Weekly Notes

HAMPTON, Va. – The Hampton University volleyball team will hit the road this weekend for a pair of matches that could reshape the standings in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Northern Division.

The Lady Pirates (12-10, 3-0 MEAC) will take on Maryland Eastern Shore on Friday at 7 p.m. in the W.P. Hytche Athletic Center, before heading to Dover, Del. on Sunday to square off against Delaware State in Memorial Hall at 3 p.m.

Hampton and UMES, the defending MEAC champion, are tied atop the Northern Division standings heading into the weekend. The Lady Hawks are 17-4 overall and 3-0 in conference play, and they've won their last 25 home matches.

Delaware State is 4-12 overall and 1-3 in the MEAC so far this season.

The Lady Pirates have won four straight matches and five of their last six after sweeping Howard in Holland Hall this past Friday. So far in MEAC play, the Lady Pirates have only lost one set in three total matches.

Senior Mariah Baylor (Minneapolis, Minn.) leads the MEAC in blocks, averaging 1.09 per set. She led the team with 70 total blocks last season, and so far in 2012, Baylor has 88.0 total blocks — including a career-high 10.0 against Norfolk State on Sept. 22.

Sophomore Vendula Strakova (Brno, Czech Republic) has six double-doubles so far this season, and she is currently second in the MEAC in points with 5.32 per set and second with 4.52 kills per set. She is also fifth in the MEAC in service aces (0.44 per set) and ninth in digs (2.73 per set).

So far this season, sophomore Krista Kraskura (Kuldiga, Latvia) is fifth in the MEAC in kills with 3.31 per set, sixth in points with 3.81 per set, and seventh in digs with 3.07 per set. She has 10 double-doubles on the young season, already eclipsing the nine she had as a freshman.

As a team, Hampton ranks second in the MEAC with a .205 hitting percentage, while also sitting third in the conference in opponent hitting percentage (.203), assists (10.34 per set), kills (11.82 per set), service aces (1.65 per set), and digs (13.21 per set).

The Lady Pirates also sit 12th in the nation in service aces.

The Lady Pirates are 26-26 all-time against Maryland Eastern Shore, and UMES has won the last 15 meetings. Hampton last defeated UMES in 2005, when the Lady Pirates swept the season series, though UMES has won 22 of the last 24 meetings.

Hampton is 32-12 all-time against Delaware State, sweeping the season series last year to snap the Lady Hornets' nine-match winning streak in the series. Prior to last season, Delaware State had won 12 of 13 against the Lady Pirates.

Head coach Pedro Gonzalez is 0-13 against UMES and 2-8 against Delaware 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.