Volleyball Set To Host The Candlewood Suites Invitational

CANDLEWOOD SUITES INVITATIONAL
Tournament Central
Game Details	Friday, Sept. 6 - vs. Stony Brook - 2:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 6 - vs. Rutgers - 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 7 - vs. Oakland - 11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 7 - vs. Colorado - 7:30 p.m.
Game Coverage	Twitter: @Cuse, @CuseVolleyball
#SUVB Links	Match Notes \| Roster \| Schedule \| Live Stats \| Season Statistics
Opponent Links	Colorado: Roster \| Schedule \| Match Notes Oakland: Roster \| Schedule \| Stats Rutgers: Roster \| Schedule \| Stats Stony Brook: Roster \| Schedule \| Stats

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – This weekend marks Syracuse's home opener, as the Orange will welcome four teams to campus in the Candlewood Suites Invitational on Friday and Saturday, Sept. 6 and 7.

LAST WEEK:
SU dropped a pair of matches to nationally ranked No. 19 Louisville and No. 2 Penn State at the Penn State Invitational. Coupled with a loss by Texas, the Nittany Lions took over the top spot in the AVCA Division I Coaches Poll. Sophomore outside hitter Silvi Uattara earned all-tournament honors with totals of 14 kills and seven digs in the two-day event. The Orange also enjoyed solid play for junior Nicolette Serratore, who ranks first on the team in hitting percentage (.229), second in kills (10) and digs (13) and third in blocks (4).

SCOUTING THE COMPETITION:
Colorado: The Buffaloes enter the invitational with a 1-1 record on the season, splitting their games with St. Mary's. Colorado returns all of their starters from last year's squad and is led by setter Nicole Edelman, who dished out 82 assists in the team's first two contests.

Oakland: After picking up one win on opening weekend over Central Michigan, the Golden Grizzlies will be led by Cassie Pelloni. An all-tournament team honoree, Pelloni currently leads the Oakland attack with 41 kills and a .278 hitting percentage.

Rutgers: Former BIG EAST opponent Rutgers earned a pair of victories at the Indiana Invitational to begin the 2013 season. All tournament-team selection Micaela Anderson has a team-high 38 kills to go with 17 digs for the Scarlet Knights.

Stony Brook: Entering the weekend with a 2-1 record from the Crusader Classic, the Seawolves are led by all-tournament performer Hannah Dolan, who passed out 93 assists and served up 10 aces over the course of two days.

FIRST THINGS FIRST:
Four Orange women made their Syracuse debuts at the Penn State Invitational. Freshman setter Erica Handley posted 29 assists and seven kills in her first collegiate weekend. Transfers Candace Timberlake and Bailey Humes also saw the court for the first time. Timberlake led the team with 11 digs against Penn State while Humes chipped in with eight assists against the Cardinals. Redshirt freshman Valeriya Shaipova stepped onto the court for her first collegiate action against Louisville, registering two kills and two digs.

SERIES HISTORY:
Friday night will feature former BIG EAST foes Syracuse and Rutgers. SU owns the all-time series 16-8 and have won eight in a row against the Scarlet Knights.

This weekend will be the first meeting between the Orange and both Colorado and Oakland. SU has the edge over Stony Brook in their only meeting.

UP NEXT:
The Orange will stay home next weekend for the Candlewood Suites Challenge on Sept. 13 and 14, which features Chicago State, Delaware State and Saint Peter's.

Syracuse University Athletics

Volleyball Set To Host The Candlewood Suites Invitational

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