ELON, N.C. – Elon University volleyball begins its fall 2021 season this Friday and Saturday, Aug. 27-28 at the Virginia Tech Invitational.

The Phoenix will play twice on Friday, beginning with a 10 a.m. match against Toledo before playing again at 5 p.m. versus Lehigh. The maroon and gold will then take on the tournament hosts on Saturday at 3 p.m. Virginia Tech is hosting the Invitational at Cassell Coliseum.

COVERAGE
Live stats will be available, and the match against the Hokies will be streamed live on ACC Network Extra.
 
ABOUT THE PHOENIX
- Elon was picked to finish fifth in the CAA Preseason Coaches' Poll after receiving 33 points.
- Leah Daniel was selected as the CAA Preseason Player of the Year. The first player in the program's Division I history to be named conference Player of the Year this past spring, she added AVCA East Coast All-Region and AVCA All-American Honorable Mention honors.
- Jordan Gower was named a CAA Preseason honorable mention. She landed on the All-CAA Second Team in the spring after finishing second in the league in total digs (203) and digs per set (5.08).
- The Phoenix has 13 returners this fall, to include five starters and the libero from the shortened spring 2021 season.
- Julia Crabtree and team co-captain Natalie Cummins are back for a fifth year, and co-captain Haylie Clark enters her senior year. Jenn Krzeminski led the maroon and gold at the net with 32 blocks, and Alex VanWestrienen served a team-high 17 aces.
- New to the team this year are freshmen Sydney Love, Lily Barker and Caroline Doyle.
- Elon also has a new assistant coach in Dave Franklin, who joined Head Coach Mary Tendler's staff earlier this month.
 
THE SERIES
- Elon and Toledo are meeting for the first time this weekend.
- Lehigh won the only meeting of the series 3-1 on Sept. 20, 2019 to open the University of Virginia'a Jefferson Cup.
- Virginia Tech leads 4-0 when playing Elon. The teams last met at the Liberty Invitational on Sept. 6, 2019, with the Hokies winning in four sets. 

SCOUTING TOLEDO
- Toledo posted a 6-14 record last spring in an abbreviated, conference-only schedule.
- Outside hitter Taylor Alt picked up First Team All-MAC honors as a freshman while Ryann Jaqua averaged 4.77 digs per set, the fifth most in a season in school history, in her first season as a defensive specialist/libero.
- The Rockets were picked to finish fourth in the west division in the MAC Preseason Coaches' Poll. The team garnered one first-place vote and 36 total points.
- Alt represented the Rockets on the Preseason West All-MAC Team.

SCOUTING LEHIGH
- Lehigh finished 3-6 overall after playing a conference-only schedule.
- The Mountain Hawks have a lot of experience with two fifth-year outside hitters in Sabrina Lancaster and Hannah Wright and four seniors in setters Alina Lam and Sarah Carman and outside hitters Ava Hudson and Victoria Jepson. Lancaster and Wright also have three All-Patriot League selections between the two of them.
- Lehigh was picked to finish seventh in the Patriot League Preseason Poll. 

SCOUTING VIRGINIA TECH
- Virginia Tech returns multiple starters in middle blocker Angel Robinson, right side hitter Marisa Cerchio and defensive specialist/libero Logan Mosley. Cerchio was third on the team in scoring with 177.5 points, Robinson recorded a team-high 60.0 blocks and Mosley was first in digs with 192.
- Virginia Tech also has 10 newcomers this season.
- The Hokies were picked to finish 13th out of 15 teams in the ACC Preseason Coaches' Poll.

UP NEXT
- Elon will travel to Durham, N.C. next Tuesday, Aug. 31 for a 6:30 p.m. match at Duke.