Concord Returns Home, Sets Sights on King

ATHENS, W.Va. – The Concord University volleyball team returns home to host King University on Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. inside the Carter Center.
 
The game was originally set to be a road contest for the Mountain Lions, but was moved due to a scheduling conflict. The October 25 matchup against King is now a road contest in Bristol, Tennessee.
 
LIVE COVERAGE
The Concord University Sports Information Department will provide live streaming and statistics for the match.
 
SERIES HISTORY
King leads 12-1
 
LAST FIVE MEETINGS AGAINST KING
September 7, 2018: King 3 – Concord 1 (Athens, W.Va.)
August 24, 2018: King 3 – Concord 0 (Petersburg, Va.)
October 10, 2017: King 3 – Concord 0 (Bristol, Tenn.)
October 11, 2016: Concord 3 – King 1 (Athens, W.Va.)
September 25, 2015: King 3 – Concord 0 (Bristol, Tenn.)
 
CONCORD AT A GLANCE
Overall: 6-3
Home Record: 0-1
Away Record: 1-1
Neutral Record: 5-1
 
20/20 CLUB
On Friday afternoon, a pair of Mountain Lion freshmen outside hitters recorded a feat that hadn't been reached since the 2014 season. Meg Williams and Chloe Thompson hammered 21 and 20 kills, respectively, against Georgia College. The last time two CU players recorded 20 kills in a single game was November 1, 2014, when Brytni Willis and Sarah Jones had 20 kills in a road contest against Charleston. The Georgia College game marked the second 20-kill match for Williams this season, while Thompson recorded her fourth double-double in only nine career matches played with 14 digs.
 
CAREER DAYS IN GEORGIA
The Mountain Lions traveled to Carrollton, Ga. Friday and Saturday to compete in a five-team non-conference tournament. CU would drop the first two contests against West Georgia (3-0) and Georgia College (3-2) Friday afternoon. On Saturday, Concord won its final two matchups against St. Augustine's (3-2) and Emory & Henry (3-0). In the game against St. Augustine's, Williams set new career highs with 23 kills and 16 digs. Freshman setter Paige Richmond also set a new career high with four aces in the match. Senior middle hitter Kyndra Pilant recorded a new career high in blocks against Emory & Henry with eight, and freshman defensive specialist Allie Davis had 14 digs.
 
TURNED AWAY
Pilant's eight-block performance against Emory & Henry was the most in a single game since Sheridan Herron on October 12, 2019 in a road contest against Charleston. She now ranks fourth in the Mountain East Conference in blocks per set with 0.97. Senior middle hitter Csayjah Whitelow checks in just outside the top ten in the MEC in blocks per set with 0.74. Whitelow has recorded at least two blocks in every match this season for the Mountain Lions.
 
KING AT A GLANCE
Overall: 1-4
Home Record: 0-2
Away Record: 1-0
Neutral Record: 0-2
 
SCOUTING THE TORNADO
The Tornado return 20 players from last season's roster, good for the most in school history. King's offensive attack is headed by 2022 All-Conference Carolina Second-Team selection senior outside hitter Hailee Blankenship. Blankenship currently has 45 kills on the season. As a team, the Tornado rank third in Conference Carolinas in digs, led by senior defensive specialist Paula La Mendola and senior outside hitter Caroline Cable. Senior setter Katie Harless has 79 assists and eight aces on the year. King dropped its first two matches of the year before picking up a road win at Mars Hill, 3-0.