MEAC Tourney Notes

BALTIMORE, Md. – The Hampton University volleyball team picked up the No. 3 seed in the Northern Division for the MEAC Volleyball Championships, which begin Friday at Coppin State's Physical Education Complex.

The Lady Pirates (18-13, 9-3 MEAC) will take on South Carolina State (9-14, 6-4 MEAC), the No. 2 seed from the Southern Division, in the quarterfinal round on Friday at 10 a.m.

Hampton is on a five-match winning streak , its longest such streak since 2002, after sweeping Delaware State and beating Maryland Eastern Shore in four sets this past weekend to close out the regular season. Sunday's win over UMES snapped the Lady Hawks' 23-match conference winning streak.

Sophomore rightside Vendula Strakova (Brno, Czech Republic) was named MEAC Player of the Week for the third time this season, following her career-high 31 kills and .510 hitting percentage against UMES. Her 31 kills were also a program record for a four-set match.

Strakova is currently second in the nation in points, averaging 5.63 points per set. She is also third in the nation in service aces (0.56 per set) and fifth in the NCAA in kills (4.73 per set).

Sophomore outside hitter Krista Kraskura (Kuldiga, Latvia) is seventh in the MEAC in digs with 2.92 per set, and eighth in kills with 3.33 per set, and in points with 3.81 per set. She has 11 double-doubles on the season, already eclipsing the nine she had as a freshman.

Senior middle blocker Mariah Baylor (Minneapolis, Minn.) is third in the MEAC in blocks, averaging 1.03 per set. She led the team with 70 total blocks last season, and so far in 2012, Baylor has 109.0 total blocks — including a career-high 10.0 against Norfolk State on Sept. 22.

As a team, the Lady Pirates are ninth in the nation in service aces (1.69 per set).

With the regular season over, the Lady Pirates have the second-best winning percentage in the MEAC. Hampton has a .581 winning percentage — second to only defending conference champion Maryland Eastern Shore (.833, 25-5).

This season, the Lady Pirates boast non-conference wins over Elon (Southern Conference), Radford (Big South), Florida Atlantic (Sun Belt), Stetson (Atlantic Sun), and McNeese State (Southland). Hampton also took Baylor, No. 49 in the RPI last season, to five sets.

Hampton is 15-22 all-time against South Carolina State, and the Lady Bulldogs have won four of the last six meetings — though the Lady Pirates beat South Carolina State, the 2010 MEAC champion, in four sets last season in the quarterfinals of the MEAC Tournament.

Hampton also beat South Carolina State in four sets earlier this season, on Sept. 21 as part of the Spartan Invitational at Norfolk State, marking the first time 2007 the Lady Pirates had won consecutive matches against the Lady Bulldogs.

Head coach Pedro Gonzalez is 4-6 against South Carolina State.

The Lady Pirates are 5-8 on neutral courts this season.

Admission for the tournament is $7 each day and $15 for three-day passes. Sunday's championship match will be air live for free on www.MEACsports.com.

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.