Elon Phoenix Volleyball Closes out Regular Season in Alumni Gym This Weekend

ELON, N.C. – The Elon volleyball team hosts its final two matches of the regular season this weekend as the Phoenix (17-14, 3-11) welcomes Hofstra (19-9, 9-6) and Northeastern (20-9, 10-5) to Alumni Gym. After taking on the Pride on Friday, Nov. 11, at 6 p.m., the maroon and gold hosts the Huskies at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 13, for Senior Day.

A Look at the Phoenix
The Elon volleyball team closed out the road portion of its regular-season schedule on Monday but was not able to claim a win, falling 3-0 (16-25, 26-28, 19-25) at UNCW in Wilmington, N.C. Both Ebony Scott and Kam Terry led the Phoenix with a match-high 11 kills each. Sydel Curry posted her 14th double-double of the season after a match-high 37 assists and 12 digs. On defense, Maddie Jaudon tallied a match-high 15 digs, while Ally Karle led the maroon and gold with three total blocks.

Senior Day
Sunday’s match against Northeastern marks Senior Day for the program’s four seniors – Kayla Agae, Ally Karle, Morgan Maner and Ebony Scott. All four have been a vital part of the program for the last four years and leave their mark in Phoenix program history.

Scouting the Pride
Two-time reigning regular-season champion and CAA preseason favorite Hofstra is 19-9 overall on the season and 9-6 in conference play. After a win against College of Charleston on Oct. 30, the Pride is looking to rebound after losses at both Towson and Delaware last weekend. The match against the Phoenix marks the regular-season finale for the team. Hofstra ranks second in the CAA in hitting percentage (.236), assists (13.0/set) and kills (13.77/set) as one of the top offensive teams in the conference. Laura Masciullo leads Hofstra with 360 kills this season, averaging 3.40 kills per set, while Michela Rucli owns a team and league-high .357 hitting percentage and ranks sixth in the conference with 1.03 blocks/set. Hanna Klemm averages 8.12 assists/set for the Pride, while Luisa Domingues records 3.64 digs per set.

Elon vs. Hofstra
While the Pride leads the all-times series against the maroon and gold, 5-0, two of the last three meetings have gone to five sets. Elon came back to win the fourth set in both matches last year to send it to a fifth set. In the match in Hempstead, N.Y., last season, Ally Karle tallied a career-high 11 blocks to rank second on Elon’s Division I individual match record list as the Phoenix posted 20 total blocks. The Pride claimed a 3-0 victory in Hempstead on Oct. 9 in the meeting earlier this season.

Scouting the Huskies
After finishing last in the league standings a season ago, Northeastern is the current CAA leader with a 20-9 overall mark this year and a 10-5 record in conference play. The Huskies did suffer a pair of setbacks over the weekend with loses at Delaware and Towson. The team currently ranks first in the CAA in digs (17.34/set) and third in aces (1.25/set), while also ranking 15th nationally in digs per set. Senior Caterina Rosander ranks second in the conference with a .348 hitting percentage followed in fifth by rookie Shaina White at .312. Jamie Bredahl leads the league in aces (0.37/set) to also ranks 24th nationally with 41 total service aces on the season. Gabrielle Eyl is second in the CAA in digs (5.43/set) and ranks fifth in the nation.

Elon vs. Northeastern
The Phoenix claimed its first victory over the Huskies last season on Nov. 15, 2015, as Elon swept Northeastern in the regular-season finale in Alumni Gym. The Huskies lead the overall series, 4-1, after a close five-set match earlier this season in Boston on Oct. 7.

Block Party Watch
Ally Karle is currently just five blocks shy of tying for fifth on Elon’s Division I Career Blocks record list. The senior has posted 375 total blocks in her career. If she reaches 380, she will tie Sarah Schermerhorn who set that mark at the end of the 2010 season.

Phoenix Rankings
As of Nov. 7, the Phoenix is ranking high in several categories in the conference and in the nation. Nationally, Elon is second in team kills, sixth in team digs and fourth in team assists and 23rd in total blocks, ranking first or second in the CAA in all four categories. Individually, Sydel Curry is first in the league with 10.39 assists/set. Kayla Agae is second in the conference in aces (0.35/set), while Kam Terry is fourth in the league in total kills (353) and fifth in kills per set (3.21). On defense, Ally Karle is first in blocks per set (1.27), also ranking 53rd in the NCAA, and Maddie Jaudon is seventh in digs per set (4.29).

Head Coach Mary Tendler
Elon head coach Mary Tendler is in her 14th season with the Phoenix program. She enters this weekend’s matches with a 215-238 Elon and career coaching record. Tendler earned her 200th career victory on Aug. 30 with the maroon and gold’s win over North Carolina A&T.

Follow the Phoenix
Fans can follow the Phoenix throughout the season with updates on elonphoenix.com. Live stats for every volleyball match will be available on the team’s schedule and home pages on the Elon athletic website. In-game updates will also be provided on Twitter at @elonscores.

Looking Ahead
The Phoenix hopes to earn a spot in the CAA Championship that will take place in Wilmington, N.C., Nov. 18 – 20. The top six finishing teams from the regular season make the tournament.