Liberty to Take on Nationally-Ranked Florida to Open Gators Invitational
9/19/2019 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Complete Match Notes
Liberty at No. 11 Florida
Gainesville, Fla.
Match Date: Friday, Sept. 20
Match Time: Noon
Live Stats: Sidearm Stats
Liberty vs. Louisiana
Gainesville, Fla.
Match Date: Friday, Sept. 20
Match Time: 5 p.m.
Live Stats: Sidearm Stats
Liberty vs. Northern Arizona
Gainesville, Fla.
Match Date: Saturday, Sept. 21
Match Time: 10:30 a.m.
Live Stats: Sidearm Stats
Liberty (5-4) heads to Gainesville, Fla., to compete in the Gators Invitational, hosted by No. 11 Florida this weekend. The Lady Flames will take on the host Gators (6-2), along with Louisiana (4-6) and Northern Arizona (6-3). Florida and Northern Arizona both qualified for the 2018 NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Championship.
Florida is one of four of Liberty's 2019 opponents that finished 2018 in the Top 25 in RPI. Liberty will be looking for its first win over a ranked opponent in program history. The last time Liberty played against a Top 25 opponent was Sept. 7, 2013 when the Lady Flames fell 3-0 to No. 21 Kentucky.
STARTING ROTATION
1. Liberty went 1-2 at the Cougar Challenge in Pullman, Wash., last weekend. Liberty's Anna Gragg and Amelia Johnson were both named to the All-Tournament Team.
2. Liberty is the first volleyball team from Virginia since William & Mary in 1995 to defeat both Virginia and Virginia Tech in the same year.
3. Senior middle blocker Anna Gragg, a three-time all-conference performer, leads the ASUN with a .446 attack percentage and is second with 1.13 blocks per set. She and Casey Goodwin were both voted to the ASUN Preseason All-Conference Team.
4. Redshirt junior Amelia Johnson has scored 10 or more kills in each of Liberty's last seven matches, averaging 4.50 kills per set. She scored a career-high 19 kills against Virginia Tech on Sept. 7 and sent down 18 kills at Virginia on Sept. 10. Johnson leads Liberty with three double-doubles.
5. 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 on pace to become Liberty's 16th player all-time with 1,000 or more career kills.
6. Senior setter Hannah Morris was named the 2019 Fan-Voted ASUN Preseason Setter of the Year. Morris is ranked second in the ASUN with 10.7 assists per set. She led the team with 966 assists last year.
7. 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 106-35 career record. He coached the Concordia men's team to an NAIA National Championship in 2013.
8. 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, who ranks third in the ASUN with 4.56 digs per set this year, will face 14 of her former teammates on Friday when the Lady Flames take on the Gators.
Team Notes
- Liberty leads the ASUN in team hitting percentage (.248) so far this season.
- Liberty has defeated multiple ACC opponents in a single season for the first time in program history and won at Virginia for the first time since 1979. The Lady Flames are 1-13 all-time against SEC opponents, defeating Alabama in five sets on Sept. 9, 2001.
- 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 5-2 in sets decided by just two points this year.
- Liberty hit .461 against Elon, Sept. 7, 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 on Sept. 7 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.
- Liberty's current nine-match home winning streak is its longest since winning 11 home matches in a row from Oct. 5 through Nov. 17, 2007.
