College of Charleston (1-2, 0-0 CAA) vs. Eastern Washington (2-2, 0-0 Big Sky)
Game #4
Date: Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2014
Start Time: 7:00 pm
City: Charleston, S.C.
Arena: TD Arena (5,100)
Series History: First meeting between two teams
THE COACHES
College of Charleston: Jason Kepner
Eighth Year at CofC: 178-60 (.753)
All-Time Record: 178-60 (.753)
E. Washington: Wade Benson
Ninth Season at E. Washington: 156-56 (.737)
All-Time Record: 156-56 (.737)
FOLLOW LIVE
Live Stream Carrier: Stretch Internet (Charleston Sports Network)
Live Stream Link: http://bit.ly/YJVwkG
Live Stats Link: CofCStats.com
Twitter: @CofCVolleyball
GAME PREVIEW
College of Charleston volleyball takes to the court at TD Arena once more on Tuesday night (7:00 p.m.) playing their fourth match in five days when they take on Big Sky opponents, the Eagles of Eastern Washington University.
After starting their 2014 campaign off in style with a thrilling five set win over former SoCon rivals Davidson, the Cougars endured a tough final day of action at the CofC Invitational on Saturday, falling in back-to-back matches for the first time in almost a year to Mercer and Kent State.
Despite the losses, there were numerous positives to take from the opening weekend of action, including top-notch play from junior captain Melissa Morello, who put away a combined 46 kills over the week (3.54 K/G). Morello also chipped in with 32 digs en route to being named to the all-tournament team. Senior libero Andi Zbojniewicz was also strong over the weekend, racking up 50 digs (3.85 D/G) along the back row.
While the Cougars return 10 players from last year's CAA championship squad, including first-team all-CAA honoree Sloane White and returning CAA setter of the year Kallie McKown, CofC's freshman class also played well, flashing signs of their future potential – especially setter Mackenzie Cooler (Blufton, S.C.) and middle blocker Krissy Mummey (Hudson, Ohio).
The Eagles (2-2) come to the Lowcountry after splitting their four matches at the UNC Wilmington Tournament – a competition that featured Fairfield (W, 3-1), North Carolina State (W, 3-2), Coastal Carolina (L, 3-1) and UNC Wilmington (L, 3-0).
After a disappointing 2013 campaign in which they finished 10-21, (7-13 Big Sky), the new look Eagles will look to ride the offensive prowess of Kelsey Julian (37 kills, 2.31 K/G) and Allie Shumacher (37 kills, 2.31 K/G). Head coach Wade Benson returns to the Eagles sideline for his second stint at the controls. His first tenure in charge yielded an impressive 154-53 (.753) overall record.
COACHES CORNER: Jason Kepner
On the quick turnaround from the CofC Invitational…
“It will be important for us to have a short memory, improve, and re-focus our attention to a pretty good Eastern Washington team that comes to town on Tuesday. There were a lot of people who played well for us this past weekend. We just need to figure out how to get everyone on the same page.
On the Cougars talented cast of newcomers…
“We got a lot of people playing experience. All of the available freshman got in and did a good job for us, now it's just about trying to find that lineup where everyone's comfortable.”
On managing preseason expectations…
“I think that this team thrives on winning championships, it's what they're all about. With that being said, we don't really talk about who was or who was not picked in the preseason polls, we instead prefer to focus on where we're going to finish. Worrying about conference predictions in August doesn't really help us.”
SCOUTING THE EAGLES…
The eagles head to TD Arena following a 2-2 showing at the competitive UNC Wilmington tournament. E. Washington notched two wins against Fairfield and North Carolina State, before falling to the Cougars CAA rival UNC Wilmington in straight sets. The Eagles are a young team, featuring nine freshmen.
E. Washington Eagles
Location: Cheney, Wa.
Conference: Big Sky
2013 Record: 10-21 (7-13 Big Sky)
Series History vs. CofC: First Ever Meeting
Players to Watch: Kelsey Julian, Allie Shumacher
2014 Preseason Conference Poll Placement: 7th/12
COUGARS SELECTED AS PRESEASON FAVORITES TO WIN THE COLONIAL
The College received six of the possible 9 first-place votes and 62 total points, while James Madison, which received two first-place votes, came in second with 52 total points. Northeastern – last year's CAA championship runner-up – grabbed 48 points and one first-place vote to finish third. Hofstra, UNCW, and Delaware all rounded out the next three spots with 37, 36, and 35 points, respectively. Towson, the league's 2012 champion, received 23 points for seventh in the poll, followed by William & Mary (20 points) and first-year league newcomer Elon (16). The Cougars have now been chosen at the top of the preseason poll for three consecutive seasons, dating back to their final SoCon campaign in 2012.
WHITE NAMED TO PRESEASON ALL-CAA TEAM
A native of Indianapolis, Ind., senior right side hitter Sloane White enters her final season in the maroon and white fresh off the heels of a stellar junior campaign in which she landed the third highest hitting percentage in the conference (.309), was second on the team in kills (2.58) and garnered numerous individual accolades, including first team all-CAA, AVCA All-Regional Honorable Mention and CAA All-Tournament team honors. After hitting a career best .650 in a win over Seattle, White went on to surpass the 1,000 career kills mark in a virtuoso CAA title match performance against Northeastern, registering a career high 15 kills.
Equally adept on the sand, White teamed up with fellow senior Andi Zbojniewicz in 2013, posting a 13-5 combined record that included a Fiesta on Siesta tournament title and top-notch wins over LSU, ULM, Oregon, UAB and South Carolina.
Joining White in the preseason plaudits are fellow senior and 2013 CAA Setter of the Year Kallie McKown as well as 2013 All-CAA second team standout Cara Howley – both of whom were named as preseason honorable mentions.
A HISTORY OF EXCELLENCE
Under eighth year head coach, Jason Kepner (178-60), the Cougars have experienced an unprecedented run of success, including an incredible mark of 101-13 in conference play, dating back to the 2008 season. Kepner has also led the Cougars to four NCAA Tournament appearances and has won the regular season or conference tournament title in every season as head coach. As a program, College of Charleston volleyball has claimed a conference championship – either the regular season or tournament – in each of the last 13 seasons for a streak that currently ranks second in all of NCAA Division I volleyball.
SWEET HOME…TD ARENA
Since the opening of TD Arena in 2008, College of Charleston volleyball has been virtually unbeatable on home court, racking up a fierce 63-18 overall home record over the past five seasons.
CONNECTING WITH THE COUGARS
For all of the latest news and information on Cougar volleyball, you can follow the program @CofCVolleyball and @CofCSports or follow the team on Facebook here.
-www.CofCSports.com-
