Notes

DAVIDSON, N.C. – The Hampton University volleyball team will hit the road again this Friday and Saturday, heading to Davidson University to compete in the Wildcat Classic – playing three matches in the span of two days.
 
Schedule of Matches: Hampton at Davidson, Friday at 7 p.m.; Hampton vs. East Carolina, Saturday at 10 a.m.; Hampton vs. Presbyterian, Saturday at 4 p.m.
 
Live Stats: Click here.
Live Video: Davidson match only.
 
The Opponents: Hampton has never faced tournament host Davidson. The Lady Pirates are 0-5 all-time against East Carolina, with the last meeting between the two teams coming back in 1998, and they are 0-1 against Presbyterian following last season's five-set loss in Holland Hall.
 
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, to the tune of a career-high nine kills against William & Mary, which she tied against Fairleigh Dickinson this past Friday.
 
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 averaged 2.5 kills per set this past weekend.
 
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 Invitatonal, 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 transfer Brianna Lilly is the team's lone junior.
 
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.