PHILADELPHIA – Coming off a five set showdown vs. Lafayette on Wednesday evening, the Explorer women will pack their bags for a much anticipated west coast road trip this upcoming weekend.
"The competition out west will be tough," head coach Dave Stever said. "We are playing teams with very good RPI rankings."
He believes his team will improve as they continue to grow together.
"Our team is much better than our record indicates," Stever said. "We are very good at times and inconsistent at other times. More than anything, we must establish more consistency."
Senior captain
Samantha Tulskie has paced the Explorers thus far this season in both kills (84) and digs (146). Her dig total stands atop the Atlantic 10 leaderboard.
"Teams out west are always more competitive," Tulskie said. "Hopefully, we'll have fun when we're out there and get better from the competition."
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Cal State Northridge Matadors (4-2) vs. La Salle Explorers (1-7)
Friday, September 7, 2012 I 7:00 PM (EDT) I War Memorial Gym
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Scouting the Matadors
Cal State Northridge enters the weekend having won five of their last six matches, most recently over Idaho and James Madison.
They rank second in the Big West in both assists/set (12.78) and kills/set (13.52). Junior setter Sydney Gedryn's 10.78 assists/set are good for tops in the conference. Gedryn also ranks in the top 10 in hitting percentage (.282) and blocks/set (1.22). While no Matador stands among the top 10 in kills in the conference rankings, four players average more than two kills/set to supplement a balanced offensive attack. The Matadors rank third in the Big West in blocks/set (2.43), aided by the conference's top individual block earner Cienna Stinson.
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San Francisco Dons (4-3) vs. La Salle Explorers (1-7)
Saturday, September 8, 2012 I 1:30 PM (EDT) I War Memorial Gym
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Scouting the Dons
The Dons come in riding an emotional high after their September 1 upset over No. 25 California at the Hawaiin Airlines Wahine Volleyball Invitational. The victory marked the 77th career win for head coach Gilad Doron, setting a program record.
San Francisco is led by senior OH Jocelyn Levig who ranks third in the West Coast Conference in kills/set (3.68). Levig was recognized as the conference player of the week for September 3. Other notable Dons include Leanna Ludes, whose 9.42 assists/set are good for fifth in the WCC and Rebecca Kopolovitch, who ranks fifth in digs/set (4.00).
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La Salle Explorers (1-7) vs. LIU Brooklyn Blackbirds (3-3)
Saturday, September 8, 2012 I 8: 00 PM (EDT) I War Memorial Gym
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Scouting the Blackbirds
The Blackbirds began their season by winning the UNC Wilmington Tournament on opening weekend. They recently dropped two of three at the Diet Coke University of Minnesota Classic.
Annika Foit (3.52 kills/set) was named Northeast Conference Player of the Week while Adriana Vinas Joy was recognized as the conference's defensive player of the week (4.57 digs/set) on September 4. Vera Djuric leads the NEC with 9.52 assists/set.
As a team, the Blackbirds stand in the top half in every major statistical category in the NEC, and rank first in hitting percentage (.181), opponent hitting percentage (.154), and blocks/set (2.35).
