Winthrop Classic Tournament Central
ROCK HILL, SC – The Winthrop volleyball team will return home to the Winthrop Coliseum this weekend as the Eagles host the Winthrop Classic.
The Eagles welcome North Carolina A&T, Western Carolina, North Florida and Mercer to Rock Hill for the two-day tournament that starts Friday afternoon.
Winthrop will open with two matches Friday, taking on NC A&T at 3 p.m. followed by Mercer at 7 p.m. North Florida and Western Carolina will square off at 5 p.m.
Saturday's slate of five matches will start at 10 a.m. when North Florida and NC A&T meet followed by Western Carolina and Mercer at 12 p.m. North Carolina A&T and Mercer will meet at 5 p.m. Winthrop will play North Florida at 3 p.m. and complete the tournament at 7 p.m. against Western Carolina.
Winthrop enters the tournament looking to snap a six-match losing skid, having last been victorious at home on August 27 against Appalachian State.
Jennica Mullins and Stephanie Palmer continue to be the offensive leaders for the Eagles, totaling 77 and 76 kills respectively. Palmer also leads the team in assists with 199 while Mullins is tied for the team lead in total blocks with Amy Zimmer, each with 34.
North Carolina enters the tournament winless, having lost all 12 of its matches so far this season. The Aggies have struggled offensively, hitting only .088 this season. Brooke Stamnes is the leading offensive threat for NC A&T so far this season with 91 kills.
Mercer is also fighting a losing streak having dropped four in a row with its last victory coming on September 1 over Charleston Southern. The Bears are currently 2-5 on the season. Molly Locke has led the Bears offensively this year, totaling 87 kills. Monica Sanchez is the team's sole setter, amassing 217 assists while Jennifer Katona has been the team's top block with 23 total blocks.
North Florida is the only team in this weekend's tournament with a winning record. The Ospreys come to Rock Hill with a 5-4 overall record and on a current four-match winning streak. Carolyn Jenkins and Paige Pridgeon have been the two primary attackers for North Florida, totaling 117 and 109 kills respectively. Britt Claessens is the primary setter for the Ospreys with 337 assists.
Western Carolina will be Winthrop's last opponent in the tournament and enter the weekend with a 3-8 overall record, having won just once in its last eight contests. Cailtlin Piechota leads the Catamounts offensively with 107 kills while Jordan Timmermann follows closely with 98.
The full tournament schedule is below. Live in-game statistics will be available for all matches and all Winthrop matches can be seen live on the Big South Network.
Friday, September 14, 2012
3:00 P.M. - Winthrop vs. North Carolina A&T
5:00 P.M. - North Florida vs. Western Carolina
7:00 P.M. - Winthrop vs. Mercer
Saturday, September 15, 2012
10:00 A.M. - North Florida vs. North Carolina A&T
12:00 P.M. - Western Carolina vs. Mercer
3:00 P.M. - Winthrop vs. North Florida
5:00 P.M. - North Carolina A&T vs. Mercer
7:00 P.M. - Winthrop vs. Western Carolina
