RALEIGH, NC – The Virginia State University Volleyball team look to take their frustrations out on opponents this weekend after their recent 2-3 loss to Elizabeth City State University. Looking ahead, the Trojans set their sights on the second CIAA Roundup of the season as they are slated to square off against Winston -Salem State University, Johnson C. Smith University, and St. Augustine's University.
Match Details
The Trojans are set to play a pair of matches on Saturday, October 8 with the first match starting at 11:00 a.m. against Winston-Salem State and the second match is set to start at 5:00 p.m. against Johnson C. Smith. The third match is set to start at 3:00 p.m. against St. Augustine's.
Last Time Out
The Trojans went up at against the current Northern Division leaders in Elizabeth City State on Monday, October 3 and lost after the Lady Vikings spoiled their comeback attempt in five sets 2-3 (12-25, 21-25, 25-19, 25-21, 6-15).
Zaria Irons (8) and
Amaya Cooper (8) led the offensive charge as they total 16 kills accumulatively and
Emma Quarles led the Trojans in assists with 13. Defensively, Cooper led with five blocks while
Najlaa Williams had yet another stellar performance as she racked up a new career-high 19 digs.
Series History
Winston-Salem State: The Trojans are 4-9 against the Rams in matchups dating back to 2012. The last match resulted in a 3-2 win by the Trojans.
Johnson C. Smith: The Trojans are 12-1 against the Golden Bulls in matchups dating back to 2012. The last match resulted in a 3-0 sweep in favor of the Trojans.
St. Augustine's: The Trojans are 8-2 against the Falcons in matchups dating back to 2012. The last match resulted in a 3-1 win for the Trojans.
Trojans Leaders
The Trojans have an offensive duo leading the charge on the team in
Amaya Cooper and
Helena Eubanks as they are tied for the team-high in kills with 132 a piece which also places them fourth in the CIAA in total kills.
Makenzy Johnson leads the team in assists with 261 which places ties for fourth in the CIAA and
Emma Quarles is second on the team in assists with 233 which places her fifth in the CIAA. Johnson also has a team-high 25 service aces which places tied for second in the CIAA. Defensively, the Trojans are led by
Najlaa Williams who has a team-high 238 digs with a .916 serve reception percentage which is second in the CIAA.
Kennedy Hoge is second on the team in digs with 119 with a .923 serve reception percentage which would place her tenth in the CIAA. Cooper also leads the charge in blocks with 42 which places her second in the CIAA. As a team the Trojans are second in the CIAA in kills 660 and assists with 575. The Trojans are also second in the CIAA in blocks with 105 and second in digs with 886.
Scouting the Opponents
Scouting Winston-Salem State: The Rams are offensively led by Sanaa Lanier who has a team-high in kills with 97. The Rams have an efficient duo in Brooke Norwood leads the team in assists with 147 and Angel Bowden who has 143 assists. Rheign Davis has a team-high 17 service aces averaging 0.34 per set. Defensively, the Rams are led by Jericka Brodie who has a team-high 100 digs averaging 2.27 per set. Breonna Young leads the team in blocks with 38.
Scouting Johnson C. Smith: The Golden Bulls are offensively led by Daivez Bell who has a team-high 88 kills. Yasmine Cannon leads the team with 158 assists while Moriah Wheeler has a team-high 14 service aces. Defensively, JCSU is led by Keyana Brown who has a team-high 145 digs averaging 3.22 per set. Akasha Roberts leads their team in blocks with 33 averaging 0.79 per set.
Scouting St. Augustine's: The Falcons are offensively led by Madison Jones who has a team-high 43 kills. Sydney Moore has a team-high in assists on the team with 131 averaging 6.24 per set. She also has a team-high 15 service aces. Defensively they are led by La'Tavia Braynen who has a team-high 40 digs. Braynen and Kya Otis are tied for the team lead in blocks with nine a piece.
Up Next
The Trojans will return home to square off against Lincoln University Thursday, October 13 at 6:00 p.m.
