Both matches will begin at 8:00 p.m.

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (October 5, 2017) – The ETSU volleyball team will host two back-to-back home games as part of the homecoming festivities this weekend. On Friday, Oct. 6 they will play Mercer and on Saturday, Oct. 7 they will take on Samford. Both matches are scheduled for 8:00 p.m.

RELATED LINKS:

ETSU vs. Mercer | Friday, Oct. 6 | 8:00 p.m. | LIVE STATS | SOCON DIGITAL NETWORK

ETSU vs. Samford | Saturday, Oct. 7 | 8:00 p.m. | LIVE STATS

LAST TIME OUT: The Bucs were on the road last weekend. They played at Furman and lost a 3-0 match, but then played at The Citadel and swept them in three. Despite the loss, freshmen Lexie Libs (Floyds Knobs, Ind.) and Kalee Vanderhorst (Raleigh, N.C.) recorded new career-highs. Libs had a season and career-high in blocks and aces, while Vanderhorst did the same in digs. During the match against The Citadel, Alyssa Kvarta (Crown Point, Ind.) picked up her sixth double-double of the season. AJ Lux (Shelbyville, Ind.) had the team-high with a .444 hitting percentage. Marija Popovic (Belgrade, Serbia) picked up a new personal best of seven assists, while Aya Lechin (Deerfield Beach, Fla.) also recorded a new career-high of five digs.

SERIES HISTORY:

ETSU vs. Mercer: ETSU has a 16-5 all-time record against Mercer. In both matches in 2016, the Bucs swept Mercer 3-0. Their first meeting was in 2005 and Mercer won 3-1.

ETSU vs. Samford: Both teams have only met eight times dating back to 2005. Last season the Bucs won both regular season games, but they were swept by Samford in the SoCon Tournament. ETSU has a five to three win ratio against the Bulldogs.

A LOOK AT ETSU: The Bucs are ranked third in the conference with a .207 hitting percentage. For the third straight week, the Bucs are first in blocks. Mariah McPartland (Boone, Iowa) is tied at third with Chattanooga’s Emily Plumlee for blocks per set. With the help of setters Alyssa Kvarta and Lexie Libs, ETSU is ranked third in the conference for assists. Rylee Milhorn (Kingsport, Tenn.) continues to lead the Bucs in kills and service aces and is second on the team in digs. Leah Clayton (Danville, Va.) and AJ Lux have also been strong for ETSU with their kills. McPartland and Braedyn Tutton (Courtice, Ontario) have been key blockers for the Bucs.

A LOOK AT MERCER: Mercer has a 2-2 record in the SoCon. They have an overall record of 7-9. In the Volleyball Preseason Coaches’ Poll, Mercer was picked to finish seventh with 22 votes. Middle blocker Paige Alsten made the 2017 Volleyball Preseason All-Conference Team. Mercer leads the SoCon with a .220 hitting percentage, which is led by Alsten who leads the SoCon individually with a .371 hitting percentage. She also is in first for blocks. They are second in the conference with 58 service aces.

A LOOK AT SAMFORD: With a 3-1 record in conference play, Samford is currently second in the SoCon standings. They have an 8-10 overall record and were tied with Chattanooga to finish third with 46 votes. Samford and Chattanooga will play against each other on Friday night, Oct. 6. The Bulldogs will then face the Bucs on Saturday, Oct. 7. The Bulldogs are led by Krista Boesing and Kelsi Hobbs who both have more than 200 kills. Boesing is ranked third in the conference with her kills. With 690 assists, Taylor Anderton is their setter, who is also ranked third in the conference. Sierra Rayzor will be a blocker to watch out for as she has 51 on the season.

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