Elon Volleyball Travels to Local Rival High Point Tuesday

ELON, N.C. – After opening the season at the Radford/Virginia Tech Invite over the weekend, the Elon volleyball team (0-3) travels the short distance to nearby High Point, N.C., to take on local rival High Point (1-2) on Tuesday, Sept. 1, at 7 p.m. in the Millis Center.

A Look at the Phoenix
Elon is still in search of its first win after falling just short in its last match on Saturday. The Phoenix held a 2-0 lead over Radford after two sets but was not able to hold off the Highlander surge and dropped the fifth set, 15-13, for a tough 3-2 defeat. The maroon and gold saw strong play from senior middle blocker Catherine Head who tallied nine blocks in the tournament to finish with 0.82 blocks per set, while also hitting .306, and was named to the all-tournament team. Freshman defensive specialist Maddie Jaudon earned the start at the libero position at Virginia Tech and Radford and recorded a total of 36 digs to finish with 4.5 digs per set in those two matches.

Scouting the Panthers
High Point opened the season at the Benson Hospitality Invitational in Athens, Ga., over the weekend and went 1-2. The Panthers lost in three to both Memphis and host Georgia before claiming a 3-2 victory over Wofford. Haley Barnes leads HPU on offense after 38 kills in those three matches, is averaging 3.45 kills per set and has also notched seven aces so far. On defense, libero Annemarie Chin is recording five digs per set with 55 total this season, while Jordan Hefner has posted 10 total blocks (0.91/set).

Elon vs. High Point
The Phoenix has played High Point more than any other team in program history. Tuesday marks the 63rd all-time match between the two teams with Elon holding the slight advantage, 32-30. The programs have met almost every year since Elon began sponsoring the sport in 1972. The Phoenix has won four of the last six meetings, including a 3-2 victory on Sept. 10, 2014, in Alumni Gym. The Panthers claimed the win, 3-2, the last time the teams played in High Point in 2013.

Head Coach Mary Tendler
Elon head coach Mary Tendler is in her 13th season with the Phoenix program. She enters the match against the Panthers with a 191-204 Elon and career coaching record.

Looking Ahead
On Friday, Sept. 4 – Saturday, Sept. 5, the Phoenix hosts its annual Elon Phoenix Classic in Alumni Gym. The maroon and gold will welcome local teams in North Carolina Central and Wake Forest, as well as Charleston Southern. The round-robin tournament will see the Phoenix face the Bucs on Sept. 4 at 7 p.m. followed by the Eagles on Sept. 5 at 12:30 p.m. with the finale match on that same evening against the Demon Deacons at 7 p.m.