University of Delaware Athletics
Sara Matthews Era Gets Underway This Weekend as Delaware Opens 2017 Campaign at WVU Invitational
8/24/2017 11:02:00 AM | Volleyball
Delaware (0-0) at West Virginia (0-0)
📅 Friday, August 25, 2017
🕖 7 p.m.
Delaware (0-0) vs. #6 Penn State (0-0)
📅 Saturday, August 26, 2017
🕖 10 a.m.
Delaware (0-0) vs. UT Martin (0-0)
📅 Saturday, August 26, 2017
🕖 4:30 p.m. ET
📍 WVU Coliseum - Morgantown, W.Va.
🎥 Live Video (all three matches)
📊 Live Stats (all three matches)
HEN SCRATCHINGS 🐔
• SARA MATTHEWS ERA BEGINS: This weekend opens the head coaching career of Sara Matthews, who was hired to lead the Blue Hens in January. Matthews spent the previous two years as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at TCU. She helped the Horned Frogs advance to the NCAA Tournament for just the second time in school history last year, when TCU defeated Wichita State. Prior to arriving in Fort Worth, Matthews spent three seasons at West Virginia as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for the Mountaineers.
• BLUE HENS PICKED SIXTH IN CAA POLL; BELLINGER NAMED PRESEASON ALL-CAA HONORABLE MENTION: Delaware was picked sixth out of nine teams with 28 points in the Colonial Athletic Association Preseason Poll announced on Aug. 18. Sophomore outside hitter Maria Bellinger was named Preseason All-CAA honorable mention.
• BELLINGER LOOKS TO BUILD ON STRONG FRESHMAN SEASON: Maria Bellinger was named to the CAA All-Rookie Team a year ago, when she tied for the team lead with 338 kills and led the Blue Hens with 2.77 kills per set. She ranked second on the team with 381 total points, was third with 18 service aces, and ranked fourth with 181 digs. Bellinger's play improved down the stretch, as she reached double figure kills in 10 of the final 13 matches of the season.
• ROBINSON, PERKINS ALSO BACK FOR HENS: Senior Daria Robinson and junior Corey Perkins join Bellinger as Delaware's returning starters. Robinson appeared in all 32 matches while starting 31 last season, ranking fourth on the squad with 191 kills and second with 101 blocks. She reached double digit kills in 10 contests, including four straight from Sept. 20 through Oct. 1. Perkins competed in 28 matches while making 18 starts a year ago, as she ranked fifth on UD with 159 digs and seventh with 70 kills.
• A LOOK BACK: Delaware finished 16-16 last season, but went on a tear down the stretch by winning 10 of its final 13 matches. The Blue Hens advanced to the CAA Tournament Final with a 3-0 win over Northeastern and a 3-2 victory over Charleston, before falling in three sets to James Madison in the championship match.
SERIES INFORMATION 💪
• Delaware leads the all-time series with West Virginia, 4-0, although the schools have not met since the 1999 season. Friday's match will be the teams' first ever meeting in Morgantown. The match will also be the Blue Hens' first contest against a school currently in the Big 12 since a three-set loss to TCU at the 2003 College of Charleston Invitational.
• Delaware and Penn State have split six all-time meetings, although the schools have faced each other just once since 1981, a three-set PSU victory in the 2011 NCAA Tournament Second Round. The sixth-ranked Nittany Lions are tied for the highest ranked opponent in UD history, as the Blue Hens dropped a 3-0 verdict to No. 6 Stanford in 2010. Delaware has never defeated a ranked opponent in school history in 10 previous tries.
• Delaware and UT Martin will be facing off for the first time in program history on Saturday.
