ROCK HILL, S.C. – Winthrop volleyball is set to face sixth-seeded Presbyterian in the first round of the Big South tournament on Friday, Nov. 19 at 4:30 p.m. The match will be hed on Campbell's campus inside Gore Arena, the site of all 2021 tournament contests. With a win, the Eagles will face second-seeded Campbell on Saturday, Nov. 20.

Game Information -
Opponent/Date/Time/Location	Presbyterian | Friday, Nov. 19 | 4:30 p.m. | Buies Creek, N.C. (Gore Arena)
Live Stats	Big South
Live Stream	Big South
Series History	Winthrop leads 30-9
Last Meeting	Nov. 6, 2021 @ Presbyterian (W, 3-1)
Social Media	Twitter - @WinthropVolley / @WUEagles | Instagram - winthropvolleyball | #ROCKtheHILL | #EverStand
COVID Guidelines	Mask Mandate in place for all buildings at Winthrop University - for more guidelines and attendance policies, CLICK HERE

SERIES HISTORY VERSUS PRESBYTERIAN
This marks the 40^th meeting all-time between Winthrop and Presbyterian. Winthrop leads the all-time series 30-9. The last meeting came Nov. 6, 2021 in Clinton with the Eagles winning 3-1. Winthrop has been victorious in six straight matches against the Blue Hose. A GLANCE AT WINTHROP
Have won their past six matches and finished 12-4 in league play, good for a third-place conference finish.

First-team all-conference performer Morgan Bossler is third in the league in hitting percentage (.343) and ranks seventh in the league kills per set while honorable mention selection Karli Shepherd and second-teamer Nikkia Benitez rank eighth and ninth, respectively, in kills per set. Second-team all-league selection Jana Owens leads the Big South with 10.29 assists per set. Madison Gorniak and Leah Metzger rank ninth and tenth, respectively, in the Big South in digs per set.

Chuck Rey is in his fourth season at the helm of the Winthrop program and has a career record of 64-33. Rey, a former assistant coach with Winthrop, returned in 2018 to lead the program. Rey has been voted the Big South Conference Coach of the Year in 2018 and 2019, and guided the Eagles to a conference championship and NCAA Tournament in 2019.

This will be the Eagles 1,748^{th match} all-time as they hold a program record of 1,043-704. BIG SOUTH TOURNAMENT HISTORY
The Eagles have won the Big South tournament crown six times, most recently in 2019 when they also won the regular season championship. Winthrop has also appeared in the championship match on four other occasions, finishing as the runners-up. ALL-CONFERENCE HONORS
Fifth-year middle blocker Morgan Bossler, fifth-year outside hitter Nikkia Benitez, senior setter Jana Owens, and freshman outside hitter Karli Shepherd were honored after helping the Eagles to a 17-9 (12-4 Big South) record and third place league finish.

Bossler was named first team all-conference after an outstanding season that saw her finish third in the Big South in hitting percentage with a .343 mark. She also ranked seventh in the league in kills per set with 2.97. In the home match against Presbyterian on October 1, Bossler notched 21 kills on a .571 hitting percentage, one of the best single-match performances in school history. She finished the season with 81 blocks, 60 digs, and 16 service aces, and was also named to the all-academic team for her performance in the classroom.

Benitez earned second-team honors after a season that saw her finish with 245 kills, second on the team. She was also a tremendous asset on the defensive side of the net as she recorded 266 digs for an average of 3.13 per set, just outside the top-ten in the Big South. She also had 29 blocks and 14 service aces on the season.

Owens garnered second-team honors after a career-best season that saw her notch 812 assists for a league-leading 10.28 per set. She had multiple outstanding performances during 2021, including a career-high 60 assists in the home win over Presbyterian and a career-best 45 assists (in a three-set match) in the final home match against Gardner-Webb. Owens also had 256 digs (3.24 per set), 39 kills, 22 blocks, and 19 service aces on the season.

Shepherd bust onto the scene as a true freshman and earned honorable mention all-conference honors after her fine inaugural season. Her efforts also netted her a spot on the all-freshman team. Finishing third on the team with 235 kills (2.90 per set), she had double-digit kills in 13 matches, including 12 of the last 16 matches. Her crowning performance came on the road against Radford in the season finale as she finished with 13 kills on a .481 hitting percentage with no errors. Shepherd also had 96 digs, 30 blocks, and 20 service aces on the year. FOLLOW US!
For all the up-to-date information on Winthrop Volleyball, follow along on Twitter at @winthropvolley and Instagram at winthropvolleyball.