VCU Invitational
Tournament Info – Friday, Sept. 19 - Sunday, Sept. 21
Location – ODU Volleyball Center (Norfolk, Va.) | Siegel Center (Richmond, Va.)
Watch – ESPN+ (ODU vs. Wake Forest)
Live Stats – ODU vs. VCU | ODU vs. Wake Forest | ODU vs. NC State
Tickets – Click Here
Full Schedule
Friday
6 p.m. – ODU (H) vs. VCU (A) in Norfolk
Saturday
3 p.m. – ODU (H) vs. Wake Forest (A) in Norfolk *
6 p.m. – VCU (H) vs. NC State (A) in Richmond
*Match not part of the VCU Invitational
Sunday
2 p.m. – NC State (H) vs. ODU (A) in Richmond
NORFOLK, Va. – Old Dominion volleyball is set to play VCU and NC State in the VCU Invitational this weekend. Additionally, the Monarchs added a home match versus Wake Forest this Saturday.
Friday’s match against the Rams will be played at the ODU Volleyball Center with first serve scheduled for 6 p.m. VCU will host the Wolfpack at 6 p.m. on Saturday, and ODU will travel to Richmond to play NCSU at 2 p.m. on Sunday. Saturday’s home match with Wake Forest is slated for a 3 p.m. start and will be streamed on ESPN+. Live stats will also be available for each match.
About ODU
The Monarchs (2-6) split their two matches in last week’s Old Dominion Invitational. ODU started off the tournament with a 3-0 sweep of Delaware on Friday. After Villanova defeated Delaware 3-0 on Saturday, the Wildcats bested the Monarchs 3-1 on Sunday.
Elisa Maggi leads the attack with 98 kills (3.27 per set), Katie Rakoski is next with 48 kills (2.18 per set), and LeeAnne Lowery is third on the team with 47 kills (1.57 per set). Setter Wiktoria Zagumny ranks fourth in the Sun Belt with 8.00 assists per set and needs 17 more assists to reach 2,000 for her career. Kate Kilpatrick is also fourth in the league with 15 service aces and has made a team-high 113 digs (3.77 per set). At the net, Lowery has made 24 blocks, followed by Emma Schelah with 17, Maggi with 16, and Zagumny with 13.
About VCU
The Rams are off to a 1-5 start and are looking to snap a five-match skid. Last weekend, the team was in Johnson City, Tennessee for the Buccaneer Classic. After falling 3-1 to host East Tennessee State on Friday, VCU dropped its Saturday tilt with Western Kentucky, 3-0.
Julia Rienks and Lara Del Core lead the offense with 77 and 70 kills, respectively, and Rienks is third in the Atlantic 10 with 3.50 kills per set. Cansin Sendir owns 142 assists and is also third in the conference with 8.88 assists per set. Del Core and Nina Boledovicova have served seven aces each and Harula Sugimota has served five. On defense, Sugimoto is the team leader in digs with 61 while Boledovicova and Letizia Galli have combined for 41 blocks.
Head coach Tim Doyle is in his third season leading the program and the Rams were picked to finish second in the A10 Preseason Poll after finishing 18-9 last season. Friday’s match will mark the fourth meeting between the two programs, with ODU ahead in the all-time series 2-1. The Monarchs hosted the Rams on Aug. 25, 2023 in the first match of the Quest for the Crown. Old Dominion won that meeting, 3-1.
About Wake Forest
The Demon Deacons (4-5) hosted Davidson and Maryland last weekend, defeating the Wildcats 3-0 on Friday and the Terrapins 3-1 on Sunday. Wake Forest played at East Carolina on Tuesday, falling 3-2 to the Pirates, and have a home match versus North Carolina A&T on Thursday night.
Paige Crawford has scored 103 kills and is averaging 3.03 kills per set. Following her are Ryleigh Whitekettle with 79 kills and Patrycja Lagida with 75 kills. Setters Becca Bellows and Rian Baker have accounted for 362 assists and 27 aces. Emma Farrell leads the back line with 136 digs, Kelis Hawkins has made 41 blocks, Sanaa Williams is at 33 blocks, and Whitekettle is right behind her with 32 blocks. The Deacs currently rank fifth in the ACC in both kills per set (13.57) and assists per set (12.63).
Head coach Jeff Hulsmeyer is in his first season at Wake and the Demon Deacons were picked to finish 15th in the ACC’s Preseason Coaches Poll. Saturday will mark the first ever meeting between ODU and Wake Forest.
About NC State
NCSU hosted the Wolfpack Invitational last weekend and split its two matches. The Wolfpack (6-2) defeated Cleveland State 3-0 on Saturday, but fell 3-1 to Coastal Carolina on Sunday.
Courtney Bryant has scored 86 kills and Jordan Smith is close behind her with 83 kills. Setters Elaisa Villar and Ashley Mullen enter the week with a combined 282 assists. Bryant leads the ACC and ranks 28th in the country with 18 service aces. She’s also first in the conference and 21st in the nation with 0.60 aces per set. As a team, the Deacs rank third in the ACC with 57 aces and 1.90 aces per set. Defensively, Zuzanna Maciejewicz is fourth in the league in both digs (127) and digs per set (4.23). Lily Cropper has recorded 26 blocks, Talia Francom is next with 25 blocks, and Sa’Mya Dorsey owns 20.
The Wolfpack is led by first-year head coach Megan Wargo-Kearney and the team was picked to finish 10th in the ACC Preseason Coaches Poll. ODU and NCSU are meeting for the first time on Sunday.
Up Next
Old Dominion will open Sun Belt Conference play at home as the Monarchs welcome Georgia Southern for a pair of matches next Thursday, Sept. 25 and Friday, Sept. 26. Both contests are scheduled for 6 p.m. starts.