Concord Starts 2015 at HOF City Challenge

Live Stats (Concord vs. Malone Only)

ATHENS, W.Va. – The Concord University volleyball team will begin its season on the road Friday and Saturday when it faces Edinboro, Urbana, Northwest Missouri and Malone at the Hall of Fame City Challenge in Canton, Ohio

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
•  The Mountain Lions will face Edinboro at 12:30 p.m. Friday and will later face Northwest Missouri 8:00 p.m. Friday.

•  CU will return to action 11:30 a.m. Saturday versus Urbana before finishing up its time at HOF City Challenge against host Malone at 4:30 p.m. Saturday.

•  All games of the HOF City Challenge will be at Osborne Hall on Malone's campus.

LIVE COVERAGE
Only games involving Malone will have live video and stats. To access the live stats for Concord versus MU, follow the link at the top of the page or click here.

ALL-TIME SERIES
•  Of CU's four opponents, the Maroon and Gray has only played Edinboro (0-2 all-time) and Urbana (1-1 all-time)

MOUNTAIN LION NOTES
•  Last season, the Mountain Lions went 5-2 on neutral court including going 2-1 on neutral court to open the 2014 season.

•  Of the 1,306 kills Concord recorded a season, 750 of those kills were lost by the graduation of former standouts Sarah Jones and Brytni Willis. However, sophomore middle hitter Shea Hoffman joined Jones as the only other CU hitter to tally 100 or more kills and 95 or more blocks in 2014.

•  Hoffman ended last season with double digit kills in three of the last five matches of the season.

•  Additionally, Hoffman matched her career-high in blocks with six in the regular season finale versus West Virginia Wesleyan.

• In terms of experience, Hoffman played 114 sets followed by sophomore middle hitter Alexis Elliott who topped 100 sets played with 102.

• Elliott concluded her freshman campaign with 19 kills in back-to-back games Oct. 31 at West Virginia State and Nov. 1 at Charleston.

• CU's top returning setter is sophomore Casey Mandeville who tallied double-digit assists in 19 of 29 matches played last year.

• Even though, Concord and Urbana are both in the Mountain East Conference, Saturday's tilt will be considered a non-conference match.

• Last year, the Mountain Lions fell to the Blue Knights at home 3-0.

• Mandeville notched one of her double-digit assist games in the Oct. 11 clash as the Plain City, Ohio native finished with 12 helpers.

• Head coach Kate Southcott enters her seventh season at Concord and has compiled a record of 84-116, but has led the Maroon and Gray to 15 or more wins each of the last four seasons.

SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
• Edinboro ended the 2014 season with a 21-13 record, and has been predicted to finish fifth in the PSAC West division

• Northwest Missouri will make the long trek from the Midwest to Northeast Ohio and will be looking to improve on last year's 11-19 mark.

• Urbana was picked fourth in the MEC preseason poll after not qualifying for the postseason in 2014.

• Malone went 15-15 last season and downed CU's MEC rival Charleston in three sets to start the year.  

UP NEXT
The Mountain Lions will head to the Davis & Elkins Tournament Sept. 11-12.