Friday, August 30
University Park, Pa.
4:30 p.m.
Syracuse University
vs
Louisville
Photo by: Michael J. Okoniewski
Orange Open Season At Penn State Invitational
8/29/2013 11:45:00 AM | Volleyball
| PENN STATE INVITATIONAL | |
| Tournament Central | |
| Game Details |
Friday, August 30 - vs. No. 19 Louisville - 4:30 p.m. Saturday, August 31 - vs. No. 2 Penn State - 11 a.m. |
| Game Coverage | Twitter: @Cuse, @CuseVolleyball |
| #SUVB Links | Match Notes | Roster | Schedule |
| Opponent Links |
Louisville: Roster | Match Notes | @UofLVolleyball | Live Stats Penn State: Roster | Match Notes | @PennStateVBall | Live Stats |
Follow @CuseVolleyball
SYRACUSE, N.Y. – The Syracuse University volleyball team opens the regular season this weekend, taking on a pair of ranked foes and defending conference champions at the Penn State Invitational in University Park, Pa.
SEASON OPENER:
The Orange are kicking off the 2013 campaign on Friday, August 30th, facing off against nationally ranked No. 19 Louisville at 4:30 p.m. SU will return to University Park to close out the weekend on Saturday, August 31st with a match against No. 2 Penn State at 11 a.m.
RETURNING FOR THE ORANGE:
Syracuse returns seven letter winners from the 2012 roster and brings back redshirt junior Lindsay McCabe (Georgetown, Ontario), who was sidelined with a season-ending injury after only 10 matches last year. In her limited time on the court, McCabe compiled a hitting percentage of .404 and averaged 1.11 blocks per set. Joining McCabe on the front line will be outside hitters sophomore Silvi Uattara (Voronezh, Russian Federation) and junior Nicolette Serratore (Oakvillem Ontario). Uattara, a 2012 second team All-BIG EAST selection, led the team with 358 kills and tied for third in the conference with 3.58 kills per set. Serratore ranked second on the team in both kills (228) and digs (234).
ROOKIE TO WATCH:
A new addition to the team is freshman setter Erica Handley (Lakeville, Minn.). As a senior at Lakeville North in 2012, Handley led the nation with 12.3 assists per set and finished first in Minnesota for total assists with 1,129, which set a new state single-season record. In her final high school season, Handley was named to PrepVolleyball.com's 2012 All-American 100 Team.
SCOUTING THE COMPETITION:
Penn State: The Nittany Lions will enter their invitational ranked second in the nation in the AVCA Division I Coaches Preseason Poll, which was released on Aug.12. Last season, Penn State finished 33-3 overall and 19-1 in the Big Ten, on their way to capturing a record 15th Big Ten title and NCAA semifinal appearance. Big Ten Player of the Year Ariel Scott will lead the Nittany Lions attack after totaling 469 kills and 3.75 kills per set, while hitting at a clip of .308.
Louisville: The Cardinals also enter the Penn State Invitational in the national rankings, sitting at 19th in the polls. The defending BIG EAST regular season and tournament champions return a talented roster that features American Athletic Conference Co-Preseason Players of the Year, Brooke Mattingly and Emily Juhl. Mattingly, an All-BIG EAST Second Team selection in 2012, recorded 209 kills, 85 blocks, and a .337 hitting percentage, while Juhl finished with 159 kills, 67 blocks, and had 55 digs on the season.
UP NEXT: The Orange will return home next weekend to host the Candlewood Suites Invitational on Sept. 6 and 7. Coming to campus will be Colorado, Oakland, Stony Brook and former BIG EAST-foe Rutgers.
Friday, November 28
Friday, November 28
Tuesday, November 25
Tuesday, November 25
