ROCK HILL, SC – The Winthrop volleyball team kicks off its conference slate Friday and Saturday, hosting the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers and the Charleston Southern Buccaneers.
The Eagles enter conference play with a 9-4 overall record and a 6-1 mark inside the Winthrop Coliseum. Winthrop is coming off a 2-1 performance in last weekend's Winthrop Invitational where the Eagles defeated Bethune-Cookman and The Citadel and fell to UNC-Wilmington.
A balanced offensive attack has proved fruitful for the Eagles. Senior Irene Ojuwku leads the Eagles with 149 kills but is followed closely by junior Alina Sopizhuk with 143 and sophomore Rachel Lenz with 141. Lenz leads the team and is second in the Big South with a .366 hitting percentage. Junior Jessie Vicic leads Winthrop with 590 assists and leads the Big South by an average of nearly two assists per set.
Coastal Carolina enters Friday's 7 p.m. contest with a 7-6 overall record. The Chanticleers are coming off a 2-1 performance last weekend at the Lady Vol Invitational where they defeated Jacksonville State and Georgia Tech before falling to Tennessee. Coastal Carolina has yet to win a true road contest, with a 0-3 record.
The Chanticleers also spread the offensive power around. Lian Bernett and Kindra Bailey are tied for the team lead in kills with 116 while Gabriella Horvath follows closely with 106. Lauren Alejo is the team's primary setter with 422 assists. Coastal Carolina can be strong at the net as the team averages just over two blocks per set this season.
Charleston Southern will take on the Eagles at 2 p.m. Saturday after playing Presbyterian on Friday. The Buccaneers enter the weekend with a 5-9 overall record. Last weekend in the Georgia Southern Tournament, Charleston Southern defeated Jackson State before falling to Central Michigan and Georgia Southern.
Katrina Houston leads the Buccaneers with 122 kills while Meredith Parrott has tallied 111 kills and a .297 hitting percentage. Cassidy Greer is the team's primary setter with 374 assists. Charleston Southern struggles defensively as it ranks at the bottom of the league in digs and seventh in blocks.
Following the weekend games, the Eagles will embark on a six-match road swing that starts Tuesday, October 1 at 7 p.m. against the Davidson Wildcats in a non-conference affair.
