Eastern Volleyball Heads to Virginia for William & Mary Colonial Classic

Volleyball at William and Mary Colonial Classic
Date	Friday Sept. 7 \| 3:30 p.m. \| Saturday Sept. 8 \| 10:30 a.m., 1 p.m.
Venue	Williamsburg, Va. - Kaplan Arena
Preview Info	EMU Notes
Live Stats	vs. Norfolk State \| vs. Savannah State \| at William and Mary
Video Broadcast	at William and Mary
Twitter	@EMUVolleyball \| @EMUAthletics

WILLIAMSBURG, Va. (EMUEagles.com) -- The Eastern Michigan University volleyball team heads to the Old Dominion state for a trio of matches against Norfolk State University, Savannah State University, and the College of William and Mary at the William and Mary Colonial Classic, Sept. 7-8.

Eastern's match against William and Mary will be broadcast on TribeAthletics.tv, and all matches can be followed on live stats.

SERIES HISTORY: Eastern Michigan is playing all three opponents of the William and Mary Colonial Classic for the first time in program history this weekend.

Since 1976, EMU has played eight matches against William and Mary's conference, the Colonial Athletic Conference, going 6-2 all-time. In matches against both Norfolk State and Savannah State's league, the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, Eastern holds a mark of 5-0.

LaFACE NAMED MAC WEST DEFENSIVE POW: Senior Alyssa LaFace (Allen Park, Mich.-Allen Park) was named the Mid-American Conference West Defensive Player of the Week, Sept. 5, for her play at the Michigan Invitational, Sept. 1-2.

LaFace had 73 digs and just one reception error on 34 attempts in the Eagles' 2-1 showing against Michigan, Cleveland State University, and Harvard University. Her 6.64 digs per set average over the three matches led the MAC for the weekend.

LEADING THE LEAGUE: After a 2-1 weekend as part of the University of Michigan Invitational and a match at Purdue Fort Wayne, Eastern Michigan is in the top-three of the Mid-American Conference in multiple categories, including leading the league in assists per set (12.93). The Eagles are also in the ranked in the MAC in digs per set (2nd - 18.72), kills per set (2nd - 13.34), blocks per set (3rd - 2.36), opponent hitting percentage (3rd - .161), and hitting percentage (3rd - .224).

Individually, redshirt junior Cassie Haut (Monroe, Mich.-St. Mary Catholic Central) leads the MAC in hitting percentage with a .367 mark. Sophomore April Houston is tops in blocks per set (1.22) and total blocks (33), while redshirt senior Mallory Rajewski (Midland, Mich.-Midland) is fourth in assists per set (8.77).

The 2017 season saw the Green and White lead the league in blocks per set (2.46), assists (1,558), total attacks (4,831), and total blocks (320.0).

WELCOME TO THE BLOCK PARTY: After leading the Mid-American Conference in blocks in the 2017 season, Eastern Michigan is once again making life difficult for opposing hitters at the net.
As a team, EMU is third in the league in blocks per set with a 2.36 mark, but has registered three consecutive double-digit block performances, highlighted by a season-high 11 total blocks against Harvard, Sept. 2. The Eagles have five double-digit block efforts so far this season.

CHASING 1,000: After two consecutive years leading the team in kills, senior Jordan Smith (Solon, Iowa-Solon) now sits at 982 for her career. Not only is 1,000 kills in sight, but the Solon, Iowa native also needs just 239 digs to reach the 1,000 digs plateau. She would become just the sixth player in Eastern history to join the 1,000 kill - 1,000 dig club.

MILESTONE ALERT: With senior Alyssa LaFace's 37-dig performance against Harvard Universty, Sept. 2, the Allen Park, Michigan native tied the Eastern Michigan modern-era (2008-present) record for digs in a four-set match. The libero also topped the 1,000-dig plateau for her career with a 33-dig performance against St. John's University, Aug. 25.

HOW MAY I ASSIST YOU?: Redshirt senior Mallory Rajewski registered yet another double-double against Purdue Fort Wayne, bringing her season total to five. The setter dished out 29 assists and picked up 16 digs against the Mastodons, making it three straight matches with a double-double. The Midland, Mich. native had 29 assists and 19 digs in a four-set victory over Cleveland State, Sept. 1, and added 37 assists and 14 digs in Eastern's win over Harvard, Sept. 2. Her season average of 8.77 assists per set ranks fourth in the Mid-American Conference.

Rajewski set a new career-high for assists in a three-set match, distributing 40 in the Eagles' sweep of Central Connecticut State. The total tied the mark for fifth-most assists in a three-set match since the modern statistical era began (2008).

HOUSTON WE HAVE LIFT OFF: Sophomore April Houston (Minneapolis, Minn-Southwest) followed up her strong performances at the St. John's Kaiser Classic and Michigan Invitational with a seven kill, six block output at Purdue Fort Wayne. Her 33 total blocks over the first eight matches is first in the Mid-American Conference.

MILESTONE WATCH: Senior setter Mallory Rajewski spent the 2017 season chasing 2,000 assists, becoming just the eighth player in EMU history to pass the mark and sits in seventh place in Eastern laurels with 2,386 assists. The Midland, Mich. native set a personal-best for assists in a season with 891 last year, and needs 1,000 assists to move into the top five all-time.

DOUBLE-DOUBLE DOUBLE TROUBLE: Eastern has seen tremendous production out of its two setters in the six-two system early on in the 2018 campaign. Senior Mallory Rajewski and junior Riley Taylor (Indianapolis, Ind.-Perry Meridian) each tallied double-doubles against Purdue Fort Wayne, marking the second time this season the setters have dished out double-digit assists and digs in the same match. The two have combined for seven total double-doubles on the season.

STAYING HAUT: Redshirt junior Cassie Haut was named to the St. John's Kaiser Classic All-Tournament team after posting double-digit kill efforts in all three matches she played in and averaging 3.64 kills per set at an exceptional .466 attack percentage.

The Monroe, Mich. tied a career-high with 23 kills against Harvard, Sept. 2, while also hitting .629 in the match. She is leading the Mid-American Conference in attack percentage at .419, and is also averaging 3.23 kills per set, and 1.14 blocks per set.

LaFACE AND HAMBY NAMED ALL-TOURNAMENT: Senior Alyssa LaFace and junior Ariel Hamby (Oak Park, Ill.-Oak Park River Forest) were named to the Michigan Invitational All-Tournament team for their performances against Michigan, Cleveland State, and Harvard, Sept. 1 & 2.

Hamby hit a season-high .364 in a career-tying 11-kill performance against Cleveland State, Sept. 1, while LaFace's performance led to her being named MAC West Defensive Player of the Week.

ON THE HORIZON: Eastern Michigan wraps up the non-conference portion of the 2018 schedule with a trip to the Steel City of Pittsburgh to take part in the Robert Morris Invitational, Sept. 14-15.

The Eagles will play the University of Houston, Robert Morris, and Duquesne in the two-day event.

Eastern Volleyball Heads to Virginia for William & Mary Colonial Classic

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Players Mentioned

Ariel Hamby

Cassie Haut

April Houston

Alyssa LaFace

Mallory Rajewski

Jordan Smith

Riley Taylor

Eastern Michigan Athletics