Match 23 vs. Elon  |  Match 24 vs. UNCW
When	Match 23: Friday, Oct. 24  |  4 p.m. Match 24: Sunday, Oct. 26  |  1 p.m.
Where	Boston, Mass.  |  Cabot Center  |  Directions
Broadcast and stats	Match 23: Live Stats Video  Match 24: Live Stats Video
Notes	Game Notes (PDF)
Social media	@GoNUwvolleyball  facebook.com/GoNUwvolleyball instagram.com/GoNUathletics Use #GoNU

BOSTON - After making it through the first half of the 2014 CAA schedule, the Northeastern women's volleyball team will now have a second crack at each of its fellow conference affiliates, starting with a visit at home this weekend by the league's two North Carolina schools. The Huskies welcome Elon to Cabot Center for a 4 p.m. match on Friday, Oct. 24, and host UNCW on Sunday, Oct. 26 at 1 p.m.

All-time against Elon

Northeastern has yet to drop a set against Elon in two all-time meetings. The two programs first met on Sept. 8, 2012 at the Duke Classic, and squared off again earlier this season on Sept. 28 for the first time as conference rivals. Despite having never won a set against NU, Elon has kept them all close, coming within four points of the Huskies in four out of the six head-to-head frames. 

Last time out against the Phoenix

The Huskies earned a 3-0 (25-21, 26-24, 25-22) victory on the road at Elon on Sept. 28, 2014. Kristen Walding led the way for Northeastern with her fourth double-double of the season, posting 38 assists and 10 digs. Jamie Bredahl and Brigitte Burcescu each sent home nine kills apiece, while middle hitter Caterina Rosander hit .467 on 15 attacks.

Elon in 2014

In search of its first win in conference action this year, Elon (5-19, 0-8 CAA) has played in tight matches all throughout its 2014 league schedule. In 29 sets against CAA opponents this season, the Phoenix have played 18 sets where the margin of victory for either team was five points or less, and 15 where the margin was four points or less. Although Elon has lost nine straight matches entering Friday afternoon, two of the Phoenix's five wins have come in true road matches.

Scouting the Phoenix

Defensive specialist Morgan Maner is Elon's 2014 dig leader, collecting 270 digs at 3.46 per set this season. As a team, Elon has averaged more blocks per set (2.21) than its opponents (1.85), as four different Phoenix blockers have stifled 50 or more attacks on the season. Sydney Busa leads Elon with 222 kills at 2.52 per set, while Chanelle Smith has kept the Phoenix competitive behind the service line with 15 aces on the season. Northeastern ranks higher than Elon in the CAA in all statistical categories besides blocking.  

All-time against UNCW

NU had won 16 consecutive matches against UNCW before the Seahawks caught the best of the Huskies with a 3-2 win back on Sept. 26, 2014. The programs have now sandwiched two five-set matches around a clash in the 2013 CAA semifinals, when No. 2 Northeastern defeated No. 3 UNCW in straight sets. 

Last time out against the Seahawks

The Huskies landed 62 kills compared to the Seahawks' 48, but it was UNCW that scored the final seven points of the fifth set to pull out a 3-2 (25-19, 22-25, 18-25, 25-22, 15-10) victory over Northeastern on Sept. 26, 2014. Natalia Skiba posted a season-high 38 digs in the contest, while Brigitte Burcescu, Jamie Bredahl, Ava Cramp, and Taylor Reiter each had double-digit kill totals in the match.

UNCW in 2014

The Seahawks are five wins away from their second straight 20-win season at 15-7 (5-3 CAA), and are currently sitting in a tie for fourth place in the CAA with Delaware. UNCW took out defending league champion College of Charleston 3-0 on Oct. 15, but is on a two-match losing skid after falling to Delaware and Towson last week. Nine of the Seahawks' 15 wins this season have come on the road. 

Scouting the Seahawks

Eight matches into the CAA schedule and UNCW has remained the best blocking team in the conference with an average of 2.66 blocks per set. Junior Meredith Peacock is one of just 24 players in the nation to have surpassed the 100-block mark so far this year, and her season total of 112.0 is eighth best in the NCAA. Morgan Kline leads the Seahawks with 246 kills at 3.11 per set, and is also second on the team in total digs with 213. Alyssa Desjardins and Victoria Phillips both average 5.72 and 4.10 assists per set, respectively, while the entire UNCW offense hits at .201, fifth best in the CAA.

Closing the door on 500 digs

Senior Natalia Skiba is ranked third nationally in total digs (494) and fourth in digs per set (5.68). The 5-9 libero from Westmont, Illinois recorded 28 digs against William and Mary on Saturday, the most she has earned in a four-set match this season. Skiba is just six digs away from eclipsing the 500-dig mark for the fourth straight time in her Husky career.

Setting up the offense

Kristen Walding set a new personal best in a four-set match when she netted 53 assists against William and Mary. The freshman setter from Deer Park, Illinois is averaging a team-high 8.29 assists per set, good for third best in the CAA. Walding also earned her sixth double-double of the season with 29 assists and 11 digs against James Madison on Friday.

First-year magic

Against William and Mary on Saturday, five first-year Huskies – Brigitte Burcescu, Carmen Costa, Cherylain Dizon, Taylor Reiter, and Kristen Walding – combined for 52 of the team's 60 kills, 56.5 of the team's 73.5 points, and 53 of the team's 56 assists. Redshirt freshman Claire Manhard added 13 digs as well in her first full season with the Huskies. 

Just killing it out there

Brigitte Burcescu threw down 22 kills against William and Mary, three shy of tying her season-high of 25 she had set against Rhode Island on Sept. 9. Burcescu has passed the 300-kill mark in her freshman season, and now has 307 total kills on the year. Her average of 3.53 kills per set is good for third best in the CAA, and ranks 105th in the NCAA.

On the front line

Caterina Rosander leads Northeastern with 70.0 total blocks this season, and has the fourth best hitting percentage in the CAA (.299). Teammate Alexa Armstrong recorded 10 kills and four blocks during last week's matches, while outside hitter Ava Cramp had nine kills. 

Too close to call

Northeastern's 3-1 (23-25, 25-22, 25-23, 25-23) defeat to William and Mary on Saturday was the second match NU has played in 2014 when each set had a margin of victory of just three points or less. In the 87 sets the Huskies have played this season, 35 of those sets have been decided by three points or less (40.23%).

Road warriors

Friday's match against Elon at Cabot Center will be just the sixth home match of the 2014 season for Northeastern. The Huskies will not have to travel much during the last four weeks of the year, as they will host six of their final eight matches. After this weekend, Northeastern will host first-place Hofstra on Friday, Nov. 7.