Weekly Notes

HAMPTON, Va. – The Hampton University volleyball team will return to Holland Hall for the first time in over a month on Friday evening, as the Lady Pirates take on rival Howard in a conference match at 6 p.m.

The Lady Pirates (11-10, 2-0 MEAC) are tied for first place in the MEAC Northern Division with Maryland Eastern Shore after defeating Morgan State and Coppin State on the road this past weekend. Hampton swept the Lady Bears in three sets on Saturday, before beating the Lady Eagles in four sets on Sunday.

This will be Hampton's first home match since Aug. 28, when the Lady Pirates beat Radford in four sets in Holland Hall.

After over a month of competition, the Lady Pirates have the second-best winning percentage in the MEAC. Hampton has a .524 winning percentage — second to only defending conference champion UMES (.800, 18-4).

So far this season, the Lady Pirates boast non-conference wins over Elon (Southern Conference), Radford (Big South), Florida Atlantic (Sun Belt), Stetson (Atlantic Sun), and McNeese State (Southland). Hampton also took Baylor, No. 49 in the RPI last season, to five sets.

Sophomore Vendula Strakova (Brno, Czech Republic) currently leads the MEAC in points with 5.43 per set and ranks second with 4.67 kills per set. She is also fifth in the MEAC in service aces (0.42 per set) and 10th in digs (2.67 per set).

Fellow sophomore Krista Kraskura (Kuldiga, Latvia)  who already has 10 double-doubles this season (compared to nine last year), is fifth in the MEAC in kills with 3.38 per set, fifth in points with 3.86 per set, and seventh in digs with 3.11 per set.

Senior Mariah Baylor (Minneapolis, Minn.) leads the MEAC in blocks, averaging 1.04 per set.

As a team, Hampton ranks second in the MEAC in hitting percentage (.205), kills (11.94 per set), and assists (10.91 per set), while sitting third in service aces (1.62 per set) and fourth in digs (13.20 per set), blocks (1.65 per set), and opponent hitting percentage (.211).

The Lady Pirates are also 20th in the nation in service aces.

Hampton is 17-28 all-time against Howard, though the Lady Pirates have won the last seven meetings between the two teams (including a three-set win earlier this season in the Colonial Challenge). Hampton swept the season series against the Lady Bison last season, and Howard has not defeated Hampton since 2008, when the Lady Bison capped off a six-match winning streak in the series.

Head coach Pedro Gonzalez is 7-4 against Howard.

For more information on Hampton University volleyball, please call the Office of Sports Information at (757) 727-5811, or visit the official Pirates website at www.hamptonpirates.com.