Notes

HAMPTON, Va. – The Hampton University volleyball team will play back-to-back conference matches this weekend, heading to Echols Hall to take on Norfolk State on Friday before playing host to Maryland Eastern Shore in a rare Saturday MEAC tilt.
 
Schedule of Matches: Hampton at Norfolk State, Friday at 6 p.m.; Maryland Eastern Shore at Hampton, Saturday at 6 p.m.
 
Live Stats: Norfolk State | UMES
Live Video: Norfolk State
 
Last Time Out: The Lady Pirates (0-17, 0-4 MEAC) fell in straight sets to rival Howard this past Friday.
 
The Opponents: The Lady Pirates are 31-29 all-time against Maryland Eastern Shore and have won five of the last seven meetings. Prior to that, UMES had won 16 straight matches against Hampton. The Lady Pirates are 61-17 against Norfolk State and have won each of the last four meetings.
 
About Norfolk State: The Spartans, in their sixth season under head coach Brandon Duvall, have lost eight straight matches after Sunday's 3-0 loss to Howard. Norfolk State heads into the weekend at 1-15 overall and 0-3 in the conference.
 
About UMES: The Hawks are in their second season under head coach Toby Rens, who is in his second stint with the team, and they have won three straight matches following this past Saturday's sweep of Coppin State. UMES comes into the weekend at 14-3 overall and 3-1 in conference play.
 
Lady Pirates Picked to Finish Third: Despite winning the last two MEAC championships, Hampton was picked to finish third in the conference's Northern Division this season in a preseason poll voted on by the league's head coaches and sports information directors. The Lady Pirates received four first-place votes in the poll. Howard, with 18 first-place votes, was picked to win the MEAC North, with Florida A&M being the preseason favorite to take the MEAC Southern Division.
 
From Defense to Offense: Allysa Medina was the team's libero last season, averaging 2.59 digs per set. She notched double-digit digs 16 times in 2014, including a career-high 18 in the semifinals of the MEAC Tournament against Coppin State. But Medina will be back on offense in her senior season, moving back to the outside. In 2013, Medina showed an impressive leaping ability and power, and this past weekend she had a career-high 13 kills against East Carolina en route to All-Tournament honors at the Wildcat Classic. She is averaging 2.02 kills and a team-best 2.52 digs per set so far this season.
 
Sister Act: One year after Ravyn Richardson joined the Lady Pirates, her younger sister Reeana Richardson has done the same. The Ellicott City, Md. natives both play on the outside, and Reeana boasts a vertical leap that can reach as high as 10 feet. Reeana is seventh in the MEAC in kills and sixth in points, and she had 28 kills against Coppin State on Sept. 27. She also had 10 digs for her first career double-double.
 
Plugging Up the Middle: Kyndall Nicholas and Lena Washington are among the MEAC's best at the net through the first couple weeks of conference play; Washington and Nicholas combined for 12 blocks on Sept. 27 against Coppin State, with Washington racking up seven of them. Nicholas is seventh in the MEAC in blocks.
 
Youth is Served: With five starters gone from last year's squad, this year's Lady Pirates team could be one of the nation's youngest. There are six freshmen — including five true freshmen — this season to go along with five sophomores. The 2015 Lady Pirates have just one senior — Medina — and transfers Brianna Lilly and Alexandra Erhart and the team's lone juniors.
 
Lilly Latest in Long Line: The Lady Pirates have been strong at setter in recent years with the likes of Bibiany Fonseca and Kitija Megne, and Lilly, a Temple College transfer, is the latest to take the mantle. She was named NTJCAC Setter of the Year last season, ranking 25th in the nation in assists per set and going the entire season committing just 12 errors.
 
Stojilovic, Erhart Continuing the Tradition: Hampton's emergence over the past several years has been due in large part to an influx of international talent, which continues this season with incoming freshman Olivera Stojilovic, who hails from Serbia, and France native Alexandra Erhart. The 6-foot Stojilovic can play up the middle or on the outside, and she was a two-time champion in the Second League of Vojvodina in 2012 and 2013. She also played in the First League of Vojvodina, Division Center, First Team.
 
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.