Pirates Take On Blue Raider Bash This Weekend

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2016
** BLUE RAIDER BASH **
SETON HALL (2-4) vs. ILLINOIS STATE (3-4)
Alumni Memorial Gym – Murfreesboro, Tenn.
3:00 p.m. ET
Live Video | Live Stats | Twitter

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2016
** BLUE RAIDER BASH **
SETON HALL (2-4) vs. TENNESSEE TECH (4-3)
Alumni Memorial Gym – Murfreesboro, Tenn.
5:30 p.m. ET
Live Video | Live Stats | Twitter

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2016
** BLUE RAIDER BASH **
SETON HALL (2-4) at M. TENNESSEE ST. (1-5)
Alumni Memorial Gym – Murfreesboro, Tenn.
1:00 p.m. ET
Live Video | Live Stats | Twitter

PREVIEW
Seton Hall will return to action this weekend with a trio of contests at the Blue Raider Bash, hosted by Middle Tennessee State. The Hall will open the event with a back-to-back double-header on Friday. It will face Illinois State at 3:00 p.m. and then Tennessee Tech at 5:30 p.m. The Pirates will finished the weekend with a tilt against the tournament hosts at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday.

After a rough first weekend, the Pirates bounced back in a big way last weekend in their own Seton Hall Classic. The Hall dropped the tournament opener on Friday in four sets to George Washington despite 16 kills from Dani Schroeder. However, the Pirates got in the win column with a pair of victories on Saturday. Seton Hall swept Canisius in the morning, and took down previously unbeaten Towson in four sets in the nightcap. For their efforts, Dani Schroeder and Tessa Fournier were named to the All-Tournament Team.

Seton Hall will begin the weekend vs. Illinois State at 3:00 p.m. on Friday. It will be the first meeting in history between the two programs. The Redbirds enter the weekend with a 3-4 record. Last weekend, they won two of three matches at the Tiger Invitational, with quality five-set wins over Miami (Ohio) and Utah. They lost a five-set marathon to Rice. In addition to last weekend's tough slate, Illinois State's schedule has already featured matches against No. 21 Loyola Marymount and No. 12 UCLA, both losses.

Shortly after their match with Illinois State, the Pirates will take on Tennessee Tech, which is scheduled for a 5:30 p.m. start on Friday. Seton Hall has never faced the Golden Eagles either. Tennessee Tech enters the weekend with a 4-3 record. After starting the season 3-0, they dropped three of four contests at the Samford-UAB Challenge last weekend. TTU's lone victory was a straight set win over Northwestern State on Saturday.

Finally, The Hall will face host Middle Tennessee State on Saturday at 1:00 p.m.. The Pirates have only faced the Blue Raiders once in history, coming out on top in five sets in the finale of the Seton Hall Classic in Walsh Gym in 2014. MTSU has had a rough start to the season and enters the weekend with a 1-5 record having lost five straight. Most recently, they were swept at the Saint Mary's Tournament last weekend with losses to Nevada, UC-Riverside and host Saint Mary's. Their lone win came in the season opener vs. Louisiana-Monroe.

SETON HALL NOTES
HONOR ROLL FOR SCHROEDER
Senior Dani Schroeder was named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll on Monday. The outside hitter reached double-figures in kills in all three matches and was named to the Seton Hall Classic All-Tournament Team. On Friday, she notched a season-high 16 kills to go with a .333 attack percentage vs. George Washington.

PIRATES DOWN UNDEFEATED TOWSON
The Pirates defeated Towson in four sets the Seton Hall Classic finale on Sept. 3. Towson entered the contest with a perfect 6-0 record, going a 18-for-18 in sets. Trailing 24-19 in set one, The Hall finished the set with seven straight points to set the tone for the rest of the match.

SWEEPING CANISIUS
Seton Hall recorded its first victory of the 2016 season with a three-set sweep of Canisius on Sept. 3. The Pirates limited the Golden Griffins to just 13 points in set one. Cherise Hennigan and Dani Schroeder led The Hall with 11 kills apiece.

ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
For their efforts during the Seton Hall Classic, seniors Tessa Fournier and Dani Schroeder were named to the All-Tournament Team. Fournier averaged 5.09 digs per set, while Schroeder had 3.55 kills per set.

DOUBLE YOUR PLEASURE
Sophomore Sophia Coffey registered her first two double-doubles of the 2016 season during the Seton Hall Classic. Coffey had 24 assists and 12 digs vs. Canisius and picked up season-highs with 39 assists and 15 digs vs. Towson. She led the team with 10 double-doubles last season.

CLIMBING THE LIST
During the Seton Hall Classic, Sophia Coffey passed Nicole Harguindeguy into ninth on Seton Hall's career assists list. She needs just 207 more to pass Nichole Bushroe for eighth on the all-time list.

FLORES DEBUT
Junior Brooke Flores made her collegiate debut vs. Canisius on Sept. 3. The walk-on newcomer played one set and registered a block assist.

HARD-LUCK FIRST SETS
Despite winning just two of the first six opening sets this year, the Pirates have played hard in set one. In all four of Seton Hall's losses this year, it has dropped the first set by a score of 25-23.

DOUBLE-DOUBLE FOR CVELBAR
Freshman Maggie Cvelbar recorded the Pirates' first double-double of the season vs. Cleveland State on August 27. The setter recorded team-highs of 16 assists and 10 digs. The Pirates' employment of a 6-2 formation allowed for both setters, Cvelbar and Sophia Coffey, to pick up their share of statistics.

FOURNIER NAMED PRESEASON ALL-BIG EAST
Senior Tessa Fournier was unanimously named to the 2016 Preseason All-BIG EAST Team. A three-time AVCA All-Region honoree, Fournier was named BIG EAST Libero of the Year for a second consecutive season in 2015, and led the BIG EAST in both digs (583) and digs per set (5.16).

FREE PIRATES SPORTS NETWORK
For the first time ever, all live events on the Pirates Sports Network (PSN) will be carried free of charge on SHUpirates.com. You can now see all 12 home volleyball contests live from Walsh Gym in 2016 for free.

PRESEASON POLL
Seton Hall was picked seventh in this year's BIG EAST Preseason Coaches' Poll. Creighton was the unanimous conference favorite, followed by Marquette and Xavier. The Pirates have outplayed their expectations in each of the last two seasons under head coach Allison Yaeger. In 2014, The Hall was picked to finish sixth, but placed second. In 2015, they were picked sixth, but finished fifth.

VOLLEYBALL ON BEDN
Seton Hall will have two regular season matches broadcast on the BIG EAST Digital Network, a Nov. 12 date at Marquette followed by a Nov. 19 home game vs. St. John's. Should the Pirates qualify for the BIG EAST Championship, the semifinal round will also be carried on BEDN.

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Sophia Coffey

Maggie Cvelbar

Brooke Flores

Tessa Fournier

Cherise Hennigan

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