Volleyball Preview: Presbyterian

UNC Asheville goes for another conference win on Tuesday night when it hosts Presbyterian at the Justice Center. The conference-leading Bulldogs (19-7, 8-1) need a victory to hang onto their one game advantage over Liberty, while the Blue Hose (9-15, 4-5) look to capture a third straight Big South match.

Asheville is coming off of a decisive win over Radford on Saturday afternoon. Kelsey Benorden turned in her fifth consecutive double-double, Lauren Ficker tallied 11 kills while hitting .556, and Raquel Miotto contributed 16 digs. The Bulldogs appear to have shaken off their brief slump, and will try to claim one more home win before embarking on a four game road trip against some of the conference’s elite. On October 6, UNC Asheville faced Presbyterian on the road. The Bulldogs took the match in three sets, behind 17 kills and 9 digs from Benorden, and outhit Presbyterian, .245 to .106, in the process.

Junior Lisa Shelley, who ranks second in the Big South in kills, led the Blue Hose with 11 during the first meeting between these two teams. The defense was anchored by junior Elizabeth Heineman, who had ten digs (she is currently eighth in the conference in that category). On Tuesday, Presbyterian should also see a bigger contribution from junior Amanda Kettles, who struggled against the Bulldogs but has the seventh best hitting average in the league. The Blue Hose topped Charleston Southern and Radford in their last two conference outings and should provide Asheville with a tough challenge.

The Bulldogs currently lead the Big South in hitting percentage and rank second in opponents’ hitting percentage, which goes a long way to explain their success this year. If UNC Asheville comes out on top, it will be the first time since 2005 that the Bulldogs have achieved a 20-win season. First serve will be at 7:00 p.m.

Go Bulldogs!!