Volleyball Travels To Fairleigh Dickinson Sunday

Bobcats Continue NEC Play At Fairleigh Dickinson
The Quinnipiac University volleyball team continues NEC play at Fairleigh Dickinson Sunday afternoon. The Bobcats are coming off a 3-0 loss at Sacred Heart Wednesday, while the Knights took a five-set defeat to Long Island Saturday.

Scouting the Fairleigh Dickinson Knights
Fairleigh Dickinson (6-12, 1-2 NEC) is led by Meaghan Wheeler's 3.11 kills and 0.41 service aces per set. Sarah Willey has averaged 8.97 assists per set as the team's setter, while Kelsey Semler is the team's defensive specialist at 4.67 digs per set. Sarah Berkland also has a team-best 0.92 blocks per set.

Spike Stopper
Amanda Armstrong (Waukesha, Wis.) set a new single-match season high among Quinnipiac players with seven blocks at Sacred Heart, Sept. 29. The previous season-high, set by Armstrong, Olivia Grattan (Pittsburgh, Pa.) and Taylor Payne (Warwick, N.Y.), was five.

Fighting Through Five
The Bobcats played to a five-set decision in three of five matches, Sept. 17-26. Quinnipiac sandwiched a pair of 3-2 defeats to Delaware State and La Salle around a 3-0 sweep of host Lafayette at the Lafayette Invitational, Sept. 17-18. After a 3-1 loss to Providence, the Bobcats fell to NEC foe Bryant, 3-2, on Sept. 26.

Aces Up
The Bobcats ranked 25th in the nation in service aces per set (1.76) to begin the week, after finishing 199th in the nation (1.14) in 2009. Individually, Kayla Lawler (Louisville, Ky.) ranks 61st in the nation at 0.41 service aces per set.

Dig It
Led by Logan Riker's (Bowling Green, Ohio) 4.2 digs per set, the Bobcats rank 70th in the nation at 15.88 digs per set to begin the week.

Record-Breaking Performances
Despite falling in five sets to Bryant, Sept. 26, Kayla Lawler set a new career-high in assists with 61, Logan Riker had a career-high 31 digs and Olivia Grattan compiled a new high of 17 kills in just her freshman season.

2K-ayla Assists
With 44 assists in the Bobcats 3-2 defeat to Delaware State on Sept. 17, junior Kayla Lawler eclipsed the 2,000-assist mark.

Earning Their Spots After Hart-Break
After sweeping the University of Hartford for their first win in 12 tries against the Hawks at the Division I level, Sept. 11, in Hamden, the Bobcats swept Lafayette for their first victory over the Leopards in four tries, Sept. 18.

Record Breaker
Just two weeks after setting a new personal four-set single-match record with 46 assists against Fordham, Aug. 28, Kayla Lawler compiled a new personal three-set single-match record with 43 assists against Hartford, Sept. 11. Her previous record four-set record was 41, set twice in her freshman year of 2008. Meanwhile, Lawler's prior three-set record was 40, set last Sept. 20 against St. Francis (N.Y.). Her five-set record is 61, set Sept. 26, 2010, at Bryant.

Good To Biediger Back
Sophomore Stephanie Biediger (Houston, Texas) made her return to the court after missing more than a year due to injury on Sept. 10. In her first tournament back, the outside hitter led the Bobcats with 25 kills in three matches and added 34 digs, earning Quinnipiac Invitational All-Tournament Team honors. Joining Biediger on the all-tournament team was Lawler, who piled up 110 assists in three matches.

Grattan Grabbing Attention
In three matches during the Quinnipiac Invitational, freshman Olivia Grattan had team highs in both kills (25) and blocks (10).

Riker's Versatility Rewarded
Logan Riker was named to the Yale Invitational All-Tournament Team after compiling 12 kills and 28 digs, Sept. 3-4. Riker took her customary position at libero to rack up 23 digs in the first two matches of the weekend, before moving outside to compile 10 kills against Stony Brook.

Starting Strong
A pair of newcomers to the Bobcats made impressive debuts at the Beanpot Classic. Graduate student transfer Amanda Armstrong was named to the All-Tournament Team after totaling 30 kills on the weekend, including 15 against Fordham. Freshman Tracy Wright (Fair Lawn, N.J.) had 44 digs on the weekend, including 17 to conclude the weekend against Boston College.

Sophomore Surge
Taylor Payne began her sophomore season with a team-high 31 kills at the Beanpot Classic. At 3.10 kills per set at the first tournament of the year, Payne showed marked improvement from her 0.90 kills per set average as a freshman.

Returning Cast
Quinnipiac returns much of last season's core of student-athletes, as well as its 2008 Team MVP. Junior setter Kayla Lawler, who almost solely ran the Bobcats' attack, returns as team captain after dishing out 785 assists in 2009. The team's leading hitter, Kelby Carey (Surfside, Calif.), also returns for her junior season, a year after piling up 317 kills. Sophomore libero Logan Riker is also back for the Bobcats after compiling 406 digs as a freshman. Meanwhile, redshirt sophomore outside hitter Stephanie Biediger returns to the Bobcats after missing the 2009 season due to injury. Biediger was named Team MVP as a freshman after recording 233 kills, 244 digs, 31 blocks and 66 assists.

On Deck
The Bobcats return home to play host to the NEC's Western Pennsylvania teams, Robert Morris and Saint Francis (Pa.), Saturday and Sunday, respectively. Both matches are scheduled for 2 p.m. starts at the Burt Kahn Court.