| Elon Phoenix (11-5, 1-1 CAA) vs. James Madison Dukes (10-0, 1-0 CAA) |
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ELON, N.C. – Elon University volleyball will play its third match in four nights on Monday, Sept. 25, when it hosts defending Colonial Athletic Association champion James Madison inside Alumni Gym. First serve is set for 7 p.m.
SCOUTING JAMES MADISON
The Dukes are unbeaten on the 2017 campaign with a 10-0 record. James Madison had a total of 13 days off between its Sept. 9 match against Coppin State and its last match Saturday, Sept. 23, against William & Mary. It was scheduled to compete in the Miami/FIU Invitational in Miami and Coral Gables, Fla., from Sept. 15-16, but the tournament was cancelled due to Hurricane Irma. Bryn Recker leads the Dukes with 3.17 kills per set and M'Kaela White averages 1.28 blocks per set, which leads the CAA.
LAST TIME OUT
Elon earned a gritty five-set victory on Saturday night in Alumni Gym over Delaware. The Phoenix took the first and third sets while Delaware took the second and fourth by a combined four points and Elon pulled out the victory by holding off two match points for the Blue Hens, winning four of the last five points to take the fifth set 17-15. In the match,
Courtney Carpenter tied her season high with eight blocks and Elon finished with a season-high 14. On the first match point, Elon tied the set at 14-14 with a block by
Alexa Pavlick and
Sydney Busa.
SENIOR SUCCESS
Entering the weekend,
Sydney Busa led the CAA in kills (216), kills per set (4.24), points (240) and points per set (4.71) through 14 matches. She improved those numbers over the weekend and now averages 4.30 kills per set 4.79 points per set. The senior from Leesburg, Va., was named to three of the four All-Tournament teams Elon played in this season and has posted 11 double-doubles to date to lead the CAA. Entering the year, Busa had never averaged more than 2.82 kills per set in a season or 2.71 digs per set. Through the early going in 2017, she's nearly two kills and more than one dig per set over her previous season highs, both recorded in 2016.
JAUDON'S MILESTONE
Jaudon surpassed the 1,000-career dig mark at the Liberty Invitational. She now has 1,180 digs in her career, which stands ninth on Elon's all-time list and is seven behind a tie for eighth with Katie Forman's 1,187. In 283 sets played, Jaudon is averaging 4.17 digs per set in her career. That has come over the course of 76 matches with the Phoenix. The program record for most digs in a career is held by Debbie Hall, who recorded 2,036 digs from 1992-95.
BUSA'S CANNON
Busa surpassed the 1,000-career kill mark during the third set of Elon's 3-1 win over NC Central on Saturday, Sept. 9. To date, she has 1,101 kills in maroon in gold, which stands 10th in program history and is one behind Britany Westphal's 1,102 in ninth place.
HEY ROOKIE!
First-year setter
Kodi Garcia stepped in as Elon's starting setter on opening weekend and has made the most of the opportunity. To date, she has 634 assists in 60 sets and stands third in the CAA for assists per set at 10.57. She has earned five double-doubles in Elon's 16 matches. For her performance on opening weekend in Charlotte, where she had 123 assists (10.25 per set) and 26 digs, she was named CAA Rookie of the Week on Monday, Aug. 28.
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.
HOME SWEET ALUMNI GYM
After playing seven of the first eight matches of the season away from Alumni Gym, Elon has played seven of its last eight in Alumni Gym. That home run will continue with two more matches this week against James Madison on Monday night and William & Mary on Thursday, Sept. 28. After these last two matches of the homestand, the Phoenix will play nine of its final 13 matches of the regular season on the road.
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 227-244 record to date with the Phoenix since the start of the 2003 season.
A BID 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 will host William & Mary on Thursday night, Sept. 28, at 7 p.m. to close the four-match homestand. It marks the final match in a run that Elon will have played nine of its last 10 matches inside Alumni Gym. The Tribe is 2-14 on the season and 0-3 in CAA play with losses to Delaware, James Madison and Towson. Thursday's match is the first of a three-match road swing for William & Mary.
--ELON--
