2021 SPRING TOWSON VOLLEYBALL Match 5 | vs. No. 2 South - College of Charleston | SECU Arena | Towson, Md. Game Information John C. Stark (O) 410-704-6258 • (C) 570-809-1946 • [email protected] Athletics Media Relations • 8000 York Road, Towson Center Room 353 #1 Towson (4-0 Overall, 2-0 CAA North) vs. Towson, MD 21252-0001 • TowsonTigers.com • Twitter: @Towson_VB • Instagram: @TowsonTigersVB #2 Charleston (5-5 Overall, 2-2 CAA South) Friday, April 2 • 3 p.m. First Serve Scouting the Cougars SECU Arena • Towson, Md. The Tigers have been off for nearly a month The College of Charleston heads to Towson as following COVID-19 tests within several pro- the second seed from the south, holding an Friday grams in the CAA that affected scheduling. The even 5-5 overall record a 4-4 mark in the CAA Internet Video: FloVolleyball Tigers are in the CAA Semifinals for a third- South. The Cougars won their last pair with a PxP: Ryan McGettigan straight season, however. 3-0 and 3-1 decision over Elon. Lexi Wierzbicki Analyst: Monika Moore (3.03) leads a versatile offense with three In The National Rankings players averaging two or more kills per set. A Saturday Neither team is mentioned in this week’s poll. two-setter system, Charleston is led by Amani Internet Video: FloVolleyball Towson is ranked second in the most recent Dunston (5.03) and Tori Carpenter (4.38) in as- PxP: Ben Rosenbaum NCAA RPI standings, with the caveat that it sists per set. One of the best blocking teams in Analyst: Monika Moore ranks teams currently playing. the country, Charleston gets nearly two blocks per set from the pair of Emma Falk (1.73) and Scouting the Regining Champion Tigers Claire Campbell (1.20). Charleston leads the CAA 2021 SCHEDULE/RESULTS The Tigers return to the friendly confines of in opponent hitting percentage, limiting foes to Feb. 13 at Stony Brook.................................W, 3-0 SECU Arena for just the second time this spring a .123. Charleston averages 3.20 blocks per set Feb. 27 at Temple ........................................... W, 3-1 following several scheduling cancellations. as a team, tops in the CAA and more than a half- March 5 at Delaware * ...................................W, 3-0 Towson’s last match on March 7 was a sweep block per set better than second place (2.80 MARCH 7 DELAWARE * ........................ W, 3-0 over Delaware on March 7. Towson boasts two FLOVOLLEYBALL players with kills per set averages north of 3.00 Towson-Charleston History March 12 at Hofstra * ...............................Cancelled March 13 at Hofstra * ...............................Cancelled as rookie Nina Cajic (3.77) leads the way while It’s a fast and furious history between the MARCH 20 NORTHEASTERN * ........ CANCELLED junior Emily Jarome (3.46) is close behind. Tigers and the Cougers. The two squads met Towson is the only program in the league for the first time in 2007, a 3-0 Charleston win. FLOVOLLEYBALL MARCH 21 NORTHEASTERN * ........ CANCELLED with two players’ averages inside the top six. In 2013, Towson and the Cougars began meet- FLOVOLLEYBALL No one in the CAA carries a better hitting ing on an annual basis as Charleston joined the MARCH 26 DELAWARE * ................ CANCELLED percentage than sophomore Lydia Wiers (.473), CAA. The Cougars have won 11 matches while March 28 at Delaware * ............................Cancelled who is nearly a full percentage point better Towson has won another four, including the MARCH 30 WEST VIRGINIA ............ CANCELLED than second place (.377) and ranks seceond in last two during the Tigers’ historic run in 2019. APRIL 2 CHARLESTON ! ...................... 3 P.M. Division I. Cajic is third in the CAA (.352) as Fay It has been a year and a half since Charleston CAA SEMIFINALS Bakodimou (.310) sits fifth. The Tigers are the travelled to Tiger Town as Towson swept the only CAA school with three players ranked in Cougars 3-0 on October 20, 2019. Friday’s meet- * - CAA Match | ! - CAA Tournament at Towson (SECU Arena) the top 10 in hitting percentage. Kristin Spen- ing will be the first time the two programs have gler runs the efficient offense, averaging 11.15 met in the CAA postseason. Charleston was the assists per set, which ranks her first in the CAA, last CAA team to beat the Tigers during the including both North and South teams, and 12th regular season (Oct. 27, 2018). in the country. As a team, Towson hits at a .301 percent clip, ranking 10th nationally. Towson’s Towson-Charleston By the Numbers middles, Wiers and Aayinde Smith, each aver- All-Time Series Record .... Charleston Leads 11-4 at Towson ................................ Charleston 5-2 age better than a block per set, the only pair at Charleston ............................ Charleston 6-2 from the same team in the CAA within the top at Neutral Sites ............................................. n/a five of the league. Towson holds its opponents at Unknown Sites ......................................... n/a to a .156 hitting percentage, which ranks 45th First Meeting ... Sept. 1, 2007 (CofC 3, Towson 0) in the country. Towson is the least-blocked Last Meeting ..........................................Nov. 8, 2019 teams in the CAA, getting halted at the net just ..................................... Towson 3, Charleston 1 1.35 times per set. Streak ..........................................................Towson +2 2021 Spring Statistics Leaders 2021 Spring Statistics Leaders Kills Nina Cajic 49 Kills Lexi Wierzbicki 100 Assists Kristin Spengler 145 Assists Amani Dunston 191 Service Aces Fay Bakodimou, Kristin Spengler 5 Service Aces Hazel Brown 8 Digs Asia Goins 48 Digs Logan Manusky 218 Blocks Lydia Wiers 16 Blocks Emma Falk 69 1 2021 SPRING TOWSON VOLLEYBALL Match 5 | vs. No. 2 South - College of Charleston | SECU Arena | Towson, Md. 2021 Towson University Women’s Spring Volleyball Roster No.Player Cl. Pos. Ht. Hometown/H.S. (Previous School) 2 Aayinde Smith Fr. MB 5-11 Garland, Texas/Cherry Hill (N.J.) 3 Katie McCracken So. S 5-8 Smithsburg, Md./Smithsburg 4 Ally Townsend So. DS 5-4 Hummelstown, Pa./Lower Dauphin 6 Lydia Wiers So. MB 6-2 Willard, Ohio/Willard Pronounced: Wee-urrs 7 Rachel Hess So. DS 5-8 Breingsville, Pa./Allentown Central Catholc (La Salle) 10 Asia Goins So. DS 5-0 Zionsville, Ind./Avon Pronounced: Go Inns 11 Nina Cajic Fr. OH 6-0 Subotica, Serbia/Politehnicka skola Subotica Pronounced: Chai Eetch Pronounced: Soo buh teets uh 12 Angie Spirito Fr. DS 5-4 Sparks, Md./Jamestown (Va.) (Binghamton) 13 Fay Bakodimou Jr. OH 5-11 Athens, Greece/3rd Senior High School Pronounced: Bah-kuh-thee-moo 15 Kristin Spengler Jr. S 6-0 Whitehall, Pa./Whitehall 16 Emily Jarome Jr. OH 5-11 Wilmington, Del./Padua Academy 17 Morgan Wilson So. OH 5-11 South Riding, Va./Freedom 18 Katie McLellan Jr. DS 5-5 Huntersville, N.C./Hough (Providence) 19 Sarah Couch Jr. S 5-8 Pasadena, Md./Archbishop Spalding (Wilmington (Del.)) 20 Sara Wasiakowska Fr. Opp. 6-1 Kleszczewo, Poland / XVIII Secondary School of General Education Pronounced: Zar uh Vash uh kov shska Pronounced: Klesh Chow 21 Nikiya Mitchell R-Jr. MB 5-10 Bryans Road, Md./Henry E. Lackey (UMBC) Pronounced: Nuh-ki-uh Head Coach: Don Metil (California (Pa.)) – 8th season at Towson (19th Overall as a Head Coach) (Pronounced: Metal) Assistant Coach: Terry Hutchinson (East Stroudsburg, ’96) – 4th Season Assistant Coach: Megan Shifflett Bachmann (Penn State ’11) – 3rd Season (Pronounced: MEE gan) Athletic Trainer: Briana Galeazzi (Quinnipiac ‘12) - 1st Season (Pronounced: Bree On Uh Guh Lee Zee) Strength & Conditioning Coach: Courtney Steele (Towson ‘19) - 2nd Season Student Assistant Coach: Danielle Gravina Roster Breakdown Roster Breakdown (Continued) By Class By State Redshirt Junior: 1 (Mitchell) Delaware: 1 (Jarome) Junior: 5 (Bakodimou, Couch, Jarome, McLellan, Spengler) Indiana: 1 (Goins) Sophomore: 6 (Goins, Hess, McCracken, Townsend, Wiers, Wilson) Maryland: 4 (Couch, McCracken, Mitchell, Spirito) Freshmen: 4 (Cajic, Smith, Spirito, Wasiakowska) North Carolina: 1 (McLellan) Ohio: 1 (Wiers) By Position Pennsylvania: 3 (Hess, Spengler, Townsend) Setter: 3 (Couch, McCracken, Spengler) Texas: 1 (Smith) Opposite: 1 (Wasiakowska) Virginia: 1 (Wilson) Outside Hitter: 4 (Bakodimou, Cajic, Jarome, Wilson) Middle Blocker: 3 (Mitchell, Smith, Wiers) International Defensive Specialist/Libero: 5 (Goins, Hess, McLellan, Spirito, Townsend) Greece: 1 (Bakodimou) Poland: 1 (Wasiakowska) Serbia: 1 (Cajic) 2 2021 SPRING TOWSON VOLLEYBALL Match 5 | vs. No. 2 South - College of Charleston | SECU Arena | Towson, Md. Towson’s All-Time CAA Tournament Matches Spring 2021 All-CAA Women’s Volleyball Teams 2002 (Harrisonburg, Va.) Quarterfinals: #4 Towson 3, #5 VCU 2 (22-30, 23-30, 30-20, 38-36, 15-9) Major Awards Semifinals: #1 George Mason 3, #4 Towson 1 (30-24, 30-28, 19-30, 30-27) Player of the Year: Setter of the Year: 2003 (Newark, Del.) Defensive Specialist of the Year: Semifinals: #4 Hofstra 3, #1 Towson 2 (30-20, 22-30, 25-30, 30-27, 15-13) Rookie of the Year: Coach of the Year: 2004 (Towson, Md.) Semifinals: #1 Towson 3, #4 George Mason 0 (30-19, 30-28, 30-26) First Team Championship: #1 Towson 3, #3 Delaware 0 (30-18, 30-28, 30-22) Player School Pos. Yr. Hometown asd 2005 (Hempstead, N.Y.) Quarterfinals: #3 Towson 3, #6 JMU 1 (37-35, 31-33, 30-20, 30-25) Second Team Semifinals: #3 Towson 3, #2 William & Mary 1 (30-25, 30-25, 27-30, 30-20) Player School Pos. Yr. Hometown Championship: #4 VCU 3, #3 Towson 2 (30-20, 26-30, 23-30, 30-24, 15-11) asd 2006 (Hempstead, N.Y.) All-Rookie Team