University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
Volleyball Plays at Georgia This Weekend
09.12.2014 | Women's Volleyball
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – The UNC Asheville volleyball team in in action this weekend when the Bulldogs compete in the Benson Hospitality Invitational at the University of Georgia.
Asheville faces a tough field in the two-day tournament. The Bulldogs face Georgia today at 7 p.m. and then on Saturday they'll take on ACC foe N.C. State at 10 a.m., followed by a match with Harvard at 4 p.m.
Asheville (2-5) has won two straight after knocking off Elon in five sets last Saturday at Kennesaw State and then downing N.C. Central in three sets on Tuesday night.
Georgia is 4-2 on the season, while N.C. State is 5-1. Harvard is 2-1 on the year.
“This will be a tough tournament. We're facing three very good volleyball teams that have a lot of talent,” stated Bulldog coach Frederico Santos. “However, playing these programs will only make us better and stronger as we get into Big South Conference play.”
Asheville faced #7 Purdue last Friday and battled hard before falling in three sets at Kennesaw State.
“We may have lost in three to Purdue but we really competed and fought hard,” added Santos. “The Purdue coach was very complimentary on how we played. I thought that match carried over and helped us on Saturday with our two matches.”
After this weekend's action, the Bulldogs return home and will have their home opener against Western Carolina Tuesday night at Justice Center starting at 7 p.m.
Sophomore outside hitter Shelby Erickson leads the Bulldogs in kills with a 2.58 average. Junior outside hitter Christine Lakatos is next at 2.19 and tops the team in digs with a 2.62 per set mark. Sophomore blocker Madison Vaughn is averaging a team-leading 0.92 blocks per set.
BULLDOG NOTES
UNC Asheville is 0-4 vs. Georgia but the last meeting came way back in the 1982 season when the Bulldogs fell in two games.
Asheville has won its last two meetings against N.C. State, winning in five in Raleigh in 2009 and in four sets at USC Upstate in 2010.
The Bulldogs match will Harvard on Saturday will be Asheville's first against a team from the Ivy League.
Asheville is third in the Big South in service aces with a 1.33 per set average. Christine Lakatos is second in the league in aces with a 0.43 mark.
