Game Notes

GREENVILLE, N.C. – The Hampton University volleyball team will hit the road again this Friday and Saturday, heading to East Carolina University to compete in the East Carolina Classic – playing three matches in the span of two days.
 
Schedule of Matches: Hampton at East Carolina, Friday at 5 p.m.; Hampton vs. William & Mary, Saturday at 10 a.m.; Hampton vs. Western Carolina, Saturday at 3 p.m.
 
Live Stats: East Carolina | William & Mary | Western Carolina.
 
The Opponents: The Lady Pirates are 0-6 against East Carolina, including a three-set loss this past weekend in the Wildcat Classic, and 1-18 against William & Mary. The last time those two teams met, last season, the Tribe won in straight sets in Williamsburg, Va. Hampton has never faced Western Carolina.
 
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.
 
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. Ravyn saw limited action for the Lady Pirates last season, playing in 15 total sets as a reserve. Reeana is averaging 2.6 kills per set this season.
 
Plugging Up the Middle: Despite their youth, the Lady Pirates will have some experience in the middle in the form of Kennedy Kenney and Tatyana Thomas. After redshirting in 2013, Kenney ranked third on the team with 59.0 total blocks last season, sitting 10th in the MEAC. Thomas was fifth on the team with 41.0 total blocks in 2014, while also ranking sixth on the team in points with 75.0. Thomas totaled three blocks and 14 kills at the Liberty Invitational, earning All-Tournament honors.
 
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.