Marshall University Athletics
@HerdVolleyball Opens Season Friday At Eagle Challenge
8/28/2015 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Aug. 27, 2015
Game Notes
MATCH 1: MARSHALL (0-0, 0-0 C-USA) vs. INDIANA STATE (0-0, 0-0 MVC)
Friday, Aug. 28 | 1 p.m. ET
Morehead, Ky. | Wetherby Gym
Live Stats | Twitter
MATCH 2: MARSHALL (0-0, 0-0 C-USA) at MOREHEAD STATE (0-0, 0-0 OVC)
Friday, Aug. 28 | 7 p.m. ET
Morehead, Ky. | Wetherby Gym
Live Stats | Video | Twitter
MATCH 3: MARSHALL (0-0, 0-0 C-USA) vs. CANISIUS (0-0, 0-0 MAAC)
Saturday, Aug. 29 | Noon
Morehead, Ky. | Wetherby Gym
Live Stats | Twitter
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - Marshall volleyball begins its 2015 season this weekend with a trip to the Eagle Challenge hosted by Morehead State. The event will take place Friday and Saturday. The Herd will face Indiana State and Morehead State on Aug. 28 at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m., respectively. Marshall will finish the weekend Saturday at noon against Canisius.
THE ROSTER BREAKDOWN
The 2015 Herd includes of 16 players -- three seniors, four juniors, five sophomores and four freshmen. Marshall returns four starters plus the libero from last season's squad that finished fifth in Conference USA.
FOUR FRESH FACES
New to the Marshall squad are four freshmen: Kassidy Lemons (Prichard, W.Va.), Lauren Mattmuller (Venice, Fla.), Shelby Conley (Paintsville, Ky.) and Zoe Schreiber (Hagerstown, Md.).
HOME COOKING
Herd coach Mitch Jacobs and staff pride themselves in getting local talent to compete for Marshall, and the roster reflects that philosophy. Within the Tri-State area, there are nine student-athletes of the 16-player roster from West Virginia, Kentucky and Ohio. Six hail from West Virginia, including juniors Taylor Riedel and Cassie Weaver, who are from Huntington. The other three players are from Kentucky.
BLOCK PARTY
When seniors Lauren Legge (Pliny, W.Va.) and Jillian Shemanski (Jupiter, Fla.) are on the court there is always a chance for a block, as they combined for 180 total blocks (Shemanski 104, Legge 76) in 2014. Shemanski, a 2014 C-USA Defensive Player of the Week, has written her name into the Marshall record book with a career 266 total blocks, good for ninth all-time. She is also seventh and 10th all-time in block assists and block solos. Legge also excels in the attack game, as she was second on the team last year with 323 kills.
MARSHALL SELECTED SEVENTH
The Herd is projected to finish seventh in the Conference USA's 13-team preseason poll, as selected by league coaches.
`KIKO' NAMED TO C-USA PRESEASON TEAM
Junior middle blocker Ally Kiekover (Grand Rapids, Mich.) was selected to the 2015 All-Conference USA Preseason Team, as chosen by league coaches. Last season, Kiekover started all 32 games for the Herd and recorded a team high 338 kills, a .293 hitting percentage and 400 points. Kiekover was named to the All-C-USA second team last season, while also being named to the Commissioner's Honor Roll and receiving the Academic Medal for the second year in a row. She currently sits fifth all-time in program history in hitting percentage, at .274.
SCOUTING THE SYCAMORES
Indiana State finished 2014 with a 17-14 record, in sixth place in the Missouri Valley Conference (9-9). The Sycamores return five starters plus their libero from last season's squad. Indiana State is led by Bree Spangles and Cassandra Willis. Spangles recorded a team high 398 kills and 336 digs, while Willis posted 302 kills and 89 total blocks. This will be the sixth meeting between the Herd and Sycamores. Indiana State holds the advantage, 4-1. The first meeting between the two programs came in 1980.
SCOUTING THE EAGLES
The rivalry continues for I-64 neighbors Marshall and Morehead State, as they will meet for the 64th time on Friday. Morehead State has dominated the series, 44-19, but the Herd had the most recent success with a 3-0 win last season. The Eagles struggled last year (3-28 overall, 3-13 Ohio Valley Conference). Morehead returns Hannah Sigala, an OVC all-preseason team member, who finished her 2014 season with 310 kills, 100 blocks and 385.5 points.
SCOUTING THE GOLDEN GRIFFINS
Canisius was picked to finish sixth out of 10 teams this season in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. Last season, the Griffs went 12-20 and placed seventh in the MAAC (8-10). Canisius returns 11 players from last year's squad, including Lauren Siebert and Rachel Kline, who were named to the All-MAAC Preseason Team. Siebert started all 32 games last season and recorded 258 kills with a 31.6 hitting percentage. Kline also started all 32 games, but recorded a team high 382 kills and 372 digs. This will be the third meeting between the Herd and Griffs. The series is tied at one apiece.
#BEHERD
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