Notes

DOVER, Del. – The Hampton University volleyball team will close out the 2015 season on the road this Friday, taking on the Hornets of Delaware State at 4 p.m. in Memorial Hall.
 
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Last Time Out: The Lady Pirates (3-21, 3-8 MEAC) closed out their home slate this past weekend with a four-set win over Delaware State and a three-set loss to Norfolk State.
 
The Opponent: The Lady Pirates are 39-12 all-time against Delaware State and have won each of the last nine meetings between the two teams following a 3-1 win at Holland Hall this past Friday. Delaware State last defeated Hampton in 2010.
 
About Delaware State: The Hornets, in their first season under head coach Whitney Johnson, have lost 18 straight matches after a 3-0 loss to Maryland Eastern Shore this past Sunday. Delaware State is 2-23 overall and 0-10 in MEAC play this season.
 
Lady Pirates Picked to Finish Third: Despite winning the last two MEAC championships, Hampton was picked to finish third in the conference's Northern Division this season in a preseason poll voted on by the league's head coaches and sports information directors. The Lady Pirates received four first-place votes in the poll. Howard, with 18 first-place votes, was picked to win the MEAC North, with Florida A&M being the preseason favorite to take the MEAC Southern Division.
 
From Defense to Offense: Allysa Medina was the team's libero last season, averaging 2.59 digs per set. She notched double-digit digs 16 times in 2014, including a career-high 18 in the semifinals of the MEAC Tournament against Coppin State. But Medina will be back on offense in her senior season, moving back to the outside. In 2013, Medina showed an impressive leaping ability and power, and this past weekend she had a career-high 13 kills against East Carolina en route to All-Tournament honors at the Wildcat Classic. She is averaging 2.11 kills and a team-best 2.57 digs per set so far this season.
 
Sister Act: One year after Ravyn Richardson joined the Lady Pirates, her younger sister Reeana Richardson has done the same. The Ellicott City, Md. natives both play on the outside, and Reeana boasts a vertical leap that can reach as high as 10 feet. Reeana is fifth in the MEAC in both points and kills, and she had 28 kills against Coppin State on Sept. 27. She also had 10 digs for her first career double-double. Her second career double-double came at Coppin State on Oct. 25 (16 kills, 12 digs).
 
Plugging Up the Middle: Kyndall Nicholas and Lena Washington are among the MEAC's best at the net as conference play enters the homestretch; Nicholas is currently third in the conference in blocks, while Washington is eighth in the MEAC in that category. As a team, the Lady Pirates are third in the MEAC in blocks, averaging 2.14 per set.
 
Youth is Served: With five starters gone from last year's squad, this year's Lady Pirates team could be one of the nation's youngest. There are six freshmen — including five true freshmen — this season to go along with five sophomores. The 2015 Lady Pirates have just one senior — Medina — and transfers Brianna Lilly and Alexandra Erhart and the team's lone juniors.
 
Lilly Latest in a Long Line: The Lady Pirates have been strong at setter in recent years with the likes of Bibiany Fonseca and Kitija Megne, and Temple College transfer Brianna Lilly is the latest to take the mantle. She was named NTJCAC Setter of the Year last season, ranking 25th in the nation in assists per set and going the entire season committing just 12 errors. Lilly is ninth in the MEAC in assists (5.95/set).
 
Stojilovic, Erhart Continuing the Tradition: Hampton's emergence over the past several years has been due in large part to an influx of international talent, which continues this season with incoming freshman Olivera Stojilovic, who hails from Serbia, and France native Alexandra Erhart. The 6-foot Stojilovic can play up the middle or on the outside, and she was a two-time champion in the Second League of Vojvodina in 2012 and 2013. She also played in the First League of Vojvodina, Division Center, First Team.
 
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.