GAMEDAY CENTRALEmbry-Riddle (16-9, 10-1) vs. Southeastern (15-11, 6-5)
DATE:Â Saturday, Nov. 4, 2014
CITY: Lakeland, Fla.
VENUE:Â ICI Center
START TIME:Â 7 p.m.
LIVE STATS:Â ERAU Stretch Internet PortalABOUT EMBRY-RIDDLEThe Blue and Gold are 16-9 on the season after picking up a pair of conference victories last weekend over Webber International and Warner. Embry-Riddle currently sits in second place in The Sun Conference with an 10-1 mark and are receiving 81 votes in the Tachikara-NAIA Coaches' Poll, just three spots outside the Top 25. The Eagles reached the NAIA National Tournament Final Site for the fourth consecutive season in 2013. Head Coach Josylnn Gallop is the winningest coach in program history, owning a 239-93 career record in this, her 10th season at the helm of the Eagles.
ERAU hosted Webber International and Warner over the weekend, cruising to 3-0 sweeps in both matches.
Evelina Abdurakhmanova racked up double-digit kills in both matches, earning Sun Conference Player of the Week honors for her efforts.
ABOUT SOUTHEASTERNSoutheastern is 15-11 and 6-5 in The Sun Conference coming into play. SEU has lost four of its last six matches, including two of its last three TSC contests.The Fire are led by Carol Reis, who ranks third in the nation with a .424 hitting percentage and 31st with 3.54 kills/set. Reis also leads the team with 70 blocks (25 solo) and 283 kills. Katie Trenski has picked up a team-high 315 digs while Alyssa Prescott (464 assists) and Lindsey Fleming (399 assists) have been the setters in Southeastern's 6-2 offense.
Last time the Eagles and Fire met, ERAU came away with a 3-0 victory, 25-17, 25-22, 25-21.
Ana Pajic and Aburakhmanova led the Blue and Gold with nine kills while
Hannah Gray picked up 15 digs and
Tamires Ferreira tallied 30 assists.
BLUE AND GOLD AMONG THE NATION'S BESTThe Eagles have shown this season that they are among the best in the NAIA in kills, assists and blocks. Embry-Riddle is currently averaging 12.68 kills/set, the 37th-best average in the country. With 11.71 assists/set, ERAU ranks 31st in the NAIA. ERAU has been a force at the net, averaging 2.21 blocks/set, ranking 25th in the nation.
GRAY DOMINANT DEFENSIVELYSenior libero
Hannah Gray has proven that she is one of the best defensive players in the country with her stellar play this season. Gray, last year's Sun Conference Libero of the Year, is currently averaging 6.14 digs/set, the fifth-highest average in the nation. On Aug. 30, the DeLand, Florida native racked up 46 digs, which is currently tied for the eighth-highest single-match total in the NAIA this year.
FERREIRA DOING IT ALLJunior setter
Tamires Ferreira is out to prove that setters can do more than just rack up assists. She has done a great job circulating the ball while running the 5-1 offense for the Eagles, recording 970 assists for an average of 10.21 assists/set, which ranks her 21st in the nation in that category. Ferreira totaled a career-high 60 assists against St. Thomas on Sept. 12, which is currently tied for the 10th-highest single-match total in the nation this season. In addition to setting, she has also collected a team-leading 56 service aces, ranking fourth in the NAIA with an average of 0.59 service aces/set. The junior has also been solid defensively, picking up 265 digs, second-best on the team. Ferreira has also proven to be an offensive threat herself, putting down 98 kills, the sixth-highest total on the team. The Barbacena, Brazil native also has 38 blocks on the season, ranking fifth on the Eagle squad.
BEATTY COMING UP BIGSenior outside hitter
Jennifer Beatty has maintained a presence on the national leaderboard, and currently ranks 47th in the NAIA with 3.33 kills/set. Beatty leads the team with 313 kills, including a 28-kill effort against St. Thomas on Sept. 12, which is currently tied for the 10th-highest single-match total in the nation this season.
MILESTONE ACHIEVEMENTSenior libero
Hannah Gray entered the 2014 season on the hunt for a career milestone and a program record during the 2014 season. Gray surpassed Senia McIntyre's program record of 1,784 career digs in ERAU's victory over Southeastern on Oct. 10. Her 12th dig of that match, which came late in the second set, was her 1,785th of her career. Gray has led the team in digs in each of her two years at Embry-Riddle, including last year's single-season school-record 809 digs. Her career total currently stands at 1,978 digs.
PRESEASON FAVORITESThe Sun Conference coaches selected the Eagles to top the league's preseason poll, released in August. Embry-Riddle garnered seven first-place votes and 49 total points to claim the No. 1 spot in the poll, while St. Thomas came in second with one first-place votes and 41 total points.
20 SEASONS OF EAGLE VOLLEYBALLThe 2014 season marks the 20th edition of Eagle volleyball. Embry-Riddle is 443-247 all-time, capturing six regular season titles, five conference tournament titles and making four appearances at the NAIA National Championship.