Pirates Open Season Against FDU on Tuesday

SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. - Walsh Gymnasium

SETON HALL (0-0) vs. FAIRLEIGH DICKINSON (1-0)

Date

Time

Live Video

Live Audio

Live Stats

Twitter

Tuesday,
Feb. 23

7:00 PM ET

LIVE STATS

@SHUVolley

PREVIEW
Seton Hall will open the unusual 2020-21 volleyball season on Tuesday, February 23 when it hosts local non-conference rival Fairleigh Dickinson in Walsh Gymnasium. The match is scheduled to begin at 7:00 p.m.

MEDIA
The game will be streamed live by the Pirate Sports Network with Rony Jerez and Madi Travisano on the call. As usual, the game will also be available over the airwaves at 89.5 FM WSOU and at wsou.net. Live stats will also be available.

OUTLOOK
Seton Hall opens the 2021 season with a very young team. Of the 14 players on the roster, only four are juniors or seniors, and one of those, transfer Madison Frusha, is a Pirate newcomer. In all, The Hall will have six new players on its roster when it faces FDU on Tuesday, including a pair of international imports, Cagla Bengi from Turkey, and Tsvetelina Ilieva from Bulgaria.

The lone Pirate senior is middle blocker Amanda Rachwal, who is also the top returning offensive option, having averaged 2.27 kills per set in 2019. Other starters returning include outside hitter Julia Wilkins, who averaged 2.12 kills per set, and Raygan Murray, The Hall's outstanding young libero, who tallied 3.89 digs per contest.

SCOUTING FAIRLEIGH DICKINSON
Seton Hall enters this contest with a 17-3 all-time record against the Knights, having most recently swept them, 3-0, on Sept. 10, 2008. After three losses to begin the all-time matchup, the Pirates have won 17 straight matches against FDU since.

Fairleigh Dickinson is coming off a difficult 4-26 season, which included a 3-13 mark in the Northeast Conference. Top offensive threat, Magdalena Maksimovic, who averaged 2.38 kills per set, a year ago, returns for her senior season.

The Knights enter the contest with a 1-0 record having outlasted Georgian Court in five sets on Friday. Victoria Demmene registered a career-high 19 kills in the win, while Maksimovic recorded a 17-kill, 12-dig double-double and Allison Koester handed out 36 assists to go along with 15 digs in the come-from-behind win.