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MOREHEAD, Ky. -- The Morehead State volleyball team is set to host the Eagle Challenge at Wetherby Gym, and the field has combined for a 21-7 record heading into the weekend.
The Eagles (4-3) will battle Big 12 unbeaten West Virginia (7-0) on Friday at 7 p.m. ET. On Saturday, the Eagles will face Hampton (4-2), and the nation's third-ranked player in kills, at 1:30 p.m. before finishing off the event facing the Campbell Camels (6-2) at 7 p.m. The round-robin tournament also features matches at 4:30 p.m Friday and 11 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Saturday.
Live stats are available via MSUEagles.com, and live video of the WVU and Campbell contests will be available free on the OVC Digital Network. Updates will also be available throughout the match via MSU's official twitter @MSUAthletics.
Here are notes heading into the weekend:
Recapping Last Week
Morehead State finished a busy week 3-1, defeating Marshall, IUPUI and Montana State while falling in a three-set affair to Saint Louis. MSU hit only .152 but averaged 13 kills per set. In the wins over IUPUI and Montana State, Morehead State erased 2-1 deficits. Junior middle blocker Laura McDermott led the team with 2.9 kills per set and hit .363. She had a career-high 20 kills in the win over Montana State.
The Man in Charge
Morehead State Head Coach Jaime Gordon is in his 11th season in Morehead, leading the Eagles to a 205-126 mark. He has led MSU to six Ohio Valley Conference championships, one NCAA Tournament appearance and has been tabbed OVC Coach of the Year three times (2003, 2010, 2012). He was also the 2012 American Volleyball Coaches Association Midwest Region Coach of the Year.
Series Records
Morehead State has never faced Hampton. The Eagles are at a slight 5-4 disadvantage in the West Virginia series. MSU and Campbell have met twice with each team winning once.
Welcome Back
MSU welcomes back former Associate Head Coach Greg Goral this weekend. After five seasons with the Eagles, Goral was appointed head coach at Campbell. He helped lead MSU to four OVC titles in his tenure with the Eagles.
Awards Aplenty
Senior libero Leslie Schellhaas earned the OVC's first Defensive Player of the Week honor in 2013 following opening weekend at Cincinnati. It was her third career league weekly honor. Schellhaas was also named to the all-tournament team for the Comfort Inn and Suites Invitational last weekend. Senior outside hitter Aryn Bohannon was named to the all-tournament team at the UC Invitational.
Let's Play Five
The Eagles have already been involved in three five-set matches in the first seven contests. In comparison, only seven matches went the full five sets last year.
Aces Wild
Senior outside hitter Aryn Bohannon needs just 15 service aces to move into the MSU career top ten. Bohannon led the OVC with 44 solo winners last year and has 143 for her career.
Approaching a Grand
Aryn Bohannon is nearing the elite 1,000-kill plateau for her career. She has 907 career winners.
Double-Double, No Trouble
Morehead State has put several double-doubles on the stat sheet this year. Three players have combined for 10 double-doubles. Junior setter Colbey Cameron leads the way with five. Aryn Bohannon has three, and sophomore outside hitter Courtney Smith has hit the mark twice.
Moving on Up
Senior libero Leslie Schellhaas owns the top two season dig totals in program history, scooping a school-record 641 balls as a sophomore in 2011 and 619 last year as a junior. She currently has 1,693 career digs and has moved to fifth place on the MSU career chart. The next rung on the chart is 129 away. Former Eagle Lauren (Mackey) Rust had 1,822 in her four years.
A Tall Order
At 6-foot-5, junior Alex Fitzmorris is the tallest player in program history, topping a couple of former players who were 6-foot-4. Fitzmorris, a transfer from Boston College, sat out last season as a redshirt. The right side hitter began her career at Arkansas. Fitzmorris led the team in kills for the second time in her career with 10 versus Marshall. She also hit .316 in the match.
Mac Attack
Junior middle blocker Laura McDermott leads all offensive players (other than setters) in hitting percentage at .231. She recorded a career-high 20 kills last weekend in the win over Montana State and had 17 winners versus IUPUI. In the last two matches, she is hitting .342 and has averaged 3.7 kills per set.
