Women's Volleyball | March 23, 2021
PHILADELPHIA – Volleyball hits the road to finish its regular season with contests at George Mason on Wednesday and Rhode Island on Saturday. The Explorers are 5-1 and currently top of the Atlantic 10 East.
ABOUT THE EXPLORERS
- La Salle currently sits towards the top of the national rankings in multiple categories. As a team, they are third in aces per set (2.26) and third in total attacks per set (40.61).
- Freshman fantastic: Rookie Isa Lopez, two-time Atlantic 10 Defensive Player of the Week, is the NCAA leader in digs per set with 6.52
- Junior Elizabeth Osborn has had a career year to date. She is currently second in the nation in kills per set with 5.39, second in points per set with 5.89 and third in attacks per set at 14.04.
- Among the other national contenders are freshman Yaiza Franco and sophomore Sydney Stone on the serve. Franco is tenth in the NCAA in aces per set (0.61), while Stone is 69th (0.43).
- Redshirt sophomore Sarah Nahas joins those players as conference leaders. Nahas tops all players in assists per set with 11.43.
- Senior Reilly Lowe finished the second game against Fordham with a career-high 14 kills.
- Newcomer watch: Senior Allison Laucella and freshman Michelle Kozicki both suited up for the Blue & Gold for the first time this season. Laucella finished with 14 digs across the two games vs. Fordham, while Kozicki tallied three kills and two digs.
SCOUTING THE PATRIOTS
- George Mason is 3-10 this season and 3-5 in conference play. It fell to the Explorers in straight sets earlier on March 5th.
- The Blue & Gold holds a five-game winning streak over George Mason, dating back to 2017.
- George Mason's offense is run through junior setter Erin Derick, who is currently second in the A-10 with 437 total assists.
- The Patriots as a team are third in the conference in total assists, digs, kills, attacks and blocks.
- Game time: 3 p.m. ESPN+
SCOUTING THE RAMS
- Rhode Island holds a 4-7 overall record, sitting at 3-3 in A-10 play. La Salle last defeated them on March 5th in four sets.
- The Explorers hold a five-game winning streak over the Rams, dating back to 2017.
- Rhode Island has a pair of players towards the top of the A-10 stats. Junior libero Ella Ratzloff is third in digs per set with 4.78 and senior setter Annie Ell is fourth in assists per set with 9.41.
- The Rams have fared well in attack this campaign. They rank third in hitting percentage (.207) and fourth in kills per set (12.90).
- Game time: 6 p.m.
