Weekly Notes

HAMPTON, Va. – The Hampton University volleyball team will face a pair of conference foes this weekend; the Lady Pirates will head to Baltimore, Md. on Friday to take on Coppin State at the Physical Education Complex, before returning to Holland Hall on Sunday to face Morgan State.

Friday's match will start at 6 p.m., with Sunday's match starting at 2 p.m.

The Lady Pirates (9-11, 4-3 MEAC) are tied with Morgan State for second place in the MEAC Northern Division after dropping a pair of matches last weekend – falling to Morgan State in straight sets and losing to Norfolk State in five sets. Hampton has lost three of its last four matches.

Still, the Lady Pirates have already eclipsed last season's win total, picking up their eighth win of the season on Oct. 7 against Howard in four sets. Hampton has also surpassed its conference win total from 2010, sitting at 4-1 in the MEAC North following a win over Delaware State on Oct. 16.

Coppin State (5-18, 1-6 MEAC) snapped a two-match skid on Sunday with a three-set win over North Carolina A&T; the lady Eagles are in seventh place in the MEAC North, with their lone conference win coming in five sets over Delaware State on Oct. 9.

Morgan State (6-17, 4-3 MEAC) has won three straight matches heading into this weekend's action, and the Lady Bears are tied for second in the MEAC North. Each of Morgan State's three wins over this span have been in straight sets – over Hampton, Coppin State and Norfolk State.

Morgan State will face Norfolk State against on Friday, prior to Sunday's contest against Hampton.

The top four teams in each division will qualify for the 2011 MEAC Championships (Nov. 18-20, hosted by Coppin State).

Senior Lihi Elkayam (Misgav, Israel), who earlier this season set the program's career assist record, is eighth in the MEAC in assists, with an average of 6.64 assists per set. Elkayam has 385 assists in 58 sets played so far this season.

Sophomore Sheileen Pagan (Rio Grande, Puerto Rico) is fifth in the MEAC in digs on defense, averaging 3.42 per set. For the season, Pagan has recorded 226 digs in 66 sets played.

In MEAC play alone, Pagan is averaging 4.86 digs, which is best in the conference.

Freshman Krista Kraskura (Kuldiga, Latvia), who has seven double-doubles this season (including a 12-kill, 15-dig effort this past Sunday against Norfolk State) is sixth in the MEAC in digs in conference play, averaging 3.08 per set, while also ranking ninth in kills during league play with 3.12 per set.

Sophomore Petra Parros (Bloomfield, N.J.), who had a career-high 10 kills against Norfolk State on Sunday, is ninth in the MEAC in conference play in hitting percentage – hitting .338 against MEAC North teams with 35 kills and just 10 errors in 74 total attacks.

Hampton is 29-6 all-time against Coppin State, and the Lady Pirates have won eight of the last nine meetings — including a four-set win at Holland Hall on Oct. 4. Coppin State last beat Hampton on Oct. 29 of last season, winning in four sets up in Baltimore, Md.

The Lady Pirates are 2-33 all-time against Morgan State, and the Lady Bears have won the last five meetings — including a three-set win in Baltimore, Md. on Oct. 19. Hampton's only two wins over Morgan State came in the 2008 season, when the Lady Pirates wept the season series en route to their last MEAC Tournament appearance.

Head coach Pedro Gonzalez is 8-1 against Coppin State and 2-7 against Morgan State.

For more information on Hampton University volleyball, please call the Office of Sports Information at (757) 727-5811, or visit the official Pirates website at www.hamptonpirates.com.