Edinboro, Pa. -- The Edinboro volleyball team will be back at McComb Fieldhouse as they host conference opponent IUP on Saturday at 4 pm. The Scots will look to jump back into the winning column after suffering back-to-back losses.
The Final Sprint
The Scots enter the weekend with a (5-4) conference record and (15-6) overall. With only seven games remaining until postseason play, Edinboro will attempt to gain solid momentum. The Scots remain stable in the fourth spot out of the west, and have owned the spot since the season began. A potential win over IUP on Saturday will move Edinboro in the right direction at trending up in the standings.
Offense
Edinboro's attack has been a consistent factor all season as they average one more kill per set than their opponent. The Scots' hitting percentage has remained consistent, a (.203) team clip has placed them inside the top five of the conference. Bella Burrelli and Natalie Pallone have been the two-headed-horse that has led Edinboro's attack all season long. Burrelli leads the team with 207 kills on a (.139) clip. Pallone is not far behind with 192 kills on the season while obtaining a (.209) clip.
Assists are another element that has been a strength for Edinboro. Kills and assists are typically direct correlations of one another. There's no surprise that the Boro is among the top-five in the conference in both categories. Alicia Eldredge has been Edinboro's go-to facilitator this season with a team-high 650 assists. Eldredge is a top-five player in the conference at her position and has earned 85% of the team's assists.
Defense
Since conference play has begun, Edinboro has increased its effectiveness up on the net. The Scots have averaged 7.2 blocks per match compared to 6.4 per match in their first 12 games. Blocks have been a strong variable within Edinboro's gameplan and have led to wins. Boro is third in the PSAC with 1.95 blocks per set, with only Slippery Rock and Shepherd averaging more. Sally Sterkel leads the team with 66 blocks on the season while averaging (0.90) per set. Erica Sharp and Pallone have also contributed to the team's success up on the net. Sharp is second with 54 blocks and Pallone has added 52 of her own.
One of biggest hustle plays in volleyball is the dig. There is no speculation to why an effort-driven team like Edinboro also ranks among the best in the conference for digs. On the season the Scots have went for 1,248 digs and average nearly 18 per set. The Scots have four players that have surpassed 100 digs so far this season. Carly Pry leads the team with 334 on the year while averaging 4.77 per set. Eldredge is second with 227, then Burrelli with 182 and finally Emelia Rowell with 136 digs.
IUP
The Crimson Hawks come into the match with a (5-3) conference record and (15-4) overall. IUP is ranked third in the PSAC and is directly ahead of the Boro. The Crimson Hawks have lost two of their last three matches and are scheduled to host Slippery Rock on Friday night.
Edinboro and IUP competed against each other earlier this season back on Sept. 17. The Crimson Hawks bested the Boro on their home court in three sets. IUP led in every statistical category and held Edinboro to a (.000) hitting percentage. Burrelli led the Scots with a team-high eight kills. For IUP, Nicole Peterson finished with 15 kills and Lauren Valentic collected six blocks.
