Women's Volleyball | February 18, 2021
PHILADELPHIA – La Salle volleyball hits the road this weekend to start its season, taking on George Washington this Friday at 5 p.m. and Saturday at 6 p.m. Both games will be streamed on ESPN+.
ABOUT THE EXPLORERS
- Making history: Last season was one to remember for the Blue & Gold as it reached the NIVC Tournament for the first time in program history and the Atlantic 10 semifinals for the second consecutive year.
- The Explorers were recognized eight times by the A-10 in its end-of-year awards, more than any other team in the conference.
- Head coach Andrew Kroger begins his second season at the helm in 2021. In his first full season, he led the Explorers to a 15-14 record overall and an 8-6 mark in conference play.
- La Salle returns a few key players from last season's team, including First Team All-Conference selection Samantha Graver. In her junior season, Graver led La Salle in kills (402) and points (439), which ranked third and fourth in the conference respectively. She was also second on the team, and eighth in the A-10, in digs with 406.
- Graver was the only player in the conference to record a triple double last season and finished tied-first on the team in double doubles with a career-best 18.
- The Explorers also return junior Elizabeth Osborn, who was second on the team in kills per set with 2.83.
- The other senior on the team is middle blocker Reilly Lowe, set to play a prominent role in front of net. Lowe was effective when she attacked with a .317 kill percentage, also enforcing on defense with 24 blocks.
- Redshirt sophomore Sarah Nahas will get the majority of the minutes at setter this campaign; she played in 26 matches in her first campaign last year.
- Two new faces on the court to feature often will be rookies Isa Lopez and Yaiza Franco. Lopez, from Richardson, Texas, will get plenty of time in the libero role; Franco, from Saint Paul, Minn., will play alongside Lowe as a middle blocker.
SCOUTING THE COLONIALS
- The Explorers most recently defeated the Colonials in the quarterfinals of the A-10 Championship in 2019 – a three-set sweep.
- On the flips side, George Washington holds a lengthy winning streak on its home court against La Salle, with the Blue & Gold last victorious in the nation's capital in 2007.
- George Washington will look different this season without a few key players. Gone are Skylar Iott, who led the team in kills, Jaimeson Lee, who paced the team in assists, and Caroline Sklaver and Paty Valle - the leading blockers for the Colonials.
- They do return their junior libero Bella Bowman, who ranked fifth in the conference with 4.13 digs per set.
- The team is not without experience despite the key departures: nine of the 14 players are upperclassmen.
