University of Delaware Athletics
Blue Hens Take On Northeastern, Hofstra in Home-Opening Weekend
9/28/2017 12:28:00 PM | Volleyball
Delaware (3-9, 1-1 CAA) vs. Northeastern (9-6, 2-0 CAA)
📅 Friday, September 29, 2017
🕖 5 p.m.
📍 Bob Carpenter Center - Newark, Del.
Delaware (3-9, 1-1 CAA) vs. Hofstra (9-7, 1-1 CAA)
📅 Sunday, October 1, 2017
🕖 1 p.m.
📍 Bob Carpenter Center - Newark, Del.
🎥 Live Video: Northeastern
📊 Live Stats: Northeastern | Hofstra
HEN SCRATCHINGS 🐔
• Delaware plays its home opener against Northeastern on Friday after traveling for five straight weeks and playing 12 matches on the road, the longest streak since 2007. A September 29 home opener is Delaware's latest home opener since 1983. The Blue Hens face Hofstra for their second home match on Sunday in a weekend of two conference contests. UD opened conference play last week with a win against William & Mary on Thursday but fell to Elon on Saturday, bringing the Blue Hens to 1-1 in league play and 3-9 overall.
• Middle hitter Julia Hayes was named the CAA Volleyball Defensive Player of the Week on Monday following two outstanding performances in Delaware's opening conference matches. Hayes posted a career-high nine blocks to lead the defensive effort during Delaware's five-set victory at William & Mary last Thursday. She then again recorded nine blocks for the second consecutive match in the five-set loss at Elon on Saturday. Those two efforts are the highest block totals by a Blue Hen this season, currently ranking Hayes second on the team with 34 blocks and tied for sixth with 23 kills.
• Sophomore outside hitter Maria Bellinger slammed 25 kills to surpass the 500-kill mark in the Blue Hens' thrilling five-set victory against William & Mary last Thursday. Bellinger added another 23 kills in Delaware's five-set loss to Elon on Saturday, bringing her total to 538 kills. She has posted at least 20 kills in four of the last five matches. Bellinger ranks 31st nationally and first in the CAA with 4.26 kills per set. Bellinger is 10 digs away from hitting the 300-mark.
• Senior middle hitter Daria Robinson is also looking to reach a milestone, as she is just 10 kills away from her 400th kill. Robinson added a season-best 14 kills against Elon on Saturday.
• Various players established career-bests on Saturday's play against Elon. Brooke Robertson set career-bests with 15 kills and 12 digs, while Courtnie Roberts also established her career-highs by posting 32 assists and 18 digs. Julia Hayes posted a career-high nine blocks for the second consecutive match and five kills.
• Bellinger notched her third double-double of the year, while Robertson and Roberts each posted their second.
• The remainder of the Blue Hens' regular season play are all conference match-ups.
• Following Sunday's match, the entire Blue Hen team will be signing autographs in the lobby.
SERIES INFORMATION 💪
• Delaware leads the all-time series with Northeastern, 26-23, and the Blue Hens have taken the previous two meetings. The Blue Hens defeated the Huskies 3-0 in their last meeting at the 2016 NCAA Quarterfinals in Wilmington, N.C.
• Hofstra leads Delaware, 50-20, in 70 all-time series meetings. The Blue Hens and Pride first met in 1980 at the Princeton Invitational. Last season the teams split two matches, with each winning on its home floor.
• Delaware was picked sixth in the CAA Preseason Poll, while Northeastern was selected fifth and Hofstra was pegged second.
• Bellinger leads the conference with 4.26 kills per set, Hofstra's Laura Masciullo ranks fifth with 3.74 kills, and Northeastern's Amy Underdown is seventh with 3.34 kills.
Article written by Summer Haran, UD Athletics Communications student intern
