Liberty to Host Kennesaw State in Weekend Series at Liberty Arena
2/18/2021 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Volleyball Gameday Central Page
Match Notes
Kennesaw State at Liberty
Lynchburg, Va. - Liberty Arena
Match Date: Friday, Feb. 19
Match Time: 5 p.m.
Live Video: ESPN+
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
Kennesaw State at Liberty
Lynchburg, Va. - Liberty Arena
Match Date: Saturday, FEb. 20
Match Time: 4 p.m.
Live Video: ESPN+
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
Liberty (2-3, 2-2 ASUN) returns home following a 2-0 weekend sweep at North Alabama. The Lady Flames will host defending ASUN champion Kennesaw State (4-0, 4-0), Friday and Saturday at Liberty Arena. The Owls have opened the season with four straight wins over ASUN newcomer Bellarmine, while Liberty dropped a pair of home matches to Lipscomb before last weekend's sweep at UNA.
They last met on Nov. 22, 2019 in the semifinals of the ASUN Volleyball Championship, which KSU won in three sets.
The Lady Flames' defense has been strong so far in ASUN play, as Liberty outhits opponents .218-.161 while averaging 2.58 blocks per set in conference matches. Last year, Liberty finished the season ranked 24th in the nation in blocks per set.
2021 Spring Sports Admissions/Tickets
Due to COVID-19 and state regulations, capacity at all Liberty Athletics events is under a limited capacity of 250 patrons or 30 percent capacity, whichever is less based on social distancing protocols, per Virginia Governor Ralph Northam's current Phase 3 guidelines. With those guidelines in place, admission to each event has been adjusted per sport. For more information regarding availability, please click here.
STARTING ROTATION
1. Third-year head coach Trevor Johnson, a 2019 VolleyballMag.com Under 40 Coaching Hotshots list honoree, needs one more win for 100 as a women's volleyball head coach. He has previous stints of as head coach of Concordia (CA) men's and women's volleyball programs.
2. After finishing in a tie with Lipscomb for third place in the 2019 ASUN standings with an 11-5 conference record, the Lady Flames appear third in the 2021 Preseason Coaches' Poll. Kennesaw State was picked just ahead of Liberty, in second.
3. Julia Mangum was named ASUN Freshman of the Week on Monday after averaging 4.17 kills (.283), 3.50 digs and 0.83 blocks per set at North Alabama. She posted her first career double-double on Sunday, with career highs in kills (13) and digs (12).
4. Freshman Trinity Watts has scored double figures in kills in each of the last three matches, including 11 against Lipscomb on Feb. 7 and back-to-back 10-kill matches at North Alabama.
5. Senior Amaya Williams was voted the 2021 ASUN Fan-Voted Preseason Setter of the Year. A member of the 2017 Big South All-Freshman Team, Williams is the Lady Flames' active leader with 1,424 career assists. She posted her 10th career double-double on Sunday at North Alabama.
6. Prior to the Jan. 22 match against VCU, Kainah Williams had not played in a match since Nov. 16, 2018, a span of 798 days. She is third on the team in blocks per set (0.88).
7. Freshman Lydia Burts, who leads the ASUN with 1.69 blocks per set, leads the Lady Flames with a .273 overall hitting percentage.
8. Sophomore Rajini Fitzmaurice, the only Lady Flame to start the season opener in both 2019 and 2021, has scored a team-high 48 kills at a .225 pace so far this season. Trinity Watts is second on the team with 47 kills, followed close behind by Julia Mangum's 46.
