Date(s): Saturday, Oct. 8-Sunday, Oct. 9
Opponent: William & Mary Tribe
Time(s): 2 p.m., 2 p.m.
Location: Moore Gymnasium, East Greensboro, N.C.
A&T Team Leaders:
Kills: Niaya Sawtelle (4.05 per set)
Digs: Morgan Allen (3.28 per set)
Assists: Chiara Napoli (4.46 per set)
Blocks: Maya Johnson (0.72 per set)
Hitting Percentage: Maya Johnson (.219)
A&T CAA Leaders (Top-10)
Kills: Niaya Sawtelle (4.05 per set) – 3rd
Digs: Morgan Allen (3.30 per set) – 9th
A&T NCAA Leaders (Top-100)
Kills: Niaya Sawtelle (4.05 per set) – 40th
NORTH CAROLINA A&T (4-12, 0-6 CAA): North Carolina A&T is coming off a good showing against one of the best teams in the nation, the Towson Tigers, last weekend A&T lost in four sets at Towson, but the Aggies became the first Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) school to win a set off the Tigers in six matches and 17 sets this season. In addition, the Aggies lost close third and fourth sets to the Tigers to end the match. Chiara Napoli (Saint-Raphael, France) recorded a match-high four service aces Sunday to give her the conference lead at 0.43 service aces per set. She leads the team with 25 service aces and has three matches of four-plus service aces, including a career-high five against Elon in the conference opener.
Naiya Sawtelle (Stuart, Fla.) ranks second in the conference and 33rd in the nation with 4.70 points per set.
She also ranks second in the conference and 14th in the country with 286.5 points. In addition, Mallory Porcher has 184 block assists and needs five block assists to move into seventh place past Mara Davis with 188 block assists from 1996-99.
A&T's schedule to start conference play has been challenging. The three opponents are a combined 15-3 in conference play, and Towson and Hofstra are 6-0 in league play.
Head coach Hal Clifton is in his 12th season as the leader of the Aggies and has posted a 113-198 overall record. However, in the previous five seasons, Clifton has led the Aggies to a 77-65 (.542) record and has recorded at least a .500 winning percentage in the last four seasons.
WILLIAM & MARY TRIBE (8-6, 3-3 CAA): William & Mary has won two of its last three matches but fell 3-2 against Stony Brook in its previous match. The Tribe is 2-2 in conference play when they go five sets this season.
William & Mary libero Anna Porter earned CAA defensive player of the week honors on Sept. 26. She has 20-plus digs five times this season. The future looks good for The Tribe. Two freshmen, Sarah Callendar and Ryann Love, have each won the conference's freshman weekly honor this season Love has five-plus blocks five times this season, including eight against George Mason on Sept. 10.
Eleanor Stothoff leads the Tribe with 2.97 kills per set, and Amy Schwem is the team's leader in assists per set (5.48).
Tim Doyle is in his fifth season leading the Tribe. The eight wins this season are the most by Tribe under Doyle.
THE SERIES: William & Mary holds a 3-1 advantage over the Aggies and has won the last three matchups. The last meeting occurred in 2010 when the Tribe won 3-0 in Charlotte, N.C A&T began the series with a 3-1 victory in 2002 in Greensboro.
