Volleyball Prepares For FGCU Hilton Garden Inn Invitational

NEW ORLEANS – The University of New Orleans Volleyball team takes its second road trip of the young 2016 season this weekend, as the Privateers journey to Ft. Myers, Florida, to compete in the FGCU Hilton Garden Inn Invitational. Play begins on Friday, Sept. 2, when UNO competes in a doubleheader starting with Delaware at 9 a.m. and followed by Virginia Commonwealth at 1:30 p.m. On Saturday, Sept. 3, the Privateers will wrap up their weekend slate against host Florida Gulf Coast University at 9 am.
 
The Privateers are competing in the FGCU Invitational for the second time in as many years, opening the 2015 campaign in Ft. Myers. UNO ended the weekend with a 2-1 record with the lone loss coming against the host.
 
"I do think we are in a redemption mindset going back to FGCU," head coach Millicent Van Norden said. "It was our first match of the season and we would've liked to have competed against them at a high level. Since the Redhawks Invitational we have been working on our decision making offensively. I am looking for an improvement in our quality of play-lower our unforced errors per set and increase our blocks and digs per set."
 
UNO is coming off a 1-2 opening weekend, claiming a victory over in-state foe Louisiana Tech while dropping decisions to Southeast Missouri and Illinois-Chicago in the Redhawks Drury Hotels Invitational. Senior middle hitter Keke Richards (Business Management) boasted an accurate 0.611 hitting percentage, the seventh-best in Division I, with an averaging of 2.88 kills per set while freshman outside hitter Jordan Yauch (Biological Science) leads the Privateers with 3.18 tallies per frame. Sophomore outside hitter Blessing Dunn (Business Management) had a balanced weekend with a team-high 48 digs and 24 kills and freshman setter Sarah Thomas led the Privateers with 11.27 assists per set.
 
As a unit, the royal blue and silver are averaging 12.7 kills, 12.3 assists, 15.5 digs, 1.7 service aces and 1.4 total blocks.   
 
Kicking off the weekend competition is a match against Delaware, which enters the invite with a perfect 3-0 record after running through the Navy Kristen Dickmann Invitational without dropping a set. The Blue Hens' libero Taylor Hollingsworth anchors the defense and was named the Colonial Athletic Association's Defensive Player of the Week and Navy Invite MVP after averaging 5.56 digs per set. Delaware's defense held its opponents to a 0.078 hitting percentage, the 14th-lowest in the nation, while boasting a .303 clip. Outside hitter Maria Bellinger leads the Delaware attack with 3.50 kills per set while middle hitter Alexa Swann averaged 2.44 kills on a .513 hitting percentage with a 1.22 total blocks per set average.
 
The next opponent on the docket for UNO is Virginia Commonwealth, an opponent the Privateers have not encountered since the 1979 campaign. VCU's offence runs through outside hitter Alica Kandler, who ended an 0-3 outing in the Hampton Inn Invitational with a 3.67 kill per set mark. Middle Blocker Jasmine Sneed is the enforcer at the net with a team-best 1.11 blocks per set while libero Rebekah Strange chips in 5.11 digs per set. As a unit, the Golden Rams are averaging 15.1 digs per set.
 
UNO ends the weekend with a rematch against the hosts after being swept in last season's opening contest. The Eagles return to Ft. Myers, Florida, after a 1-2 outing in Ohio Tournament with setter Maggie Rick ending the weekend with the highest assist per set numbers in the Atlantic Sun with a 9.10 average. Outside hitter Amanda Carroll, a preseason all-ASUN honoree, posted the second-best kill per set average in the league at 3.80 while ranking fourth in service aces per set with 0.60. Florida Gulf Coast averages 12.80 kills on a 0.225 clip with 11.90 assists and 2.00 service aces, all ranking second in the Atlantic Sun.
 
"Hopefully all of our Privateers have big weekends," added Van Norden. "Blessing is off to a wonderful start defensively and we expect her offense to be stronger this weekend. We are hoping for consistency from our freshmen in the line-up and we will keep building upon their base each week."
 
Following the FGCU Hilton Garden Inn Invitational, the Privateers continue the season-opening tournament circuit at the Jax State Invitational from Sept. 9-10 in Jacksonville, Alabama. UNO's first home match is slated for Thursday, Sept. 22, when the Privateers play host to Houston Baptist in the Human Performance Center. First serve for the contest is slated for 7 p.m. and admission is free.