Weekly Notes

HAMPTON, Va. – The Hampton University volleyball team will close out the 2012 regular season this weekend with a pair of home matches, taking on Delaware State on Friday at 6 p.m. and Maryland Eastern Shore on Sunday at 3 p.m. in Holland Hall.

The Lady Pirates (16-13, 7-3 MEAC) have all but assured themselves a berth in the MEAC Tournament following Sunday's 3-0 road win over Howard. Hampton matched its conference win total from last year and clinched its second straight winning season in MEAC play.

Sophomore rightside Vendula Strakova (Brno, Czech Republic) was named MEAC Player of the Week for the second time this season, recording 17 kills and 12 digs at Howard for her seventh double-double of the season.

She hit .438 for the match and had three service aces.

Heading into the weekend, UMES (24-4, 10-0 MEAC) appears destined to clinch the MEAC Northern Division's top seed, and the Lady Hawks have not lost since Sept. 21. Delaware State (5-19, 2-8 MEAC) has lost two straight matches after a five-set loss to Morgan State this past Sunday.

Nearing the end of the season, the Lady Pirates have the second-best winning percentage in the MEAC. With a 16-13 mark, Hampton has a .552 winning percentage — second to only defending conference champion Maryland Eastern Shore (.857, 24-4).

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.

The Lady Pirates currently rank second in the MEAC in service aces (1.66 per set) and digs (12.91 per set), while sitting third in hitting percentage (.216), opponent hitting percentage (.206), assists (11.07 per set), and kills (12.08 per set).

Hampton also ranks 11th nationally in service aces.

Strakova leads the MEAC in points with 5.41 per set and is second with 4.56 kills per set. She is also third in the MEAC in service aces (0.50 per set) and ninth in hitting percentage (.255).

Sophomore outside hitter Krista Kraskura (Kuldiga, Latvia) is seventh in the MEAC in kills with 3.39 per set, seventh in digs with 2.99 per set, and eighth in points with 3.87 per set. She has 11 double-doubles on the season, already eclipsing the nine she had as a freshman.

Senior middle blocker Mariah Baylor (Minneapolis, Minn.) is third in the MEAC in blocks, averaging 1.05 per set. She led the team with 70 total blocks last season, and so far in 2012, Baylor has 107.0 total blocks — including a career-high 10.0 against Norfolk State on Sept. 22.

The Lady Pirates are 33-12 all-time against Delaware State, sweeping the season series last year before winning 3-0 in Dover, Del. on Oct. 14. Prior to last season, Delaware State had won 12 of 13 against the Lady Pirates.

Hampton is 26-27 all-time against Maryland Eastern Shore, and UMES has won the last 16 meetings, including 3-1 this past Oct. 12. Hampton last defeated UMES in 2005, when the Lady Pirates swept the season series. UMES has won 22 of the last 24 meetings.

Head coach Pedro Gonzalez is 3-8 against Delaware State and 0-14 against UMES.

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.