Volleyball Opens BIG EAST Play

SCOUTING THE PANTHERS
Pittsburgh has lost three of its last four matches following a seven-match win streak earlier this season.  Senior Margy Acton is third in the BIG EAST with a 5.26 digs per set average, while Setter Lindsey Zitzke is fifth in assists per set at 10.02.  Pittsburgh is one of the best serving teams in the BIG EAST.  The Panthers currently rank second in the conference, averaging 1.46 services aces per set.

SCOUTING THE BULLS
USF enters the weekend riding a six-game winning streak.  The Bulls are one of the best defensive teams in the BIG EAST.  USF ranks second in the conference in both fewest kills allowed and fewest assists allowed per set by their opponents.  Senior Caitlyn Breen currently ranks third in the conference with 1.18 blocks per set.

SCOUTING THE PEACOCKS
Saint Peter's has dropped 12 straight matches entering this weekend's play.  Lauren Behrens leads the Peacocks with a 2.57 kills per set average, a 0.53 service aces per set average and is second with a 2.81 digs per set average.

PIRATES GOING STREAKING
Seton Hall has won eight straight matches for the first time since the 2003 season.

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 14 double-doubles already this season.

BEST START SINCE...
Seton Hall's 11-1 start is the best since the program began the 1996 season 11-1. In addition, the Pirates won their first two matches of the season for the first time since 2008.

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.

MOVING ON UP
Junior Alyssa Warren is now in sole possession of third place on the career dig list with 1,317 in two-plus seasons. If she continues on her current pace, she should move into second ahead of Jessica Pompei, who posted 1,496 digs, before the end of the season.

ROAD WARRIORS
With their win at Hofstra on Tuesday, the Pirates are 4-0 in true road games for the first time since the 1992. The Pirates started 5-0 away from home.

DIG PINK
For the fourth consecutive season, Seton Hall will host its annual Dig Pink Match when they welcome Rutgers to Walsh Gym on October 19. There will be auctions and raffles taking place to raise money for the Side Out Foundation in support of breast cancer research.

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.

SUPERB, WARREN
Junior Alyssa Warren started 2012 in style, picking up 37 digs against Appalachian State. The total marks the third highest single-match mark in program history.

FAB FROSH
Freshmen Molly Grammer and Amanda Hansen stepped into the starting lineup at the JMU Classic and made an immediate impact. Grammer had a pair of double-figure kill matches, including a 14-kill outburst against the Dukes. Hansen averaged 1.88 blocks per set in the opening two contests and also broke out for 10 kills and six rejections in the nightcap.

A RARE FEAT
With a victory against Appalachian State, Allison Yaeger became the first SHU head coach to win her Pirate debut since Rick Pickrell in 1999.

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.

NEW TO THE SHIP
SHU will welcome five newcomers to this year's squad.  Joining the Pirates are outside hitters Kacey Richards (Macedon, N.Y.), Kayla Kohler (Whitehall, Pa.), and Molly Grammer (Center Valley, Pa.), middle blocker Amanda Hansen (Pewaukee, Wis.), along with setter Sara Connell (Dousman, Wis.).

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 THE ACTION LIVE
The Pirate Sports Network will air nine home volleyball matches live on SHUPIrates.com. Jon Schaeffer and a student-member of the WSOU broadcast team will call all of the action.

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