Match 14 vs. UNCW  |  Match 15 vs. Elon
When	Match 14: Friday, Sept. 26  |  7 p.m. Match 15: Sunday, Sept. 28  |  2 p.m.
Where	Match 14: Wilmington, N.C.  |  Hanover Hall  |  Directions Match 15: Elon, N.C.  |  Alumni Gym  |  Directions
Broadcast and stats	Match 14: Live Stats Video  Match 15: Live Stats
Notes	Game notes (PDF)
Social media	@GoNUwvolleyball facebook.com/GoNUwvolleyball instagram.com/GoNUathletics Use #GoNU

BOSTON - After a challenging non-conference slate of matches, the Northeastern women's volleyball team begins its 2014 CAA conference schedule with two road matches down in the Tar Heel State. The Huskies will head into UNCW on Friday, Sept. 26 at 7 p.m. before traveling to Elon to take on the Phoenix on Sunday, Sept. 28 at 2 p.m.
 
All-time against UNCW

Northeastern is a perfect 16-0 all-time against the Seahawks with all 16 wins coming during CAA play. Only two matches in the all-time series have ever gone five sets, most recently on Nov. 8, 2013 when the Huskies survived a marathon match 22-20 in the fifth set. Northeastern has won seven straight matches at Hanover Hall.
 
Seahawks 2013 season recap

After winning 11 matches in 2012, UNCW nearly doubled its win total during last year's campaign, finishing 20-10 overall. The Seahawks' 8-6 conference record placed them a tiebreaker ahead of James Madison for the third seed in the CAA Tournament, where the team defeated No. 6 William & Mary before falling to No. 2 Northeastern, 3-0, in the league semifinals.
 
UNCW in 2014

The Seahawks' 10-4 record in 2014 is right on pace with their 11-3 start in 2013, and the team has performed well during its difficult non-conference schedule. UNCW won nine of its first 10 matches this season, and was one set away from upsetting North Carolina State at the Seahawks' home tournament on Aug. 30. However, the team has dropped three of its last four matches, including a 3-0 defeat at the hands of Virginia Tech on Sept. 19 in Blacksburg.

Scouting the Seahawks

Senior outside hitter Morgan Kline has been the greatest weapon in UNCW's arsenal this season, as she leads the team in kills (158), digs (144), and aces (12). The Seahawks use two primary setters in their offensive package in Alyssa Desjardins and Victoria Phillips, who have 282 and 202 assists, respectively. UNCW is the top blocking team in the CAA, and junior Meredith Peacock leads the league as well with a 1.45 blocks per set average. As a team, the Seahawks hit a percentage point better than the Huskies, .210 to .209.
 
All-time against Elon

The Huskies won the lone all-time meeting with the Phoenix on Sept. 8, 2012 at the Duke Classic, 3-0. Then-sophomore Natalia Skiba posted a match-high 15 digs to help Northeastern outlast Elon 27-25 in the third set.
 
Phoenix 2013 season recap

Elon closed out its final season in the Southern Conference with a 16-17 (7-9 Southern) record, finishing in a three-way tie for seventh place. Tiebreakers kept the Phoenix above the Southern Tournament cut line as the No. 8 seed, but No. 1 Georgia Southern proved to be too strong in the conference quarterfinals, stopping Elon 3-0. 
 
Elon in 2014

Despite opening the season with a 5-10 record, the Phoenix have played well in 2014 against teams from power conferences. Elon stole a game off Maryland in its season opener, and had three mid-set leads in a 3-0 loss against No. 7 Purdue. The team has sandwiched wins against North Carolina A&T and North Carolina Central around a 0-3 trip to the 2014 Deacon Classic at Wake Forest.
 
Phoenix in 2014

Outside hitters Sydney Busa and Kayla Agae do the bulk of the attacking for Elon as each player has more than 100 kills in 2014. Defensively, Morgan Maner ranks in the top 10 of the CAA in digs per set with 3.47, while the team is fourth in the conference in opponent hitting percentage (.185). Busa and teammate Ally Karle lead Elon in blocks, each with 42.0, while Chanelle Smith poses as the greatest serving threat, landing 11 aces so far on the 2014 season.
 
Filling up the trophy case

Senior libero Natalia Skiba and freshman outside hitter Brigitte Burcescu, were both recognized for outstanding performances last week.
 
Skiba took home Co-CAA Defensive Player of the Week and Corvias ECAC Libero of the Week honors after averaging 5.33 digs per set last week against New Hampshire, Boston College, and Harvard. Her season average of 5.56 digs per set is tied for seventh best in the nation, and she is the only Husky to eclipse 2,000 career digs in program history.
 
Burcescu received CAA Rookie of the Week honors for the third consecutive week, and also earned Corvias ECAC Rookie of the Week honors for the second straight week. The freshman from Cortlandt Manor, New York had 20 kills against New Hampshire, averaged 3.92 kills per set during last week, and has the 10th best kills per set average (3.60) among freshmen in the nation this year.
 
Setting up for the kill

Freshman setter Kristen Walding recorded 50 or more assists against Harvard for the second time in four matches. Walding averaged 11.00 assists per set in three matches last week, and leads Northeastern with 7.02 assists per set this season.
 
Northeastern's leading blocker

Sophomore outside hitter Caterina Rosander blocked five Boston College attacks last Friday. Rosander has now blocked five or more attacks five times this season, and leads the Huskies in total blocks with 43.0.
 
Killing it on the volleyball court 

Jamie Bredahl has netted double-digit kills in six of her last seven matches. She has also collected 14 or more kills in each of her last four matches, averaging 3.65 kills per set during that span.
 
Ace in the hole

Senior defensive specialist Megan Kehoe dialed up four aces in a 3-1 win last week against New Hampshire.
 
Dominating CAA opponents

Huskies head coach Ken Nichols has achieved a 90-42 record in nine seasons of CAA conference play. Nichols has led Northeastern to a .700 or better winning percentage against league opponents in each of the last three years.
 
NU in the NCAA rankings

The Huskies are ranked 39th in the nation in team assists, and are also ranked in the top 60 in both team kills and team digs.
 
Up next for the Huskies

Northeastern returns to Cabot Center for its 2014 CAA home opener against Delaware on Friday, Oct. 3, at 7 p.m. The Huskies will then battle the Tigers of Towson at home on Sunday, Oct. 5 at 1 p.m. to close out a two-match home stand.