Volleyball Opens MEC Play at Home vs. Rams and Falcons

Live Stats – Live Video – Concord Stats – Shepherd Stats– Fairmont Stats


LIVE COVERAGE
• The Concord University Sports Information Office will provide live stats and live video of both matches this weekend. To access either coverage option, follow the links at the top of the page.

SCOUTING CONCORD
• The Mountain Lions are 2-3 in their last five matches. CU went 2-2 at last weekend's LHU Classic with wins over Ohio Valley and Dominican and losses to Lock Haven and the University of Sciences. Concord then lost a non-conference match at King earlier this week.

• Concord plays 16 of its final 17 matches this season against MEC opponents with the lone exception being an Oct. 11 non-conference contest vs. Bluefield State.

• CU exits the non-conference portion of its schedule with a winning percentage of at least .500 for the third time in the last five years. Concord also went 4-4 (.500) and 7-4 (.636) prior to its first conference match in 2011 and 2009.

• As a team, Concord ranks second in the MEC in aces per set (2.27), third in hitting percentage (.206) and fourth in blocks per set (2.22).

• Individual Mountain Lions among the conference's best include freshman Lauren Richardson and junior Amanda Walker. Richardson leads the MEC in blocks per set (1.07) and Walker ranks first in total aces (29). Richardson and Walker also rank second in total blocks (48) and fourth aces per set (0.60), respectively.

• Other CU players among the MEC best are senior Jasmin Sutherland in blocks (third / 43) and blocks per set (fifth / 0.90) and junior Sarah Jones in kills (sixth / 137).

• Richardson has compiled at least three blocks in seven of CU's 14 matches this year including seven-block matches against Ohio Valley and Southern Wesleyan. An early-season trend for Concord's performance can be traced to Richardson, who has produced at least five blocks in four of the six CU victories she has been a part of (Richardson did not play vs. Dominican).

• Walker, who leads Concord in assists with 170 (3.54 per set), has seven multi-ace performances on the year. Fellow junior setter Nikki McMillan averages 3.54 assists per set as well.

• Jones is coming off of one of her better offensive matches at Concord. The Woodbridge, Va. native recorded a career-high 18 kills while posting an attack percentage of .268. Jones has now tallied at least 10 kills in a match seven times this season.

• The only other Mountain Lion with nearly as many double-digit kill efforts is junior Brytni Willis at six. Willis' 131 kills is also just six behind Jones' team-best 137.

CAREER RECORDS WATCH
• Jones (748 kills) needs just three kills to pass Amber Miller (2007-10) for third place in career kills. Willis (586) currently sits in eighth place, 16 kills behind Dawn Barker (2001-02) in seventh place.

• McMillan and Walker are slotted sixth and eighth in career assists at 966 and 660.

• Walker and junior Lindsey Smith cracked the CU top-10 in aces and digs, respectively, with their performances against King. Walker has 110 aces and Smith has 607 digs.

• Sutherland is slotted third in total blocks with 297 behind Missy Anderson (1996-99 / 525 blocks) and Holley Kimbrell (1999-01 / 357 blocks).

SCOUTING SHEPHERD and FAIRMONT STATE
• Shepherd enters the Carter Center having lost three of its last four matches. On the season, the Rams are 4-6 overall. Shepherd is led by Meg Kenny, who has made team-highs of 89 kills and 27 blocks.

• Fairmont State will prove to be a true test for Concord on Saturday. The Fighting Falcons boast a 10-2 record and are paced by two-time MEC Player of the Week Bri Swann.