Flames News

LU, UNC Asheville Set for First-Place Battle

The Lady Flames will host UNC Asheville Friday at 7 p.m., in a battle between Big South co-leaders.

Live Video Streaming (Big South Network)

Live Stats

The Liberty volleyball team will continue its four-match homestand with a pair of Big South Conference contests, this weekend at the Vines Center. The Lady Flames will attempt to extend their five-match home winning streak and remain atop the conference standings.

Liberty's weekend will begin with a showdown against Big South co-leader UNC Asheville, Friday at 7 p.m. Both teams will enter the match with 10-2 conference marks. The following afternoon at 2 p.m., Gardner-Webb will visit the Vines Center for just the third time in program history.

Lady Flames' Upcoming Schedule
Friday, Nov. 6
7 p.m. – UNC Asheville (21-8, 10-2 Big South) at Liberty (15-10, 10-2 Big South)
Saturday, Nov. 7
2 p.m. – Gardner-Webb (11-17, 3-8 Big South) at Liberty

How to Follow the Lady Flames
Both weekend matches will be televised on WTLU by the broadcasting team of Ray Jones (play-by-play) and former Lady Flame volleyball standout Erin McKeown (color). The broadcasts will also be video streamed live via the Big South Network. For more information, please click the "Live Video Streaming" link at the top of this page or click "Live Video" on the Liberty volleyball schedule/results page.

Live stats will be available for both contests on LibertyFlames.com. They are accessible by clicking the "Live Stats" link at the top of this page or clicking "Live Stats" on the Liberty volleyball schedule/results page.

Lady Flames' Quick Hitters
-- Head coach Shane Pinder enters the week with a career record of 99-87 in six seasons with the Lady Flames. With his next victory, Pinder will become the fourth Liberty volleyball coach ever to record 100 career wins, joining Chris Phillips (198 wins), Beth Dalton (110 wins) and Sue Kelly (103 wins).

-- Senior middle blocker Chelaine McCarty could also reach a career milestone this weekend. She needs 22 kills to reach 1,000 during her three years with the Lady Flames. Teammate Nicki Scripko, a junior outside hitter, went over the 1,000-kill mark versus Radford on Oct. 6.

-- Continuing on with the milestone theme, junior outside hitter Karyl Bacon notched her 1,000th career dig during Liberty's match at VCU on Oct. 27.

-- Scripko, who continues to lead the Big South with 3.98 kills per set, is nearing a career high in the category. The Fayetteville, N.C., native has totaled 366 kills so far this season, leaving her just shy of her total of 393 kills as a freshman in 2007.

-- Liberty is 7-1 at the Vines Center this year, including 5-0 against Big South opponents. The Lady Flames have won 20 of their last 21 home matches versus conference foes, dating back to the start of the 2007 season.

-- Liberty, which ranks second in the Big South in service aces in conference-only matches (1.48/set), has extended its streak to 139 straight matches with at least one ace.

-- The Lady Flames have flourished in Friday matches this season, going 8-1 on the final day of the work week. Five of Liberty's Friday victories have come in 3-0 sweeps.

-- For the first time in program history, Liberty has recorded double-digit Big South Conference victories in three consecutive seasons. If the Lady Flames are able to win each of their four remaining conference tilts, they will finish the year with 14 Big South wins for the first time ever.

Scouting Reports
UNC Asheville
-- The Bulldogs are coached by Julie Torbett, who has posted a 281-247 career record in 16 seasons at the helm.

-- Senior libero Raquel Miotto leads the conference with 58 aces and ranks second with 555 digs. She is one of five players in NCAA history to notch more than 2,500 career digs.

-- Junior outside hitter Kelsey Benorden became the 10th Bulldog ever to record at least 1,000 career kills and 1,000 career digs, reaching the milestone during UNC Asheville's 3-1 win at Gardner-Webb on Tuesday.

-- UNC Asheville won the teams' first meeting of the season, Oct. 10 at the Justice Center. Freshman Cindi Miller's career-high 22 kills propelled the host Bulldogs to a 3-1 win. Liberty was paced by Scripko's 18 kills and Kelly Haseman's match-high 24 digs. Lady Flames senior setter Kallie Corbin was injured during the match and has not returned to action since.

-- Liberty leads the all-time head-to-head series, 26-18. The Lady Flames have prevailed in each of their last three contests against UNC Asheville at the Vines Center.

Gardner-Webb
-- The Bulldogs are coached by Chris Phillips, who owns a 52-99 record in her fifth year at Gardner-Webb. For her collegiate head coaching career, which includes 11 years at Liberty, Phillips is 397-368 in 21 seasons.

-- Gardner-Webb is the toughest serving team in the Big South, as the Bulldogs lead the conference and rank No. 13 nationally with 1.83 aces per set. Leading the way is senior setter Regina Feagin, whose 38 aces sit third in the Big South.

-- Reigning Big South Freshman of the Year Laura Wilcox has shown very few signs of a sophomore slump. She sits No. 4 in the Big South in attack percentage (.322), is tied for No. 7 in aces (0.33/set) and is No. 10 in kills (2.90/set).

-- Liberty will attempt to complete a season sweep of Gardner-Webb, after claiming an improbable 3-2 victory at Paul Porter Arena on Oct. 9. That evening, the Lady Flames battled back from a 2-0 deficit to pull out the match in five sets. Scripko fashioned 17 kills to lead all players, while Bulldog Carolina Solano hit .688 with 13 kills.

-- The Lady Flames own a 5-0 all-time record against the Bulldogs, including a 2-0 mark at the Vines Center.