Volleyball Set To Travel To Villanova and Georgetown

PROVIDENCE, R.I. –  The Providence College volleyball team is ready to continue BIG EAST play against Villanova and Georgetown this weekend. The Friars will start the weekend with a match against the Wildcats on Friday, Oct. 12 at 7:00 p.m. in Villanova, Pa. Providence will then finish weekend play with a match against the Hoyas on Saturday, Oct. 13 at 5:00 p.m. in Washington, D.C.

SCOUTING THE FRIARS: The Providence College Friars head into the weekend with an overall record of 7-10 and a BIG EAST record of 1-5. Providence last played on the weekend of Oct. 5-7 against St. John's and Seton Hall. The Friars dropped both matches.

Senior Allison Impellizeri (Seaford, N.Y.) leads the Friars' attack this season. Impellizeri has a total of 203 kills and a hitting percentage of .335, ranking her sixth in the conference. Impellizeri's 3.27 kills per set also ranks sixth in the BIG EAST.

Juniors Addison Root (Wichita, Kan.) and Jenae Alderson (Brooklyn Park, Minn.) have also contributed to the Friars' offense by tallying 182 and 153 kills, respectively. Root's 2.94 kills per set ranks 10^thin the BIG EAST.  Lindsey Schaible (Tampa, Fla.) leads the Friars in service aces, with 15, while Root and Alderson are not far behind, with 12 apiece.

Barber has been the setter for the Friars this season, with 630 total assists. Barber's 10.16 assists per set ranks her second in the BIG EAST for the fourth week in a row.

Defensively, the team is ranked sixth in opponent hitting percentage, as they hold teams to a .217 hitting percentage in the BIG EAST. The Friars' are also ranked sixth in blocks (1.76 blk/s) and seventh in digs (14.77 digs/s) in the league.  Freshmen Mackenzie Taylor (Holbrook, N.Y.), the Friars' defensive specialist, has been a key player for the Friars' defense this season. Taylor leads Providence in digs (277) and her 4.47 digs per set ranks seventh in the BIG EAST.  Taylor is the only freshman ranked in the top-seven for digs.  She has also added 48 assists for the Friars.

Contributing to the Providence defense are Barber, Alderson and Root with 153, 146 and 115 digs, respectively. Impellizeri and Schaible are strong forces on the front line, totaling 53 and 43 blocks apiece.

SCOUTING THE WILDCATS: The Villanova Wildcats have an overall record of 10-9 and are 3-4 in the BIG EAST, ranking fifth in conference standings. Villanova last played against Xavier and Butler on Oct. 5-6. The Wildcats went 0-2 that weekend.

Clare Delaplane has been the offensive threat for Villanova, recording 194 kills. Amanda Pedersen-Henry, Mallory Potts and Allie Olsonoski have contributed to the Wildcats' attack with 180, 164 and 148 kills, respectively. Olsonoski's .296 hitting percentage ranks eighth in the BIG EAST. Ashley Knight has tallied 22 service aces to lead Villanova, thus far, this season. Knight is ranked sixth in the BIG EAST.

Emma Decker has been the Wildcats' setter for the season. She has totaled 715 assists and her 9.66 assists per set average ranks fourth in the BIG EAST.

Regan Lough has led the defense for the Wildcats tallying 415 digs on the season and her 5.53 digs per set ranks first in the BIG EAST. Decker, Knight and Sarah Allman have also contributed to Villanova's defense with 180, 159 and 156 digs, respectively.

On the defensive front line, Olsonoski and Henry-Pedersen lead the Wildcats in blocks (64 and 54).

SCOUTING THE HOYAS:The Georgetown Hoyas have an overall record of 12-7 and are 5-2 in the BIG EAST, ranking third in conference standings. Georgetown last played against Butler and Xavier on Oct.5-6. The Hoyas won both matches in straight sets.

Iva Vujosevic has been the offensive threat for Georgetown, recording 222 kills. Vujosevic's 3.64 kills per set, ranks fifth in the BIG EAST. Symone Speech and Alyssa Sinnette have contributed to the Hoya's attack with 202 and 192 kills, respectively.  Speech's .350 hitting percentage ranks fourth in the BIG EAST, while her 3.16 kills per set ranks eighth in the conference. Sinnette's 3.05 kills per set ranks ninth in the conference. Vujosevic and Kenzie Higareda tallied 28 service aces apiece, ranking them first and third in the BIG EAST.

Margo Pivonka has been the Hoya's setter for the season. Pivonka has totaled 666 assists and her 9.12 assists per set ranks fifth in the BIG EAST.

Georgetown has a well-balanced defense with three players recording over 150 digs this season. Higareda has led the defense for the Hoyas tallying 355 digs on the season. Higareda's 4.86 digs per set ranks fifth in the BIG EAST. Eden Jessica Cusi and Vujosevic have also contributed to Georgetown's defense with 189 and 165 digs, respectively.

On the defensive front line, Speech and Brennan Wilhile have led the Hoyas in blocks, totaling 69 and 29, respectively. Speech's 1.08 blocks per set ranks fourth in the BIG EAST.

WHAT'S NEXT: The Friars will return home to face BIG EAST teams, Butler and Xavier once again on Oct. 18 and Oct. 20.

-GO FRIARS! -

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Players Mentioned

Jenae Alderson

Allison Impellizeri

Addison Root

Lindsey Schaible

Mackenzie Taylor