Friday, October 14
Charlotte, N.C.
6 p.m.
University of North Florida
at
Queens (Charlotte)
Volleyball Weekend Preview - Headed to Queens, Liberty
10/13/2022 11:17:00 AM | Volleyball
Ospreys Face ASUN Newcomer in Queens, Look for Third-Straight Win Against Liberty
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - The two-match conference weekends continue for UNF volleyball as the Ospreys go up to North Carolina and Virginia for road matches at Queens and Liberty.Â
UNF takes on Queens Friday in the first-ever matchup against the ASUN newcomer, before following that up at Liberty Sunday afternoon.
MATCH NOTES
SERIES HISTORY
Queens: UNF and Queens are meeting for the first-time in series history and for the first time as ASUN foes.
Liberty: UNF looks for its third-straight win against the Flames after sweeping Liberty a pair of times last season … UNF and Liberty have played each other eight times, seven of which have come as ASUN foes since the Flames joined the league prior to the 2018 season .. Liberty paces the series, 5-3, and leads UNF, 2-1, in road meetings.
SCOUTING REPORT
2. Scouting Report
Queens: Queens is 5-14 overall and still looking for its first league win through six matches of its inaugural ASUN season … the Royals are 0-3 at home on the year and on a six-match losing streak since entering league play … Queens' last home match was Oct. 1 in a 3-0 loss to Kennesaw State … the Royals have picked up wins against Saint Francis, Chattanooga, Oakland, UNC Asheville and Stonehill … Queens has yet to win a set in league play …  Alleigh Johnson paces the team with 209 kills and 3.22 kills/set … the hosts tout a two-setter offense, with Kendall Buish leading the team at 290 assists … Jaianna Bouarouy is close behind at 253 assists … despite struggling this season, Queens is outblocking its foes, 117-104 … teams are hitting .252 against the Royals.
Liberty: Liberty is 11-7 and 4-2 in league play this year … the Flames have performed best at home, going 7-2 in home matches … Liberty is looking to bounce back from from a 3-2 loss to Eastern Kentucky … one match earlier, Liberty picked up a 3-2 win against Bellarmine … Liberty either wins by sweep or goes the distance in league play, having won three matches in three sets, while dropping both of its league contests in five frames … Houston native Trinity Watts is a key contributor for the Flames … the October 3 ASUN Defensive Player of the Week is a prominent fixture at the net, while also chipping in heavily on the offensive end … Liberty plays a balanced game, posting solid and consistent numbers on offense and defense … the Flames are hitting .244 as a program, while posting 2.46 blocks/set … aces are the lone statistical category in which the Flames don't lead their opponents … five Flames have at least 110 digs.
AN OSPREY WIN WOULD…
Queens: Give UNF consecutive wins in league play for the first time this season … make UNF 1-0 against the ASUN and Division I newcomer … give UNF its second road league win of the year.
Liberty: Bring UNF to three-straight wins against the Flames in series history … Make UNF 4-5 against the Flames in series history … make UNF 2-2 against Liberty in road meetings … give the Ospreys consecutive wins in matches held in Lynchburg.
SEVEN MORE DIGS FOR THE RECORD
Libero Rocio Moro is only seven digs short of breaking the UNF career digs record, currently held by standout libero, Nicole Baran … Moro is at 1,923 digs, while also standing head and shoulders above any other former or current Osprey, with a program-best 4.94 digs/set through 389 frames … Moro is a two-time ASUN Defensive Player of the Year and has proven to be one of the best at what she does in the league … Moro emerged on to the scene as one of the league's best liberos when she was a freshman back in 2019, earning all-freshman team honors as well as Volleyballmag.com All-Freshman Team Honorable Mention recognition … the libero is the conference-record holder for most weekly defensive player of the week laurels at seven … she is coming off a 30-dig performance in the 3-2 win against North Alabama, the eighth such outing of her career, and the first since she did so during the 2021 NIVC Quarterfinals at UConn in December of last season.
SEEING DOUBLE
A slew of notable days were had during UNF's 3-2 come-from-behind win against North Alabama last Sunday … three different Ospreys earned double-doubles, with Kailey McKnight, Solimar Cestero and Savannah Cook all posting such contests … Cestero paced the offense with 23 kills to go with 15 digs, while McKnight posted a career-best 18 kills to go along with 17 digs … the freshman, Cook had career days for digs and assists … the setter had 54 assists, the most for a UNF setter since former high school teammate, Julianna Askew, reached 57 against Stetson March 20, 2021 … Cook's day continued on defense as she tallied 12 digs, the most for her young career in her first-career double-double … it was McKnight's fourth double-double of the year, while Cestero's 23 kills marked a season high and the seventh time she reached at least 20 kills during a match in her career.
BRIGHT FUTURE
Setter Savannah Cook isn't the only UNF freshman coming off big matches … first-year defensive specialist, Maymie Guthrie, came through with important stops on the defensive side of the game, racking up a season-best 11 digs … freshman middle blocker Kierstyn McFall has been the definition of consistency this year … McFall posted 11 kills on .304 hitting in Sunday's win, while also adding three blocks … McFall has tallied consecutive double-digit kill matches and has hit at least .300 in six of the last seven matches … the middle blocker is averaging 0.82 blocks/set and sits at 41 on the year.
NO QUIT OSPREYS
UNF is 3-1 in five-set matches this year, but not only that, the Ospreys have won two matches via reverse sweep … the Ospreys did so for the first time in astounding fashion against FGCU Sept. 23, erasing multiple FGCU match points before winning sets three, four and five … Sunday, UNF pulled off the feat against North Alabama, dominating sets three and four before getting tough in the decisive stanza.
