Weekly Notes

DURHAM, N.C. – The Hampton University volleyball team will open the 2012 season this weekend at North Carolina Central's McDougald-McLendon Gymnasium, competing in the NCCU Invitational on Friday and Saturday, before taking on NCCU on Sunday.

The Lady Pirates will take on Elon at 12 p.m. on Friday, before taking on Winthrop later that day at 6:30 p.m. Hampton will then face North Carolina Greensboro on Saturday at 11 a.m.

Sunday's non-conference match against NCCU will begin at 2 p.m.

Hampton is entering its sixth season under head coach Pedro Gonzalez, coming off a 2011 campaign that was nothing if not historic. In winning 13 matches in 2011, the Lady Pirates nearly doubled their win total from 2010 and won the most matches in a season in Gonzalez's tenure. It also marked the first time since 2001 that Hampton finished above .500 in conference play, as the Lady Pirates wound up 7-5 and in third place in the MEAC Northern Division.

Not only did the Lady Pirates qualify for the MEAC Tournament for the first time since 2008, but Hampton won its first conference tournament match as a Div. I program — when the Lady Pirates beat defending MEAC champion South Carolina State in four sets in the quarterfinals.

Hampton was picked to finish second in the MEAC North this season, behind defending conference champion Maryland Eastern Shore.

The Lady Pirates return eight letterwinners and four starters from last year's squad – including top returning hitter Petra Parros (Bloomfield, N.J.), who hit .218 last season, top returning blocker Mariah Baylor (Minneapolis, Minn.), who had 70 total blocks last season, and libero Sheileen Pagan (Rio Grande, Puerto Rico), who was fourth in the MEAC with 3.50 digs per set.

Outside hitter Krista Kraskura (Kuldiga, Latvia) also returns, coming off a freshman season that saw her record nine double-doubles, including a span of three straight against Alabama State, Cal State Bakersfield, and Coppin State. She averaged 9.5 kills and 7.0 digs per match in two matches in the MEAC Championships, becoming the first Lady Pirate to be named to the MEAC All-Tournament Team.

Gonzalez welcomes five newcomers this season, including Div. I transfers Vendula Strakova (Brno, Czech Republic) and Bibiany Fonseca (Uberlandia, Brazil)  Strakova was named to the West Coast Conference's All-Freshman Team last season with the University of San Francisco, while Fonseca, a setter, comes from Towson.

Freshman Samantha Sours (Yorktown, Va.) gives Gonzalez his first local recruit, and the Grafton High School product will give the Lady Pirates a more defensive presence on the court.

Hampton is 0-8 all-time against Elon, while going 0-2 against Winthrop and 0-1 against North Carolina Greensboro. The Lady Pirates fell to Elon in their lone meeting last season, and have not faced either Winthrop or UNC Greensboro since 1999.

The Lady Pirates are 10-16 all-time against North Carolina Central and have won the last five meetings — including both matches last season. The Lady Eagles last defeated Hampton on Oct. 4, 2009 in Hampton, Va.

Gonzalez is 5-5 against NCCU and 0-1 against Elon.

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.