, and a 3-1 win over Fairleigh Dickinson in their host tournament. Senior Jade Vorster leads the Lady Flames in kills (26) and blocks (10). Freshman Margaret Latchford anchors the defense with 45 digs, averaging 5.00 per set.
LMU is 1-1 so far in 2015, as the Lions' lone win came in a 3-0 upset at No. 20 UCLA on Sunday. Junior Jamie Lea leads LMU's attack with 38 kills, averaging 5.43 per set. Sophomore Kristen Castellanos holds the back line with 33 digs, and senior Rachelle Suaava has 10 blocks assists.
Following the tournament, HBU will return to Sharp Gym to host Prairie View in a 7 p.m. match on Tuesday, Sept. 8.
