Pirates Host Providence, Creighton This Weekend

SOUTH ORANGE, NEW JERSEY - Walsh Gymnasium

SETON HALL (8-8, 0-2) vs. PROVIDENCE (12-3, 0-2)
Date	Time	Live Video	Live Audio	Live Stats	Twitter
Fri., Oct. 1	6:00 PM			LIVE STATS	@SHUVolley

SOUTH ORANGE, NEW JERSEY - Walsh Gymnasium

SETON HALL (8-8, 0-2) vs. #16 CREIGHTON (14-1, 2-0)
Date	Time	Live Video	Live Audio	Live Stats	Twitter
Sat., Oct. 2	6:00 PM			LIVE STATS	@SHUVolley

PREVIEW
Seton Hall remains home for a pair of BIG EAST contests at newly-renovated Walsh Gym this weekend. The Pirates will host Providence on Friday, Oct. 1 and Creighton on Saturday, Oct. 2. Both contests are scheduled to be 6:00 p.m. starts.

** INDOOR MASK REQUIREMENT **
For those interested in attending Seton Hall's home contests at Walsh Gym... please note... All individuals (vaccinated and unvaccinated) are required to wear a mask at all indoor, nonresidential, on-campus University settings, except when alone or dining.

MEDIA
Both contests this weekend will be available to watch via live stream for subscribers on FloSports and will also be carried by 89.5 FM WSOU or wsou.net.

STREAM INFORMATION
Both matches will streamed on FloSports, one of the leading streaming services in the world. Special Seton Hall pricing is available only through this link for fans who want to subscribe to watch Seton Hall events, home and away, as well as all other live events on the FloSports platform. Fans with an .edu school address can purchase a subscription for $6.99 per month, and all other fans can purchase a subscription for $12.50 per month. The non-Seton Hall pricing on FloSports is normally $29.99 per month.

PROMOTION
Friday is French Fry Friday!! Those who attend the contest will receive a free voucher from BGR for free fries with the purchase of a sandwich! The voucher is valid until Oct. 7.

LAST WEEK
Seton Hall opened the BIG EAST portion of its schedule last weekend. The Pirates were swept by Connecticut in the conference opener on Friday in Storrs. On Sunday, The Hall put forth a spirited effort against a good St. John's team, but ultimately fell in four sets.

Three of the four sets against St. John's needed more than 25 points to determine a winner. Both Madison Frusha (Huntsville, Texas) and Jenna Walsh (Foothill Ranch, Calif.) led the team with 10 kills apiece. Frusha had only one attack error and also collected seven blocks.

The Pirates enter this weekend with an 8-8 record overall and 0-2 in conference play. Graduate student Amanda Rachwal (Bethlehem, Pa.) currently leads the BIG EAST with 1.43 blocks per set and ranks second in the conference with a .339 attack percentage.

SCOUTING PROVIDENCE
Seton Hall owns a slim 19-17 all-time series lead over Providence, but the Pirates have won 14 of the last 17 meetings. Last season, the teams split a pair of contests at Walsh Gym. The Hall defeated the Friars in five sets on March 5, but the next day, Providence swept the Pirates.

Providence is coming off a 7-3 abbreviated spring 2021 season. They qualified for the BIG EAST Tournament, but were forced to withdraw due to a positive COVID-19 case on the team. Two years ago, in their last full season, the Friars went 6-25.

This season, the Friars were picked to finish in eighth place in the 11-team BIG EAST Conference, according to the Preseason Coaches' Poll. Graduate student Allison Barber was named to the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team.

Providence finished the non-conference portion of their schedule with an impressive 12-1 record and had won 11 straight matches before beginning BIG EAST play last weekend. The Friars had to open the conference portion of their schedule on the road and were defeated in five sets at Xavier on Friday before being swept at Butler on Saturday.

Providence as a team enters the weekend leading the BIG EAST with 1.89 service aces per set. Jennifer Leitman leads all individuals with 0.44 aces per set.

SCOUTING CREIGHTON
Seton Hall and Creighton will resume their rivalry on Saturday, Oct. 2 in Walsh Gym. The Bluejays won a 13-3 all-time series lead and have won the last 12 meetings. The Pirates have been swept in the last 10 matches against Creighton. The Hall's last win against the Bluejays came at the end of the regular season in 2014, a sweep of Creighton in Omaha. The Bluejays got their revenge, however, downing the Pirates in four sets in the BIG EAST Championship match.

Creighton is coming off a 12-4 abbreviated spring 2021 season. They won their sixth BIG EAST title in the last seven years, defeating Marquette in four sets in the championship match. Creighton's season came to an end with a five-set loss to Morehead State in the NCAA Tournament. Two years ago, in their last full season, the Bluejays went 25-6 and defeated Iowa State in the NCAA Tournament before falling in five-sets to No. 7 Minnesota.

This season, the Bluejays were picked to finish to repeat as BIG EAST Champions, garnering eight of 11 first-place votes in the Preseason Coaches' Poll. Seniors Naomi Hickman and Jaela Zimmerman were named to the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team.

Creighton is off to yet another fast start with wins in 14 of their first 15 matches this season. The 16th-ranked Bluejays enter this weekend having won eight straight matches. Among several impressive non-conference victories, Creighton swept No. 3 Kentucky in Lexington on Sept. 4. Most recently, the Bluejays opened BIG EAST play with a four-set victory at Butler on Friday, and a sweep at Xavier on Saturday.

UP NEXT
Next weekend, the Pirates will head back on the road for a pair of BIG EAST contests. The Hall will travel to Cincinnati for a contest against Xavier on Friday at 6:00 p.m. On Saturday, Seton Hall will head to Indianapolis for a match at Butler at 4:00 p.m.