Volleyball Heads to STJ, UConn
10/25/2012 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
SCOUTING THE RED STORM
-- St. John's has been a surprising team this year with 17 overall victories and a 4-5 conference record after being picked 12th of 14 BIG EAST teams this preseason.
-- After starting the season 17-3, St. John's has lost its last five matches including ones to Pittsburgh and USF on the road last weekend.
-- St. John's has one of the best serving teams in the BIG EAST and leads the conference with 1.53 aces per set.
-- Karin Palgutova leads the BIG EAST with 0.50 aces per set, while Sabina Piegza is seventh in the conference with 9.33 assists per set.
SCOUTING THE HUSKIES
-- UConn has been up and down for most of the year, not winning more than three straight or losing more than two straight.
-- The Huskies are coming off a pair of victories last weekend at USF and at Pittsburgh, two teams the Pirates also defeated earlier this year.
-- A decent defensive team, Connecticut ranks fifth in the conference in blocks per set.
-- Erika Thomas ranks third in the BIG EAST with 1.12 blocks per game, while Kelsey Maving ranks third with 5.34 digs per game.
HIT WELL AND WIN
Seton Hall has a hitting percentage of .222 this season, fifth-best in the BIG EAST. When the Pirates have a higher hitting percentage than their opponent, they are 16-0.
WARREN ON TOP
Alyssa Warren's 40 digs at Villanova on Sept. 30 is the highest total for a single-match this season in the BIG EAST.
SECOND ALL-TIME
Junior Alyssa Warren is now in sole possession of second place on the career dig list with 1,567 in two-plus seasons. Her 27 kills vs. Marquette enabled her to pass Jessica Pompei (1,496). Only assistant coach Alli Matters separates Warren from the top spot. Matters collected 1,945 digs in her career.
A WEEKLY, WEEKLY HONOR ROLL
Shelbey Manthorpe has been named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll the last five weeks. Prior to that, her sister Stacey was named to two straight. That's seven straight weeks with a Pirate and Manthorpe on the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll.
WINNING SEASON
With a 17-5 overall record entering this weekend, the Pirates have matched their win total of the 2011 season and still have at least six matches still to play.
HUGE GAME FOR HUGEBACK
With Molly Grammer out due to injury, senior Hannah Hugeback stepped up and had her best offensive game of the season vs. Marquette, one of the league's best teams. Hugeback tallied a team-high and personal season-high 17 kills to go with a .229 hitting percentage.
STRANGE STAT
Seton Hall defeated Syracuse last weekend, 3-1. It is the eighth time in the last nine meetings between the teams that the match has gone four sets. Syracuse has won five of those eight matches.
TRIPLE-DOUBLES GALORE
Shelbey Manthorpe enters this weekend with seven triple-doubles so far this season and 11 for her young collegiate career. Prior to last season, no Pirate in history had recorded a triple-double.
1,400 CLUB
With a season-high 40 digs at Villanova, junior Alyssa Warren became only the third player in Seton Hall history to record over 1,400 career digs. She joins only current assistant coach Allie Matters (1,945) and Jessica Pompei (1,496).
FAB FROSH
Freshman Amanda Hansen was named BIG EAST Freshman of the Week on Sept. 24 for guiding the Pirates to a pair of victories to begin BIG EAST play. Hansen led the team in attack percentage last week with just two attack errors.
PIRATES WIN SETON HALL INVITATIONAL
The Pirates registered victories over Stony Brook and Morgan State to win the 2012 Seton Hall Invitational and improve to 11-1 on the season.
HONOR ROLL
Sophomore Stacey Manthorpe was named to the BIG EAST Volleyball Weekly Honor Roll for the second straight week on Sept. 17 after leading the Pirates to a perfect 3-0 week.
ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
Stacey Manthorpe was named Most Valuable Player of the Seton Hall Invitational and teammates Shelbey Manthorpe and Morgan DeVries were named to the All-Tournament Team for their efforts in leading the Pirates to the tournament title.
SISTER ACT
Stacey Manthorpe and Shelbey Manthorpe continue to be a versatile force on the court for Seton Hall. The twins have combined for 28 double-doubles already this season.
SEASON DEBUTS
Sophomore Ashani Rubin and freshman Kayla Kohler both made their 2012 season debuts vs. Morgan State. Rubin picked up five kills and two blocks, while Kohler had one kill, one assist and one block in her first collegiate action.
BALANCING ACT
SHU continues to get contributions from many players in their successful start to the season. Sophomore Stacey Manthorpe was named MVP of the Carmichael Invitational after leading the team in kills in all three matches. Sophomore Shelbey Manthorpe and freshman Molly Grammer also had strong weekends, and earned spots on the All-Tournament Team.
MARYLAND INVITE
Sophomore Shelbey Manthorpe and freshman Amanda Hansen earned All-Tournament Team honors at the Maryland Invitational after helping SHU go 2-1. Manthorpe's triple-double against Maryland highlighted her weekend, while Hansen posted double-figure kills in two matches and provided a strong presence in the middle.
SHELBEY MANTHORPE TABBED AS POTW
Sophomore Shelbey Manthorpe was named BIG EAST Player of the Week on Aug. 27 after continuing to make triple-doubles look like a routine feat at the JMU Classic. Her fifth of her career came in the season opener against Appalachian State with 11 kills, 34 assists, and 18 digs. She remains the only player in school history to record the achievement. The setter became just the third player in school history to achieve the league accolade, joining Alyssa Warren and Meghan Matusiak.
MANTHORPE PRESEASON ALL-BIG EAST
Sophomore Shelbey Manthorpe earned Preseason All-BIG EAST honors after an outstanding rookie season. The setter ended the season on a tear, posting 10-straight double-doubles to end 2011. Her efforts also included the first four triple-doubles in school history, which was the third highest total in the nation last year.
PRESEASON POLL
Seton Hall was picked seventh in this year's BIG EAST Preseason Coaches' Poll. The Hall finished last season in a three-way tie for fourth place.
WARREN IMPRESSES IN RED, WHITE & BLUE
For the third straight year, Alyssa Warren spent part of her summer as a member of the U.S. Junior National A2 Team. She was named an alternate to the squad after spending three days training at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado.
MATTERS RETURNS
Seton Hall's all-time dig leader Allie Matters joined head coach Allison Yaeger's staff in March. Matters compiled 1,945 career digs despite spending two seasons as an outside hitter before shifting to a full-time defensive player. She finished her career with double-figure digs in 68 consecutive matches, which was the longest streak in the nation at the time. Upon her graduation in 2010, Matters spent two years as an assistant at Canisius before returning to South Orange.
FOLLOW @SHUVOLLEY ON TWITTER
For inside info, pictures, and in-match updates, follow the SHU volleyball program on Twitter @SHUVolley.
