GAMEDAY CENTRAL
No. 20 Embry-Riddle (3-6) vs Flagler (5-4)
DATE: Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2014
CITY: Daytona Beach, Fla.
SITE: ICI Center
START TIME: 7 p.m.

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LIVE STATS: Stretch Internet
LIVE VIDEO: Stretch Internet

ABOUT EMBRY-RIDDLE
The Blue and Gold are ranked 20th in the first regular season coaches' poll after being ranked 21st in the preseason poll. 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 241-90 career record in this, her 10th season at the helm of the Eagles.

ABOUT FLAGLER
Flagler hails from St. Augustine, Fla. and is a member of the Peach Belt Conference in NCAA Division II. Matt Affolder is in his first season at the helm of the FC program and owns a 5-4 record with the Saints. In 2013, Flagler finished 21-13 overall and 13-5 in league action, finishing second in the regular season conference standings. The Saints' season came to an end with a 3-2 loss to Armstrong Atlantic State in the NCAA II Southeast Regional.

FC is led by Genel Sturgeon's 103 kills while Sara Davis is just behind with 94 kills. Davis also leads the team with 15 service aces and 31 total blocks (five solo). Amelia Morgan has totaled 307 assists and Ashley Lechleidner has picked up 107 digs to lead the Saints.

STREAKING IN THE POLLS
When the NAIA released the first coaches' poll of the 2014 regular season last Tuesday, the Eagles found themselves at No. 20 in the rankings, a one-spot improvement from the team's previous ranking of No. 21. Embry-Riddle spent the entire 2011 season and all but one week in 2012 ranked in the top 10, a total of 25 weeks, including a trio of weeks at No. 2 (Sept. 20 - Oct. 4, 2011). In total, the Eagles have been ranked in the Top 25 for 52 consecutive polls, the fifth-longest active streak in the NAIA.

EAGLES DOMINANT AT HOME
Since 2008, the Eagles have made the ICI Center a difficult place for visitors to play. Embry-Riddle holds a 82-15 record at home since the beginning of the 2008 season, a winning percentage of .845. In Sun Conference play, the Eagles have lost just once since the beginning of the 2010 season. Since then, the Blue and Gold have won 27 of its last 28 home conference matches.

BLUE AND GOLD AMONG THE NATION'S BEST
The Eagles have shown early in 2014 that they are among the best in the NAIA in kills and assists. Embry-Riddle is currently averaging 12.44 kills/set, the 42nd-best average in the country. With 11.47 assists/set, ERAU ranks 37th in the NAIA.

GRAY DOMINANT DEFENSIVELY
Junior 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 6.45 digs/set, the fourth-highest average in the nation. 

FERREIRA DOING IT ALL
Sophomore 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 367 assists for an average of 10.19 assists/set, which ranks her 19th in the nation in that category. But she has also collected a team-leading 25 service aces, ranking eight in the NAIA with an average of 0.69 service aces/set, in addition to picking up 105 digs, second-best on the team. Ferreira has also proven to be an offensive threat herself, putting down 36 kills. The Barbacena, Brazil native also has 11 blocks on the season, ranking fifth on the Eagle squad.

MILESTONE CHASE
At least one Eagle is in the hunt for a career milestone and a program record during the 2014 season. Hannah Gray stands at 1,626 career digs, 158 behind Senia McIntyre's 1,784 program record number. 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.

PRESEASON FAVORITES
The 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 VOLLEYBALL
The 2014 season marks the 20th edition of Eagle volleyball. Embry-Riddle is 430-244 all-time, capturing six regular season titles, five conference tournament titles and making four appearances at the NAIA National Championship.