University of Delaware Athletics
Blue Hens Hit The Road To Begin Conference Play This Week at William & Mary, Elon
9/19/2017 3:54:00 PM | Volleyball
Delaware (2-8, 0-0 CAA) at William & Mary (2-11, 0-0 CAA)
📅 Thursday, September 21, 2017
🕖 7 p.m.
📍 Kaplan Arena - Williamsburg, V.A.
Delaware (2-8, 0-0 CAA) at Elon (10-4, 0-0 CAA)
📅 Saturday, September 23, 2017
🕖 7 p.m.
📍 Alumni Gym - Elon, N.C.
🎥 Live Video: William & Mary
📊 Live Stats: William & Mary | Elon
HEN SCRATCHINGS 🐔
• After four consecutive weekends of tournament play to open the season, Delaware heads into its first conference matches as it travels to William & Mary on Thursday and Elon on Saturday. The Blue Hens opened last Friday at the GW Tournament by notching their first win of the season with a five-set victory over UMBC, before falling to George Washington in a five-set heartbreaker that night. UD then wrapped up tournament play on Saturday with a three-set victory over Holy Cross. The Blue Hens' two wins at the invitational improved their record to 2-8 on the year.
• Sophomore outside hitter Maria Bellinger is looking to surpass the 500-kill mark, as she is just 10 kills shy of the plateau. Bellinger led the Blue Hens in kills during both matches last Friday, blasting 25 vs. UMBC before adding a career-high 28 vs. George Washington. She became the second player in Blue Hen history to record at least 25 kills in consecutive matches, as well as the eighth player in school history to post a 20-kill/20-dig match against UMBC.
• Bellinger was named the CAA Offensive Player of the Week on Monday after slamming 62 kills during the weekend, an average of 4.77 per set, and led the team with a .262 hitting percentage. She now ranks third in the league with 4.11 kills per set and 4.61 points per set.
• Bellinger and freshman libero Maddie Judge represented the Blue Hens on the All-Tournament Team for the second straight invitational. That marked Bellinger's fourth straight week as Delaware's All-Tournament representative. Judge led the Blue Hens in digs during all three matches, dishing out 60 over the weekend and currently ranking eighth in the CAA with 3.58 digs per set.
• Brooke Robertson (11 kills, 11 digs) and Abby Skryd (35 assists, 10 digs) each notched their first double-doubles at UD during the UMBC victory, while Bailey Pearlman set a career-high with 14 kills during the win over Holy Cross.
• Delaware is looking to snap a three-match losing streak in CAA openers.
• Following this weekend's action, the Blue Hens will finally play their home opener next Friday vs. Northeastern at 5 p.m. at the Bob Carpenter Center.
SERIES INFORMATION 💪
• Delaware leads the all-time series with William & Mary, 23-14, and the Blue Hens have taken 12 of the last 15 meetings including both last season. UD is 11-6 against the Tribe in 17 all-time meetings in Williamsburg.
• The Blue Hens have won five of the six meetings with Elon since the Phoenix joined the CAA prior to the 2014 season. Last season the teams split two matches, with each winning on its opponents' home floor.
• Delaware was picked sixth in the CAA Preseason Poll, while Elon was selected eighth and William & Mary was tabbed ninth.
• Elon's Sydney Busa leads the CAA with 4.24 kills per set, William & Mary's Sydney Biniak ranks second with 4.22 kills, and Bellinger is third with 4.11 kills.
