VB Preps for Final Home Matches

SCOUTING THE FIGHTING IRISH

-- Notre Dame enters the weekend having won eight straight matches and has one blemish, a loss to Marquette, on its BIG EAST record.  Last weekend, it swept USF and defeated Pitt, 3-1.

-- Notre Dame leads the BIG EAST in blocks per set and ranks second in hitting percentage and third in kills per set.

-- Toni Alugbue ranks fourth in the conference in kills per set, while Maggie Brindock is sixth in the BIG EAST in assists per set.

SCOUTING THE BLUE DEMONS

-- DePaul enters the weekend having lost 10 of its last 13 matches.  Most recently, it split at home with a loss to Pittsburgh and a victory over USF.

-- Vesela Zapryanova currently ranks eighth in the BIG EAST in kills per set, while Natalie Rizzo is 10th in the conference in hitting percentage.

SENIOR DAY
On Sunday, Nov. 4, Seton Hall will say goodbye to four graduating seniors.  Hannah Hugeback, Olivia Trudeau, Morgan DeVries and Kalie Marshall will be honored during a pre-match ceremony.

WARREN ON TOP
Junior Alyssa Warren recorded 42 digs at Connecticut, which represents the highest single-match total for a BIG EAST player this season.  Her 42 bested the 40 digs she recorded at Villanova on Sept. 30, which was the previous BIG EAST high.

OPPOSITE ENDS
Historically, Seton Hall has had dramatically different results against its two opponents this weekend.  The Pirates have never beaten Notre Dame in 17 all-time matches, but have never lost to DePaul in seven all-time meetings.

SECOND ALL-TIME
Junior Alyssa Warren is now in sole possession of second place on the career dig list with 1,640 in two-plus seasons. Her 27 kills vs. Marquette enabled her to pass Jessica Pompei (1,496).  Only assistant coach Allie Matters separates Warren from the top spot.  Matters collected 1,945 digs in her career.

FIVE STRAIGHT WEEKS
Shelbey Manthorpe was named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll five straight weeks from 9/24 to 10/22.  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 17-7 overall record entering this weekend, the Pirates have matched their win total of the 2011 season and still have at least four 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 31 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.

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For inside info, pictures, and in-match updates, follow the SHU volleyball program on Twitter @SHUVolley.