Sept. 29, 2009

PROVIDENCE, R.I. - The Providence College volleyball team will travel to Brooklyn Heights, N.Y. for a matchup with St. Francis (N.Y.) on Wednesday, September 30 at 7:00 p.m. The Friars enter the match with an 8-12 record, while St. Francis (N.Y.) stands at 1-9.

The Friars are coming off a 3-0 loss to New Hampshire in the championship match of the 2009 Friar Classic on September 26 in Providence, R.I. PC finished the tournament with a 2-1 record, good for second place. On the first day of the tournament, the Friars took on St. Francis and came away with a 3-0 victory. Sophomore middle blocker Lauren Fletcher (Syracuse, N.Y.) paced the Providence offense with 13 kills, hit at a .478 percentage and added seven total blocks in the win. PC has not lost to the Terriers since the 2002 season.

A strength of the Friars' offense this season has been the team's service game. Providence ranks first among Independent schools with 123 total aces and the team is averaging 1.64 aces per set. Freshman defensive specialist Shelby Spicer (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.) has excelled from the service line for PC, notching 33 aces on the year. The mark ranks first among Independent Volleyball student-athletes. Sophomore setter Carly Morrison is fifth amongst Independent players with 24 aces, while junior defensive specialist Emily Morris (Hermosa Beach, Calif.) is seventh with 22.

St. Francis (N.Y.) (1-9, 0-1) The Terriers are coming off their first win of the season, a 3-0 triumph over Coppin State on Saturday, September 26 at the Friar Classic in Providence, R.I. In the match, junior Anisa Lila led the Terriers with 13 kills and added 10 digs. She has recorded over 100 kills on the year, good for first on the team. For her efforts in the Friar Classic, Lila earned all-tournament honors.

What's Next? After the match against St. Francis, Providence returns to Mullaney Gymnasium for the team's home final on Wednesday, October 6 at 7:00 p.m. against intra-state rival Bryant. Prior to the match, senior Abby Majewski (Sunderland, Mass.) will be honored for her contributions to the Friar Volleyball program.