The William and Mary volleyball team opens conference play this weekend, heading down to Wilmington face UNCW Saturday at 2 p.m. This is the conference opener for both teams, who were picked to finish eighth and ninth, respectively, in the preseason poll.
Live Stats
Live Video
Scouting the Tribe
W&M enters conference play at 8-5 overall, and winners of the last five in a row. The streak included the tournament title at last weekend's Colonial Challenge, where three athletes were named to the all-tournament team and freshman Dessi Koleva (Torrance, Calif.) was selected as the MVP. For the season, sophomores Manon Murray (Greensboro, N.C.) and Paulette Grand Pre (Laguna Beach, Calif.) are averaging 2.46 and 2.43 kills per set, respectively. On defense, the Tribe is led at the net by senior Shaylin O'Connell (Leesburg, Va.), while on the floor redshirt-sophomore Devin Andrews-Lyssy (Santa rosa, Calif.) is providing 3.17 digs per set.
Scouting the Seahawks
UNCW went 1-4 last week, dropping their season record to 7-8 overall and 4-1 in Wilmington. The Seahawks are being led offensively by the duo of Christi Laite (2.88 kills/set) and Morgan Kline (2.84 kills/set), while on defense middle-blocker McKenzie Keightley is stopping 1.28 blocks per set.
The Series
The Tribe owns a 46-3 advantage all-time over the Seahawks, but UNCW won both matches last fall, 3-2 in Wilmington and 3-1 in Williamsburg.
News and Notes
- Following her MVP turn at the Colonial Challenge, freshman Dessi Koleva was named the CAA Rookie of the Week for the second week in a row. She is the first Tribe player to win the award in back-to-back weeks since Cassie Crumal '11 in 2007.
- Classmate Carolyn Albright was also named Rookie of the Week this season, with her award coming on Sept. 3. That means the Tribe has provided the league's best freshman for three weeks in a row.
- With the in-season tournament schedule now complete, the College counted a total of eight all-tournament selections this season. Senior Shaylin O'Connell was named to three of the four all-tournament teams, including both of W&M's home events as well as the Duke Invitational. Paulette Grand Pre and Manon Murray each had two nods, with Grand Pre earning honors at the Tribe Invitational and the UNH Invitational, while Murray was one of the six-best players at both UNH and the Colonial Challenge. Freshman Dessi Koleva was only named to one all-tournament team, the Colonial Challenge, but her terrific play lifted her to the MVP award.
- Each of the Tribe's first three victories came by a 3-1 count, the first time that each of the first three wins have seen the same score since 2000. That season, W&M's first four wins all came by a 3-0 count.
Live Stats
Live Video
Scouting the Tribe
W&M enters conference play at 8-5 overall, and winners of the last five in a row. The streak included the tournament title at last weekend's Colonial Challenge, where three athletes were named to the all-tournament team and freshman Dessi Koleva (Torrance, Calif.) was selected as the MVP. For the season, sophomores Manon Murray (Greensboro, N.C.) and Paulette Grand Pre (Laguna Beach, Calif.) are averaging 2.46 and 2.43 kills per set, respectively. On defense, the Tribe is led at the net by senior Shaylin O'Connell (Leesburg, Va.), while on the floor redshirt-sophomore Devin Andrews-Lyssy (Santa rosa, Calif.) is providing 3.17 digs per set.
Scouting the Seahawks
UNCW went 1-4 last week, dropping their season record to 7-8 overall and 4-1 in Wilmington. The Seahawks are being led offensively by the duo of Christi Laite (2.88 kills/set) and Morgan Kline (2.84 kills/set), while on defense middle-blocker McKenzie Keightley is stopping 1.28 blocks per set.
The Series
The Tribe owns a 46-3 advantage all-time over the Seahawks, but UNCW won both matches last fall, 3-2 in Wilmington and 3-1 in Williamsburg.
News and Notes
- Following her MVP turn at the Colonial Challenge, freshman Dessi Koleva was named the CAA Rookie of the Week for the second week in a row. She is the first Tribe player to win the award in back-to-back weeks since Cassie Crumal '11 in 2007.
- Classmate Carolyn Albright was also named Rookie of the Week this season, with her award coming on Sept. 3. That means the Tribe has provided the league's best freshman for three weeks in a row.
- With the in-season tournament schedule now complete, the College counted a total of eight all-tournament selections this season. Senior Shaylin O'Connell was named to three of the four all-tournament teams, including both of W&M's home events as well as the Duke Invitational. Paulette Grand Pre and Manon Murray each had two nods, with Grand Pre earning honors at the Tribe Invitational and the UNH Invitational, while Murray was one of the six-best players at both UNH and the Colonial Challenge. Freshman Dessi Koleva was only named to one all-tournament team, the Colonial Challenge, but her terrific play lifted her to the MVP award.
- Each of the Tribe's first three victories came by a 3-1 count, the first time that each of the first three wins have seen the same score since 2000. That season, W&M's first four wins all came by a 3-0 count.