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UNF takes on Queens Friday in the first-ever matchup against the ASUN newcomer, before following that up at Liberty Sunday afternoon.
MATCH NOTES
SERIES HISTORY
Queens: UNF and Queens are meeting for the first-time in series history and for the first time as ASUN foes.
Liberty: UNF looks for its third-straight win against the Flames after sweeping Liberty a pair of times last season … UNF and Liberty have played each other eight times, seven of which have come as ASUN foes since the Flames joined the league prior to the 2018 season .. Liberty paces the series, 5-3, and leads UNF, 2-1, in road meetings.
SCOUTING REPORT
2. Scouting Report
Queens: Queens is 5-14 overall and still looking for its first league win through six matches of its inaugural ASUN season … the Royals are 0-3 at home on the year and on a six-match losing streak since entering league play … Queens' last home match was Oct. 1 in a 3-0 loss to Kennesaw State … the Royals have picked up wins against Saint Francis, Chattanooga, Oakland, UNC Asheville and Stonehill … Queens has yet to win a set in league play …  Alleigh Johnson paces the team with 209 kills and 3.22 kills/set … the hosts tout a two-setter offense, with Kendall Buish leading the team at 290 assists … Jaianna Bouarouy is close behind at 253 assists … despite struggling this season, Queens is outblocking its foes, 117-104 … teams are hitting .252 against the Royals.
Liberty: Liberty is 11-7 and 4-2 in league play this year … the Flames have performed best at home, going 7-2 in home matches … Liberty is looking to bounce back from from a 3-2 loss to Eastern Kentucky … one match earlier, Liberty picked up a 3-2 win against Bellarmine … Liberty either wins by sweep or goes the distance in league play, having won three matches in three sets, while dropping both of its league contests in five frames … Houston native Trinity Watts is a key contributor for the Flames … the October 3 ASUN Defensive Player of the Week is a prominent fixture at the net, while also chipping in heavily on the offensive end … Liberty plays a balanced game, posting solid and consistent numbers on offense and defense … the Flames are hitting .244 as a program, while posting 2.46 blocks/set … aces are the lone statistical category in which the Flames don't lead their opponents … five Flames have at least 110 digs.
AN OSPREY WIN WOULD…
Queens: Give UNF consecutive wins in league play for the first time this season … make UNF 1-0 against the ASUN and Division I newcomer … give UNF its second road league win of the year.
Liberty: Bring UNF to three-straight wins against the Flames in series history … Make UNF 4-5 against the Flames in series history … make UNF 2-2 against Liberty in road meetings … give the Ospreys consecutive wins in matches held in Lynchburg.
SEVEN MORE DIGS FOR THE RECORD
Libero Rocio Moro is only seven digs short of breaking the UNF career digs record, currently held by standout libero, Nicole Baran … Moro is at 1,923 digs, while also standing head and shoulders above any other former or current Osprey, with a program-best 4.94 digs/set through 389 frames … Moro is a two-time ASUN Defensive Player of the Year and has proven to be one of the best at what she does in the league … Moro emerged on to the scene as one of the league's best liberos when she was a freshman back in 2019, earning all-freshman team honors as well as Volleyballmag.com All-Freshman Team Honorable Mention recognition … the libero is the conference-record holder for most weekly defensive player of the week laurels at seven … she is coming off a 30-dig performance in the 3-2 win against North Alabama, the eighth such outing of her career, and the first since she did so during the 2021 NIVC Quarterfinals at UConn in December of last season.
SEEING DOUBLE
A slew of notable days were had during UNF's 3-2 come-from-behind win against North Alabama last Sunday … three different Ospreys earned double-doubles, with Kailey McKnight, Solimar Cestero and Savannah Cook all posting such contests … Cestero paced the offense with 23 kills to go with 15 digs, while McKnight posted a career-best 18 kills to go along with 17 digs … the freshman, Cook had career days for digs and assists … the setter had 54 assists, the most for a UNF setter since former high school teammate, Julianna Askew, reached 57 against Stetson March 20, 2021 … Cook's day continued on defense as she tallied 12 digs, the most for her young career in her first-career double-double … it was McKnight's fourth double-double of the year, while Cestero's 23 kills marked a season high and the seventh time she reached at least 20 kills during a match in her career.
BRIGHT FUTURE
Setter Savannah Cook isn't the only UNF freshman coming off big matches … first-year defensive specialist, Maymie Guthrie, came through with important stops on the defensive side of the game, racking up a season-best 11 digs … freshman middle blocker Kierstyn McFall has been the definition of consistency this year … McFall posted 11 kills on .304 hitting in Sunday's win, while also adding three blocks … McFall has tallied consecutive double-digit kill matches and has hit at least .300 in six of the last seven matches … the middle blocker is averaging 0.82 blocks/set and sits at 41 on the year.
NO QUIT OSPREYS
UNF is 3-1 in five-set matches this year, but not only that, the Ospreys have won two matches via reverse sweep … the Ospreys did so for the first time in astounding fashion against FGCU Sept. 23, erasing multiple FGCU match points before winning sets three, four and five … Sunday, UNF pulled off the feat against North Alabama, dominating sets three and four before getting tough in the decisive stanza.
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Players Mentioned
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/ VolleyballMahalia White - Honda Inspiration Cup Award Winner
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