Weekly Notes

HAMPTON, Va. – The Hampton University volleyball team will be at home for a pair of matches this weekend, playing host to Coppin State on Friday at 6 p.m., before welcoming Morgan State to Holland Hall on Sunday at 3 p.m.
 
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Last Time Out: The Lady Pirates (11-9, 6-0 MEAC) remained unbeaten in MEAC play this past Sunday with a straight-set victory over rival Norfolk State in Echols Hall. Senior rightside Vendula Strakova (Brno, Czech Republic) led the way with 14 kills, while senior outside hitters Krista Kraskura (Kuldiga, Latvia) and Sonja Maksimovic (Belgrade, Serbia) each had eight kills.
 
The Opponents: The Lady Pirates are 35-7 all-time against Coppin State, having won 14 of the last 16 meetings, and they are 6-35 against Morgan State, having won four of the last five meetings. Hampton defeated both teams earlier this season.
 
In Holland Hall: The Lady Pirates were a perfect 7-0 in Holland Hall last season, including a five-set win over William and Mary in their lone non-conference home match. Five of those seven matches were straight-set victories. Overall, the Lady Pirates had won 10 straight home matches dating back to the 2012 season; prior to losing both matches of the Tiny Laster Memorial Classic on Sept. 12-13. The Lady Pirates are now 2-3 at home this season after a five-set loss to VCU on Oct. 14.
 
A Historic Season: The 2013 season was one of firsts for the Lady Pirates; they won their first-ever MEAC Tournament title — and corresponding bid to the NCAA Tournament — after taking their first MEAC Northern Division regular-season crown. Hampton won 19 matches last season, tying the program Div. I mark for most wins in a season, and the Lady Pirates' 10-2 record in conference play marked a program Div. I high in conference wins in a season.
 
Lady Pirates Picked to Repeat: The Lady Pirates were picked as the favorite to win the MEAC Northern Division this season, picking up 23 of a possible 26 first-place votes in a preseason poll voted on by the conference's head coaches and sports information directors. Hampton went 19-11 last season and won the MEAC Northern Division regular-season crown with a mark of 10-2 — setting the program Div. I mark for most conference wins in a single season. The Lady Pirates went on win their first-ever MEAC Tournament crown.
 
Strakova Named MEAC Preseason Player of the Year: Strakova has been tabbed the MEAC Preseason Player of the Year — after earning the conference's top honor in 2013 (becoming the first Hampton player to do so). It's yet another in a laundry list of accolades for Strakova, who last year was named Honorable Mention All-American by the American Volleyball Coaches Association — becoming the first Hampton player ever to be recognized by the AVCA. She was also named AVCA All-East Region, the Virginia Sports Information Directors (VaSID) Player of the Year, and the MEAC Tournament's Most Outstanding Player (another Hampton first).
 
On the Cusp: Following Sunday's match against Norfolk State, Strakova has 1,468 career kills at Hampton, which ranks her second in program history and makes her one of just five players ever to cross the 1,000-kill mark. After tallying 14 kills at Norfolk State, Strakova is now just four kills behind all-time record holder Chavanca Hoskins, who tallied 1,472 kills from 2003-06. So far this season, she has already passed both Nicole Adams (1,244) and LaJaiah Miles (1,249) on the program's all-time career kills list. Strakova already has 434 kills so far this season.
 
Kraskura Reaches Two Milestones: Kraskura is one of just six players in program history to reach 1,000 kills for her career, and just one of two players in program history to reach 1,000 career digs. She reached the 1,000-kill mark on Sept. 9 at Radford, and she eclipsed the 1,000-dig mark on Oct. 5 against Howard. Kraskura has 1,125 career kills and 1,027 career digs heading into this weekend's matches. She now has nine double-doubles in 20 matches to open the season after the Lady Pirates' straight-set win over Norfolk State on Sunday.
 
Medina Broke Out in 2013: Junior outside hitter Allysa Medina (Menifee, Calif.) was one of the Lady Pirates' most improved players in 2013, showing power on the outside that betray her 5-foot-6 frame. Medina had a career-high nine kills in a five-set win over William & Mary to announce her arrival, and in conference play, she had 92 kills, an average of 0.91 per set, to go along with 123 digs on defense. She added eight kills against Norfolk State, hitting a career-best .533 in that match after going error-free in 15 attacks.
 
Thomas Gives Lady Pirates Local Flavor: Freshman middle blocker Tatyana Thomas (Suffolk, Va.) isn't just the tallest player on the team, standing at 6-foot-3. She is also the only player on the roster from Virginia, having played her high school volleyball at Nansemond River High School in nearby Suffolk, Va. There, she played under current Lady Pirates assistant coach Nicole Giancola, and as a senior, she was named the Ironclad Conference Player of the Year. She led Nansemond River to the conference championship and was named Team MVP.
 
Block Party: Six Lady Pirates recorded at least 30 total blocks last season, led by middle blocker Marija Kocevska (SkopjeKarpos, Macedonia), who had 100.0 total blocks. Strakova was second on the team with 69.0 total blocks in 2013, and Petra Parros — who is now on the Lady Pirates' coaching staff — was third with 64.0 total blocks. Maksimovic (39.0), recently-graduated setter Bibiany Fonseca (38.0), and Kraskura (33.0) were also strong at the net in 2013. Hampton had more blocks than its opponent 11 times in 2013, going 10-1 in those matches.
 
Lady Pirates in the National Rankings: Heading into this weekend's action, Strakova leads the nation in total kills with 434, and she ranks second among all Div. I players in both kills per set (5.56) and points per set (6.19). Her 12.36 attacks per set are eighth in the nation, and Strakova is 13th in the nation with 964 total attacks. Senior setter Kitija Megne (Kuldiga, Latvia) is 42nd in the nation with 833 total assists, and her 10.68 assists per set rank 55th in the nation. As a team, the Lady Pirates are 31st in the nation with a hitting percentage of .261.
 
Lady Pirates Have Plenty of Experience: Despite graduating five seniors last season, the Lady Pirates come into 2014 with a bevy of experience — thanks in large part to four returning seniors, a senior transfer, and a junior. Strakova, Kraskura, Maksimovic, and Kocevska each have at least two seasons' worth of experience at Hampton, and all four played in at least 85 sets in 2013. In addition, Megne, a setter, has Div. I experience thanks to her time at Virginia Tech. Medina is the team's lone junior.
 
Making Quick Work of It: The Lady Pirates went 10-4 in three-set matches last season, and prior to their NCAA Tournament match-up against Stanford, they had won seven of their last eight matches that wrapped up in straight sets. Hampton is 5-2 in straight sets so far this season after a straight-set win over Norfolk State on Sunday.
 
Over the Long Haul: The Lady Pirates went 4-2 in five-set matches last season — including the MEAC Tournament championship match against Coppin State. Over the past two-plus seasons, the Lady Pirates are 10-8 in matches that go the distance following a hard-fought five-set loss to VCU on Oct. 14.
 
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.