Liberty Volleyball Flies to Washington to Compete in Cougar Challenge
9/11/2019 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Complete Match Notes
Liberty vs. UT Arlington
Pullman, Wash.
Match Date: Friday, Sept. 13
Match Time: 1 p.m. ET
Live Video: WSU Live Stream
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
Liberty vs. Idaho State
Pullman, Wash.
Match Date: Friday, Sept. 13
Match Time: 8 p.m. ET
Live Video: WSU Live Stream
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
Liberty at Washington State
Pullman, Wash.
Match Date: Saturday, Sept. 14
Match Time: 6 p.m. ET
Live Video: WSU Live Stream
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
The Liberty volleyball team (4-2), winner of four straight matches, makes its first-ever trip to the state of Washington, competing in the Cougar Challenge, Friday and Saturday. While in Pullman, Wash., Liberty will take on UT Arlington (4-2), Idaho State (3-4) and Washington State (5-1).
Washington State is one of four of Liberty's 2019 opponents that finished 2018 in the Top 25 in RPI. The Lady Flames took one set each from Texas State and UNI on opening weekend, and play at Florida next weekend. Liberty is looking for its first-ever win over a Pac-12 opponent.
STARTING ROTATION
1. Liberty won four matches in a four-day span, beginning with a 3-0 showing at the Liberty Invitational during which the Lady Flames outhit opponents .302-.187. The Lady Flames then swept Virginia on Tuesday, their first win at UVA since the 1979 season. Liberty is the first volleyball team from Virginia since William & Mary in 1995 to defeat both Virginia and Virginia Tech in the same year.
2. Senior middle blocker Anna Gragg, a three-time all-conference performer, leads the ASUN with a .495 attack percentage and is second with 1.30 blocks per set. She was named the MVP of the Liberty Invitational.
3. Redshirt junior Amelia Johnson has been on fire during Liberty's last four matches, averaging 4.92 kills per set. She scored a career-high 19 kills against Virginia Tech last Saturday and sent down 18 kills in a 3-0 sweep at Virginia on Tuesday night.
4. Senior right-side hitter Casey Goodwin, a two-time all-conference selection, was a first team All-ASUN pick last year when she led the ASUN with 40 aces. She is ranked fourth in the ASUN with 3.57 kills per set this year and has scored 10 or more kills in all six of Liberty's matches.
5. Senior setter Hannah Morris was named the 2019 Fan-Voted ASUN Preseason Setter of the Year. Morris is ranked second in the ASUN with 11.00 assists per set. She led the team with 966 assists last year, a total which included five 40-assist matches.
6. Second-year head coach Trevor Johnson has had a highly successful coaching career. Including his time at Concordia (Calif.) and Liberty, he has posted a 105-33 career record. He coached the Concordia men's team to an NAIA National Championship in 2013.
7. Liberty welcomes six newcomers, including five freshmen and transfer junior Macy Phillips. Phillips, a libero, comes to Liberty from Florida, where she was a reserve on the Gators' national finalist squad in 2017. Phillips averages 4.95 digs per set, good for third in the ASUN so far. She has collected 10 or more digs in all of Liberty's matches so far this year.
Team Notes
- Liberty outhits opponents .271-.149 so far, ranking first in the ASUN with 2.67 blocks per set.
- Liberty has defeated multiple ACC opponents in a single season for the first time in program history.
- Liberty downed Elon, Virginia Tech and Davidson in order to go 3-0 at the Liberty Invitational for the first time since 2015. Anna Gragg was voted Tournament MVP, while Macy Phillips was named Best Libero and Hannah Morris was named Best Setter.
- The Lady Flames are 5-1 in sets decided by just two points this year.
- Liberty hit .461 against Elon last Saturday, its third-highest single-match hitting percentage in the rally-scoring era and best since hitting .483 against Saint Francis (Pa.), Sept. 5, 2008.
- Liberty's 11 aces against Virginia Tech last Saturday were the team's most since serving up 11 aces against Hampton, Sept. 3, 2016.
- Liberty is 3-0 this year in extended sets, winning two 26-24 sets and one 30-28 session.
