WASHINGTON – Georgetown University's volleyball team closes out the road portion of its regular season schedule with a pair of matches at No. 9 Creighton and Providence this weekend. The Hoyas travel to Omaha, Nebraska to take on the Bluejays on Friday before returning to the East Coast on Sunday to face the Friars in Rhode Island.
First serve for Friday's match is at 8 p.m. EST while Sunday's action begins at 1 p.m. Live stats and video for both matches will also be available at www.GUHoyas.com.
Georgetown (14-12, 7-7 BIG EAST) recently snapped a three-match BIG EAST skid with a weekend split against DePaul and No. 19 Marquette. The Hoyas swept the Blue Demons on Friday night, avenging an earlier season loss and salvaging a series sweep. Georgetown then dropped a 3-0 decision to the Golden Eagles on Saturday.
Alyssa Sinnette (Pearland, Texas / Dawson) led the Hoyas over the weekend with 5.00 kills per set and hit at an impressive .355 from the outside to earn a nod to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll.
Symone Speech (Oak Park, Ill. / Oak Park-River Forest) added 3.17 kps while both
Iva Vujosevic (Bar, Montenegro / Niko Rolovic / UMES) and
Olivia King (Ardmore, Pa. / Lower Merion) added at least two kills a frame. Defensively,
Kenzie Higareda (Woodbridge, Va. / Forest Park) anchored the back row with 31 total digs for a 5.17 average.
On the season, Vujosevic and Sinnette both average at least three kills a set, posting 3.25, 3.22 kps, respectively, while Speech is right behind them with 2.98 kps.
Margo Pivonka (Broadview Heights, Ohio / Walsh Jesuit) paces the offense with 9.01 assists per set.
Defensively, Higareda averages 4.64 digs per set.
Jessica Cusi (Pacifica, Calif. / Lick-Wilmerding) adds 2.52 a frame while Vujosevic chips in 2.39 dps. At the net, Speech has been credited with 95 blocks on the season for a 1.08 average and
Brennan Wilhite (Rancho Santa Fe, Calif. / Cathedral Catholic) adds 0.49 bps.
Creighton (22-4, 14-0 BIG EAST) is undefeated in conference play. Taryn Kloth leads the Bluejays with 4.04 kills per set while Jaali Winters and Megan Ballenger add 3.82 and 2.59 kps, respectively. The CU offense runs through Madelyn Cole's 10.81 assists per set. Defensively, Brittany Witt averages 4.40 digs per set on the back row while Ballenger has notched 80 blocks this season for an 0.86 average.
In the first meeting between the two teams this season on the Hilltop, the then-10th-ranked Bluejays posted a 3-0 sweep at McDonough Arena. Sinnette led the Hoyas with a match-high 11 kills while Vujosevic added eight and Speech chipped in seven. Higareda led the Blue & Gray with 11 digs while Speech was credited with three blocks. Kloth and Winters led Creighton with 10 kills each. Cole posted a double-double with 23 assists and a match-high 12 digs.
Providence (8-17, 2-12 BIG EAST) has lost three-straight matches and hosts Villanova on Friday before taking on the Hoyas in the Ocean State. Addison Root leads the Friars with 3.19 kills per set while Allison Impellizeri is right behind her with 3.16 kps. Allison Barber runs the offense and averages 10.10 assists per set. On the defensive side, Mackenzie Taylor averages 4.41 digs per set while Impellizeri is the top threat at the net with 73 total blocks for an 0.80 average.
Last time against the Friars, Georgetown claimed a 3-1 victory in the Nation's Capital to close out the opening half of BIG EAST play. Speech led the Hoyas with 12 kills while Vujosevic added 11 and Sinnette had 10. Georgetown tallied nine service aces in the match with three from Cusi and a pair each from Vujosevic and Pivonka. Defensively, Higareda led all players with 15 digs. Speech was credited with four blocks and Wilhite added three rejections at the net. Root led Providence with a match-high 14 kills.
Following the weekend, Georgetown returns home to close out the BIG EAST regular season. The Hoyas host Xavier on Friday, Nov. 16 and Butler on Saturday, Nov. 17 as part of Senior Weekend.
