| Elon (13-8, 2-4 CAA) vs. College of Charleston & UNCW |
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ELON, N.C. – After a three-game road swing, Elon University volleyball will return home this weekend for a Friday, Oct. 13, match against College of Charleston and a Sunday afternoon, Oct. 15, match against UNCW to close the first half of the 2017 CAA schedule. Friday's match in Alumni Gym is set for 7 p.m. and Sunday afternoon's contest is slated for 2 p.m.
SCOUTING COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON
The Cougars sit 5-1 in the CAA this season, which places second behind unbeaten Northeastern. CofC's only loss in CAA play this year came against Northeastern, but the Cougars have won each of their last four matches since that loss with wins over UNCW, James Madison, Towson and Delaware. Charleston's last two matches against Towson and Delaware were 3-0 sweeps. Krissy Mummey was named CAA Offensive Player of the Week on Monday after posting 14 kills against Towson and eight against Delaware. On the weekend, she finished with 22 kills and no errors. The Cougars own a 24-2 lead in the all-time series to date and have won each of the last 16 matchups between the two teams.
SCOUTING UNCW
Though UNCW entered conference play at 6-6, the Seahawks have dropped five of six conference matches to date with the only win a five-set triumph over Delaware at home. UNCW is paced by Maddy Kline's 2.51 kills per set, Katie McCullough's 3.96 digs per set and Anna Moss's 1.14 blocks per set. UNCW has won nine of the last 10 meetings between the two teams and leads the all-time series 20-13.
PINK SUNDAY
Sunday's match against UNCW marks Elon's annual Pink Match. Partnering with Alamance Regional Charitable Foundation, help the Phoenix raise awareness for breast cancer in
support of the Pink Ribbon Fund. Be sure to wear pink to the match!
LAST TIME OUT
Elon put together a hard-fought battle on Sunday, Oct. 8, but ultimately fell 3-2 in Boston to Northeastern. The Phoenix fell down a set on two occasions but fought back both times. In the fifth set, Elon trailed 10-5 before going on a 6-0 run to lead 11-10, but Northeastern won five of the last six points to win 15-12.
Sydney Busa posted 24 kills and 15 digs for her 13th double-double of the year.
Kodi Garcia added 39 assists.
SENIOR SUCCESS
Entering the weekend,
Sydney Busa is posting CAA highs in kills (341), kills per set (4.37), points (378.5) and points per set (4.85) through 21 matches. The senior from Leesburg, Va., was named to three of the four possible All-Tournament teams this fall in non-conference play. Entering the year, Busa had never averaged more than 2.82 kills per set or 2.71 digs per set in a season. Thus far in 2017, she is more than 1.5 kills per set and nearly 0.75 digs per set higher than both of her previous career marks, which were set in 2016.
DOUBLE-DOUBLE MACHINES
Busa and
Kam Terry are helping pace the CAA in double-doubles this season. Busa recorded her 13th double-double of the season against Northeastern while Terry stands at 11 on the year to place among the conference's best. Before the season, Busa had posted 23 over the course of her first three years with the program while Terry has more than doubled her total after entering 2017 with seven.
CLIMBING THE CHARTS
Maddie Jaudon currently stands in seventh place for most digs in a career with 1,238. She passed Maria LaButto's seventh-place mark of 1,198 digs on Sept. 28 against William & Mary and is now taking aim at Cheryl Spivey's 1,264. Busa has posted 1,184 kills in her career in maroon and gold, putting her seventh all-time behind Megan Crooks' 1,203 from 1991-94.
AMONG NATIONAL LEADERS
On the national scene, Busa and Garcia rank among the country's best when it comes to kills, points and assists. To date, Busa is seventh in the nation for total points at 378.5 and is fourth for total kills with 341. Garcia's 816 total assists to date are ninth in the nation. She is 21 behind Lacee Adams of Chicago State for the most by a freshman this season.
A PAIR OF MILESTONES
Jaudon surpassed the 1,000-career dig mark at the Liberty Invitational. She is averaging 4.11 digs per set having posted 1,238 to date in 301 sets played across 81 matches in maroon and gold. Busa eclipsed the 1,000-career kill mark during the third set of Elon's 3-1 win over NC Central on Saturday, Sept. 9, and is now setting her sights on becoming one of the few players in program history to record 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs in a career. To date, Busa has posted 976 digs and is just 24 away from becoming the fourth player in program history to reach the elite club. She would join Debbie Hall, Fiona MacPherson and Katie Ruoff.
ROOKIE SUCCESSES
Garcia and middle blocker
Courtney Carpenter had made a big impact on Elon's 21 matches this season. Garcia stepped in as the team's starting setter on opening weekend and has made the most of her opportunity, posting 10.46 assists per set thus far to place third in the CAA by more than three assists per set. Carpenter thus far is third on the team with 122 kills, but has recorded 62 blocks on the season to lead the team in the category. In recent weeks, Carpenter has had eight-block performances against both Navy, Delaware and Northeastern. Both players have been named CAA Rookie of the Week this season with Garcia earning the honor twice on Aug. 28 and Oct. 2 and Carpenter on Sept. 25.
PRESEASON HONOR AND POLL
Busa was named a Preseason All-CAA Honorable Mention before the start of the 2017 season. It marks the second time in her career she's earned the honor. The recognition follows her 2016 Third Team All-CAA nod at season's end. Announced the same day as Busa's preseason honor, Elon was selected to finish eighth in the CAA this year. College of Charleston was picked to win the league with six first-place votes and Hofstra followed closely with three first-place votes.
CLOSING ON THE ROAD
Down the stretch this season, Elon will only play four of its final 10 matches inside the friendly confines of Alumni Gym. Two of those matches will come this weekend against College of Charleston and UNCW on Oct. 13 and 15. After that, two fo the last eight matches this year in Alumni Gym will come Nov. 3 and 5 when Elon hosts Hofstra and Northeastern.
HEAD COACH MARY TENDLER
Elon head coach
Mary Tendler is in her 15th season at the helm of the program. After winning her 200th match as the team's leader last season, she holds a 229-2457 record to date with the Phoenix since the start of the 2003 season. On Saturday, Sept. 30, Tendler returned to University of Illinois, where she was a member of the school's inaugural Hall of Fame class.
BIDDING FAREWELL
The 2017 season marks the 46th and final campaign for the volleyball program in Alumni Gym, with the team set to move its home matches to the Schar Center in 2018. The 5,400-seat convocation center is currently under construction and will host the volleyball program, as well as the men's and women's basketball programs, beginning with the 2018-19 academic year.
LOOKING AHEAD
Elon with go back on the road for its next four matches. That run starts Friday, Oct. 20, with a 7 p.m. match at Towson. It will be followed by a 1 p.m. match at Delaware on Sunday, Oct. 22.
--ELON--
