Weekly Notes

WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – The Hampton University volleyball team will compete in the Colonial Challenge hosted by the College of William & Mary on Friday and Saturday, held in Kaplan Arena.

The Lady Pirates (6-7), winners of four of their last six matches, will take on MEAC rival Howard on Friday and 4:30 p.m., before squaring off against Elon and 12 p.m. and host William & Mary at 7 p.m. on Saturday.

Hampton went 2-2 this past weekend at the Big Daddy's Invitational hosted by McNeese State in Lake Charles, La., beating Bethune-Cookman in five sets and dropping the host Cowgirls in four sets, before falling to Baylor – ranked No. 49 in the 2011 RPI rankings – in five sets.

Sophomore right-side Vendula Strakova (Brno, Czech Republic) was named to the All-Tournament Team and was named MEAC Player of the Week for her efforts this past weekend. In four matches (17 sets played), Strakova averaged 4.82 kills and 2.65 digs per set.

Strakova, who transferred to Hampton from the University of San Francisco — where she was named to the West Coast Conference All-Freshman Team last season — had 22 kills and 14 digs in her Hampton debut against Bethune-Cookman, before recording 22 more kills against McNeese State.

In an epic five-set battle with Baylor, Strakova had a team-high 30 kills and 10 digs, recording her third double-double of the tournament. She is the second Lady Pirate to join the 30-Kill Club this season; sophomore outside hitter Krista Kraskura (Kuldiga, Latvia) had 30 kills in the Lady Pirates' season opener against Elon on Aug. 24.

Kraskura is currently third in the MEAC in kills, with 3.67 per set, while also ranking fourth in points (4.21 per set), fifth in service aces (0.40 per set), seventh in digs (3.21 per set), and 10th in hitting percentage (.236).

She has eight double-doubles so far this season; she had nine in all of 2011.

Junior setter Bibiany Fonseca (Uberlandia, Brazil), a transfer from Towson, is currently third in the MEAC in assists with 9.20 per set. She has recorded double-digit assists in each of the 11 matches in which she's played so far this season.

The Lady Pirates are currently second in the MEAC in hitting percentage at .195, while ranking third in the conference in opponent hitting percentage at .221. The Lady Pirates are also second in the MEAC in service aces, averaging 1.65 per set.

Hampton is also third in both kills (11.54 per set) and assists (10.59 per set).

After three weeks of non-conference competition, the Lady Pirates have the second-best winning percentage in the MEAC. Hampton has a .462 winning percentage — second to only defending conference champion Maryland Eastern Shore (.909, 10-1).

So far this season, the Lady Pirates boast non-conference wins over the likes of Elon (Southern Conference), Radford (Big South), Florida Atlantic (Sun Belt), Stetson (Atlantic Sun), and McNeese State (Southland).

Hampton is 16-28 all-time against Howard, though the Lady Pirates have won the last six meetings between the two teams (including both of last season's matches). Howard last beat Hampton in 2008, sweeping the season series and capping off a six-match winning streak against the Lady Pirates.

The Lady Pirates are 1-8 against Elon, picking up that first win in five sets on Aug. 24 earlier this season in the North Carolina Central Invitational. Hampton has never defeated William & Mary in 16 all-time meetings.

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.