Women's Volleyball | August 31, 2017

PHILADELPHIA- The La Salle volleyball team heads to Akron, Ohio this weekend to compete at the Akron Invitational. The team will first take on Tennessee tech on Friday at 4:00 p.m. before facing Loyola Maryland and Akron on Saturday to continue the three game slate.

La Salle will continue its four game road trip with a game against Youngstown State on Monday at 2:00 p.m.

Scouting the Explorers…
- The Explorers will look to build momentum off a three-game win streak where they swept both NJIT and Lafayette in 3-0 finals. La Salle has a 3-1 record after the first week of play.
- Freshman Samantha Graver has made a stellar debut this season, most recently posting a 14 kill performance over Lafayette. Devin Corah has tallied 54 kills on the season to lead to team and average 3.86 over the first four matches.
- Senior captain Bryanna Davis ranks second in kills for La Salle, with an average of 2.93 over the 15 sets she has appeared in.
- Libero Jensen Sharrits broke a school record for digs in a three set match against Lafayette on Tuesday, with 31 digs in the win. She will be making a homecoming in Ohio for the first time in her career this weekend while also facing her younger sister Taylor, a defensive specialist at Akron.
- Maya Barton and Reilly Lowe have each tallied seven of La Salle's 28 total blocks on the season.

La Salle Explorers (3-1) vs. Tennesse Tech Golden Eagles (2-1)
Fri., Sept 1 | 4:00 p.m. | James A. Rhodes Arena
Live Stats
 
Scouting the Golden Eagles…
- The Golden Eagles are 2-1 opening the season, with head coach Dave Zelenock in his fifth year at the helm.
- Leading the Golden Eagles is hitter Kellie Williams. The senior has tallied 37 kills to go with nine digs this season. Also contributing to the attack is Shealene Little, who has amassed 34 kills along with 33 digs to rank second on the team.
- At libero, Allison Morrett leads the team with 54 digs to average 4.91 per set.

La Salle Explorers (3-1) vs. Loyola Maryland (0-3)
Sat., Sept. 2 | 10:00 a.m. | James A. Rhodes Arena
Live Stats
 
Scouting the Greyhounds…
- Loyola is without a victory this season, as the team opened play at the SpringHill Suite Mayfair Invitational. Head Coach Alija Pittenger has one season under her belt at the helm.
- Hitter Ann Ernest has recorded 33 kills this season to pair with 27 digs to lead the team in both categories across the first three matches.
- Corri Waters leads the defense, with nine total blocks this season, while Hayley Puddy has added five.  

La Salle Explorers (3-1) vs. University of Akron Zips (1-2)
Sat., Sept. 2 | 7:00 p.m. | James A. Rhodes Arena
Live Stats
 
Scouting the Zips…
- Akron has started the season 1-2 with a win over Maryland Eastern Shore, who the Explorers will meet later this season. Head coach Tom Hanna is in his third year at the helm.
- Kayla Gwozdz lead the Zips in the attack with 44 kills on the season. The junior has added 18 digs through the first three games.
-Rookie Taylor Sharrits, sister of Jensen Sharrits, leads the team on defense. Sharrits has recorded 45 digs this season to average 4.09 per set.

La Salle Explorers (3-1) vs. Youngstown State Penguins
Mon. Sept 4 | 2:00 p.m. | Beeghly Center
Live Stats | Video

Scouting the Penguins...
- The Penguins have yet to drop a contest in the 2017 season. The team is 4-0 under head coach Mark Hardaway, who is beginning in sixth season.
- Sarah Varcolla anchors the attack for the Penguins, with 42 kills on the season. She has added six aces and nine digs for Youngstown State.
- Setter Libbie Darling has amassed 80 digs over her 14 sets played, while teammate Heather Splinter has recorded 66.

The Explorers will head home to Tom Gola next weekend to co-host the three-day Valley Forge Sports Invitational with University of Pennsylvania.