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Lady Flames to Open Volleyball Season in Puerto Rico
8/29/2024 11:14:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Liberty opens its 2024 season by competing at the Puerto Rico Invitational. The Lady Flames take on Big Ten foe Iowa at 5 p.m. Eastern Time on Friday before facing MAC opponent Akron at 4:30 p.m. ET, Saturday.
There will be live stats available for both matches. Additionally, a live video stream will be available on the Puerto Rico College Sports Tours Facebook page.
There will be live stats available for both matches. Additionally, a live video stream will be available on the Puerto Rico College Sports Tours Facebook page.
- Liberty, under the direction of first-year head coach Nolan Albrecht, is looking for the first win over a Big Ten opponent in program history.
- The Lady Flames have won their season opener each of the last three years. Last season, Liberty went 7-0 out of the gate, capped by a win at No. 23 Hawai'i, the first win over a nationally-ranked team in program history. The Lady Flames finished the 2023 campaign with a 15-14 record.
- Although Liberty returns just five players from last year, the Lady Flames return 2023 CUSA Defensive Player of the Year, middle blocker Madison Blane, and a pair of 2023 second team all-conference outside hitters in seniors Kamryn Bacus and Kate Gammer.
- Blane, a 2023 AVCA All-South Region first team selection, led Conference USA in attack percentage (.418 - 10th nationally) while finishing second in the conference with 1.30 blocks per set.
- Bacus ranked second in Conference USA in both kills per set (3.72) and points per set (4.37) last year. She posted a team-leading 17 double-digit kill matches, including five 20-kill contests.
- Gammer has been second on the team in kills per set each of the last three seasons. Last year, she ranked seventh in Conference USA with 3.02 kills per set.
- Erica Lowery, who transferred from Texas A&M in 2022, is Liberty's starting libero for the third year in a row, while freshman Charli Crowson and sophomore Charli Morris will vie for the starting setter position after the graduation of Delaney Dilfer.
- Nolan Albrecht begins his first season at Liberty and first year as a women's volleyball head coach. He served as men's volleyball head coach at Belmont Abbey from 2017 through 2021. He led the Crusaders to a 51-45 overall record, and also guided them to their first-ever NCAA Tournament berth in 2021.
- Former Jacksonville State head coach Todd Garvey (2018-22) is an assistant on Albrecht's coaching staff this season. Brylee Kelly is in her first year as an assistant coach after finishing her collegiate playing career as NIVC champion at Wichita State last season.
- This is the second year in a row in which Liberty will play outside of the continental United States. Last year, Liberty played in the Outrigger Volleyball Challenge, highlighted by a win over then No. 23 Hawai'i.
- The Lady Flames are in their second season in Conference USA after five years as a member of the ASUN. Liberty was voted fourth in the 2024 CUSA preseason coaches poll, while seniors Kamryn Bacus and Madison Blane were voted to the Preseason All-CUSA Team.
- Last year, Liberty earned wins over NCAA Tournament participants High Point, Yale and Hawai'i. Yale and High Point both went 14-0 in their respective conferences. The 2024 schedule has one team, Western Kentucky, who competed in the 2023 NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Championship.
Players Mentioned
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