Old Dominion (3-8, 0-0 Sun Belt) vs. Georgia Southern (9-2, 0-0 Sun Belt)
Match Info – Thursday, Sept. 25 at 6 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 26 at 6 p.m.
Location – ODU Volleyball Center (Norfolk, Va.)
Watch – ESPN+ (Thursday)
Live Stats – Thursday | Friday
Tickets – Click Here
NORFOLK, Va. – Old Dominion volleyball is set to open Sun Belt Conference play at home this week as the Monarchs welcome Georgia Southern for a pair of matches at the ODU Volleyball Center.
The two teams will play at 6 p.m. on both Thursday and Friday, with Thursday’s match streamed on ESPN+. Live stats will also be available both days.
In support of Old Dominion’s Monarchs Give Back initiative, fans can also receive free admission to either match by bringing a non-perishable food item. To learn more about the program, visit the university’s website here.
Series History
ODU and GS have only played two matches against each other, with the Eagles ahead in the series 2-0. The two teams met in Norfolk on Sept. 29-30, 2023, with Georgia Southern winning the first match 3-1 and the second 3-0.
The Monarchs were scheduled to make the trip to Statesboro, Georgia on Sept. 30-Oct. 1, 2022, but the series was canceled due to Hurricane Ian. Last year’s series in Statesboro was also canceled due to Hurricane Helene.
About ODU
The Monarchs (3-8) split their two matches in the VCU Invitational last weekend, falling 3-1 to the Rams on Friday night in Norfolk before rallying for a 3-2 victory over NC State on Sunday afternoon in Richmond. Elisa Maggi and Kyra Hampton both earned a spot on the All-Tournament Team. ODU also hosted Wake Forest on Saturday, dropping that match 3-1.
Maggi, an outside hitter from Pavia, Italy, is currently third in the league with 153 kills and 460 attack attempts. She’s averaging 3.56 kills per set and is also the team leader in points with 171.5. Katie Rakosi is second on the team with 77 kills and Bryanna Jones is third at 72.
Wiktoria Zagumny has tallied 289 assists (8.03 per set) this season and eclipsed 2,000 career assists during last Friday’s match versus VCU. For Hampton, the Franklin, Tennessee native enters the week with 79 assists (3.76 per set). She set a new career high and recorded her first career double-double with 42 assists and 16 digs against the Wolfpack on Sunday.
Kate Kilpatrick is ODU’s top server so far with 16 aces. Rita Benidio is next with nine, Zagumny has served eight, and Maggi seven. Kilpatrick also owns a team-high 157 digs (3.65 per set) while LeeAnne Lowery, Emma Schelah, and Maggi have combined to make 78 blocks.
About GS
The Eagles (9-2) defeated South Carolina State in straight sets last Thursday, but dropped their home match versus Florida State, 3-0 on Saturday.
Reagan Barth paces the offense with 145 kills (3.92 per set). She’s also the Sun Belt leader and ranked 16th nationally with 11.89 attacks per set. Following her are Sam Bowron with 96 kills and Lydia Seymour with 72 kills.
Kristen Barrett is Georgia Southern’s primary setter with 348 assists. The senior from Cleveland, Ohio is first in the conference and 34th in the country with 9.94 assists per set. Barrett has also served 20 aces and is second in the SBC and 22nd nationally with 0.57 aces per set.
Maddie Cugino leads the back line with 202 digs and is second in the conference and 10th in Division I with 5.18 digs per set. At the net, Alex Myers and Seymour have recorded 28 and 25 blocks, respectively.
The Eagles are led by head coach Chad Willis, who is in his seventh season with the program and is one win shy of reaching 100 for his career. Georgia Southern was picked to win the Sun Belt’s East Division with nine first-place votes in the league’s Preseason Coaches Poll, with Barth and Barrett earning spots on the Preseason All-Sun Belt Team. Georgia Southern enters the week in a three-way tie for first in the East standings alongside App State and Georgia State.
Up Next
The Monarchs will be in Conway, South Carolina next week to continue Sun Belt action at Coastal Carolina. The two teams will play a 6 p.m. match on Friday, Oct. 3 and will meet again at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 4.