Lady Flames to Host Owls, Friday
10/27/2021 3:28:25 PM | Women's Volleyball
Liberty (9-9, 5-6 ASUN) opens the second half of ASUN East Division play with a three-match homestand, beginning on Friday at 6 p.m. against Kennesaw State (14-8, 8-3). Both teams have been surging lately, as Liberty has gone 3-1 in its last four matches and KSU has won six in a row.
Matchday Central Links
Lynchburg, Va.
Liberty Arena
Liberty vs. Kennesaw State
Match Date: Friday, Oct. 29
Match Time: 6 p.m.
Kennesaw State swept Liberty 3-0 on Oct. 1 in both teams’ ASUN opener. Despite the teams entering the match as two of the top serving teams in the ASUN, they combined for four aces and 20 service errors. KSU outhit Liberty .320-.061, as Lauren Chastang led all players with 14 kills.
Liberty went 2-1 at the ASUN Crossover weekend in Jacksonville last weekend, defeating Central Arkansas and North Alabama and falling to ASUN West Division leader Jacksonville State. The Lady Flames outhit opponents .276-.192, averaging 3.70 blocks per set on the weekend.
The Lady Flames opened ASUN play with wins over Bellarmine and Eastern Kentucky. Liberty then dropped its next five matches before defeating Jacksonville on Oct. 17.
STARTING ROTATION
1. Liberty hit a season-best .406 against Central Arkansas, its highest hitting percentage since hitting .461 against Elon on Sept. 7, 2019.
2. The Lady Flames’ 14 blocks last Saturday against Jacksonville State were the team’s most blocks in a three-set match in the rally-scoring era. Liberty has posted three straight 10-block matches and ranks fourth in the ASUN with 2.54 blocks per set during conference play.
3. Sophomore Trinity Watts, a 2021 VaSID All-State second team player, was named ASUN Player of the Week on Sept. 7. She scored a match-high 17 kills at a .556 pace on Sunday against North Alabama, the best hitting percentage by a Lady Flame since Rajini Fitzmaurice (.667) at NJIT in 2019.
4. 2021 Fan-Voted ASUN Preseason Setter of the Year Amaya Williams has two 50-assist matches this season. She passed Julie Sitler (1985-88) into 10th place in program history (2,113) over the weekend. Former teammate Hannah Morris ranks ninth all-time at Liberty with 2,390 assists.
5. Freshman Kate Phillips is tied with Rajini Fitzmaurice for the team lead with four double-doubles each. She began her career in the ASUN opener against Bellarmine on Sept. 24, and has recorded six double-digit kill matches in 11 contests played, with a career high of 20 kills.
6. 2021 Spring ASUN All-Conference second team member Lydia Burts set an ASUN single-season record with 1.57 blocks per set this spring. Burts is ranked fourth in the ASUN with 1.32 blocks per set in conference play. She averaged 1.80 blocks per set at last weekend’s ASUN Crossover.
7. Senior Lilly Kruse posted her fourth double-digit kill match on Sunday against North Alabama, totaling 14 kills (.344) and 11 digs. Lydia Burts posted her fourth 10-kill match versus UNA as well, hitting .409 with 12 kills on Sunday.
