Notes

HAMPTON, Va. – The Hampton University volleyball team will return to Holland Hall on Sunday to take on rival Howard at 3 p.m. It will be the Lady Pirates' annual Dig Pink match in support of breast cancer awareness.
 
There will also be a pre-match ceremony to unveil the banner for Hampton's 2014 MEAC title.
 
Live Stats: Click here.
 
Last Time Out: The Lady Pirates (2-19, 2-6 MEAC) picked up their second win of the season this past Sunday, upending Coppin State in a five-set thriller at the Physical Education Complex in Baltimore, Md.
 
The Opponent: The Lady Pirates are 24-30 all-time against Howard after a three-set loss to the Bison in Washington, D.C. earlier this season. Prior to that loss, Hampton had won 14 of the last 15 meetings, including the title match of last season's MEAC Tournament.
 
About Howard: The Bison, in their fourth season under head coach Shaun Kupferberg, are 12-13 overall heading into the weekend and sit atop the MEAC Northern Division with an 8-1 conference mark. Howard has won each of its last seven matches, including a four-set win at Delaware State this past Sunday.
 
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 2.09 kills and a team-best 2.53 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 sixth in the MEAC in both points and kills, and she had 28 kills against Coppin State on Sept. 27. She also had 10 digs for her first career double-double. Her second career double-double came this past weekend at Coppin State (16 kills, 12 digs).
 
Plugging Up the Middle: Kyndall Nicholas and Lena Washington are among the MEAC's best at the net through the first few weeks of conference play; Nicholas is currently fourth in the conference in blocks, while Washington is ninth and Tatyana Thomas is 10th. As a team, the Lady Pirates are third in the MEAC in blocks, averaging 2.08 per set.
 
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 a Long Line: The Lady Pirates have been strong at setter in recent years with the likes of Bibiany Fonseca and Kitija Megne, and Temple College transfer Brianna Lilly 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. Lilly is ninth in the MEAC in assists (6.19/set).
 
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.