Rock Hill, S.C. – Coming off a 3-0 weekend in Virginia last weekend the Winthrop volleyball team will look to keep its momentum heading into its home opener with East Tennessee State, Friday evening. The two teams will face each other twice as the second matchup will be Saturday afternoon.
SERIES HISTORY
This marks the 27
th and the 28
th meetings all-time between Winthrop and ETSU. It is the first meeting since 2010 when the Buccaneers won 3-2. Winthrop holds a 14-12 lead in the all-time series, which dates back to the first season the Eagles competed in 1971.
A GLANCE AT WINTHROP
After an 0-3 start the Eagles quickly turned things around and have won three in a row after capturing the Virginia Tournament last weekend. The weekend began with a 3-0 win over Akron followed up by a 3-1 win over William & Mary on Friday. The Eagles finished off the tournament with a 3-0 win over Virginia. Winthrop is looking for a fourth straight non-conference win for the first time since 2019 when it won five straight during a nine-game win streak overall.
Nikkia Benitez and
Jana Owens were named to the Virginia All-Tournament Team and Benitez was named the MVP.
Morgan Bossler is nearing 500 kills in her Winthrop career (491) and surpassed 1,000 in her entire collegiate career last weekend. Benitez averaged 4.4 kills per set and highlighted the weekend with a career-high 18 kills in the win over William & Mary.
Winthrop has won its last two home openers and 3-2 in the last five. The Eagles are tied for the most wins in the conference behind league-leading High Point at 5-2.
Chuck Rey is in his fourth season at the helm of the Winthrop program and has a career record of 52-29. 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. Rey guided the Eagles to a conference championship and NCAA Tournament in 2019.
This will be the Eagles 1,730
th and 1,731
st matches all-time as they hold a program record of 1,030-699.
BIG SOUTH AWARDS
Nikkia Benitez – Player of the Week
- Averaged 4.4 kills per set, 3.9 digs per set and had a team-high 46.5 points
- Finished with a .340 hitting percentage and .985 serve receive percentage (team-high 67 attempts)
- Recorded a double-double in each match
- This is her second career Big South Player of the Week honor
Leah Metzger – Libero of the Week
- Averaged 3.8 digs per set and had eight service aces
- Set a career-high in aces in a match with four in the win over Virginia
- This is her second career Big South Libero of the Week honor
BIG SOUTH PRESEASON POLL
Winthrop was voted to finish third in the Big South Conference preseason poll. High Point is the preseason favorite with 119 points (10 first-place votes) while Campbell was second with 105 points (11 first-place votes). The Eagles had 94 points and were followed by Charleston Southern (91), UNC Asheville (64), North Carolina A&T (63), USC Upstate (59), Presbyterian College (43), Radford (39), Gardner-Webb (25), and Hampton (24).
The Panthers are the defending Big South Champions after a 17-1 mark in the spring and are led by the Preseason Player of the Year, Madison Smith (Jr., OH).
BOSSLER EARNS PRESEASON HONORS
Morgan Bossler was voted to the Big South Preseason All-Conference Team. Bossler has earned all-conference in each of her two seasons with Winthrop as she was named to the second team as a junior and first team this past spring. In the spring she led the team with 135 kills (2.6 per set) and blocks (1.02 per set).
BUY SEASON TICKETS TODAY!!!
Season tickets are on sale for the 2021 volleyball season. Catch all 12 home games inside the Winthrop Coliseum for $40. Single-game tickets are also available at $5 (all seating is general admission). Don't miss out on another exciting volleyball season! Purchase tickets at
www.winthropeagles.com/tickets.
COVID PROTOCOLS
Winthrop Athletics has been working closely with the university, Big South Conference, and the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control to provide a safe environment for all competitions this season. The health and safety of the student-athletes, coaching staff, community and fans is a top priority. Attendance for the 2021 Spring season will be restricted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In accordance with university policies for all buildings on campus, fans are required to wear a mask and socially distance at all events inside the Winthrop Coliseum. To adhere to the Tier 1 protocols, fans will not be permitted on the arena floor prior or following any contest. Please exit the building when the match has concluded.
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