Atlantic 10 Play Continues As Davidson Visits VCU

Teams	Davidson at VCU
Date	Saturday, Oct. 31 at 4 p.m.
Venue	Siegel Center
Live Stream	Atlantic 10 Network
Live Stats	Live Stats

DavidsonPhotos.com

DAVIDSON, N.C. – The Davidson volleyball team is ready for an Atlantic 10 road trip to Richmond, Va., this weekend in hopes of making a climb back up the conference standings. The Wildcats will face VCU Saturday, Oct. 31 at 4 p.m.

About Davidson
Davidson is 9-14 overall and owns a 3-6 mark in conference play. The Wildcats are currently in a tie for seventh with George Mason, while VCU enters the weekend in fifth place with a 4-5 A-10 record.

Last Time Out
Davidson posted a 1-1 record at Belk Arena a weekend ago. After falling to Duquesne, 3-1, Davidson responded with a key conference win against La Salle, 3-0.

Davidson benefited from a balanced attack in the victory against The Explores. Sabrina Shepherd's nine kills and .615 hitting percentage leading the way. Mikayla Derochie and Ciera Cockrell added six kills apiece with Mason Rooney and Sarah Fink chipped in five strikes each.

The Wildcats were a force on the defensive side of the net, recording 10 total blocks. Shepherd finished with two solos and two assists, while Fink added two blocks of her own. Layne Doctson and Rooney each recorded six digs.

Rookie on the Rise
Freshman Sabrina Shepherd possesses a unique skill set that allows her make an impact on both sides of the ball. The Cave Spring, Ark., native currently leads the Wildcats with 2.11 kills per set to go along with a .357 hitting percentage, which ranks third among A-10 leaders. A force at the net, Shepherd is averaging 1.07 blocks per set, which ranks fourth in the conference.

Against Duquesne, Shepherd turned in a career night. She registered a career-high 18 kills to go along with a career-high .680 hitting percentage.

Protecting the Net
Emily Franklin and Sabrina Shepherd have helped Davidson average 2.40 blocks per set through 23 matches, good for second in the conference. Shepherd leads the team with 75 total blocks, and is fourth in the A-10 with an average of 1.07 blocks per set. Franklin has recorded 77 total blocks for an average of 1.03 blocks per set, good for eighth among conference leaders.

Immediate Impact
Davidson has benefited from a balanced attack thanks to a trio of freshmen – Sabrina Shepherd, Mason Rooney and Ciera Cockrell. Shepherd is averaging a team-best 211 kills per set to go with a .357 hitting percentage, which ranks third among conference leaders. Rooney has turned in 146 kills for a 1.78 average, while hitting at the .215 clip. Cockrell has accumulated 134 kills for a .165 average per set. Cockrell owns a .132 hitting percentage.

Setting It Up
Junior captain Mikayla Derochie and freshman Mason Rooney have shared the setting duties as the team shifted into a 6-2 offensive system. The Wildcats are averaging 9.6 assists per set. Derochie has totaled 331 helpers for a 4.04 average per set, while Rooney has averaged 4.29 thanks to her 352 assists.

Can You Dig It?
Davidson enters the weekend ranked fifth in the conference in digs per set (13.61). Senior Morgan Shannon leads the team with 3.92 digs per set, which is good for fourth in the conference. Layne Doctson (2.23 digs per set) and Mikayla Derochie (2.09 digs per set) have also helped to anchor the back row.

Honor Roll
Davidson has received a total of three weekly awards from the Atlantic 10 this season including two for Sabrina Shepherd and one for Mason Rooney. Shepherd earned Rookie of the Week honors on Sept. 14 and Oct. 26, while Rooney brought home the honor Sept. 8.

Scouting VCU (10-14, 4-5 Atlantic 10)
Davidson has won four of its last five to improve to 10-14 on the year, 4-5 in the Atlantic 10. The Rams sit in sixth place in the A-10 standings, just one game ahead the Wildcats.

VCU ranks sixth in the A-10 in kills per set (12.05) and hitting percentage (.204), and seventh in blocks (2.06). Kalah Jones's 3.41 kills per set and Sahbria McLetchie's 3.05 kills per set pace the offense, while Tori Baldwin ranks sixth in the conference with 1.04 blocks per set. Rebekah Strange is averaging 3.72 digs per set, which is good for sixth among conference leaders.

Davidson suffered a four-set loss when VCU in Davidson the first time the teams met earlier this season. Kelly Friers finished the night with 10 kills, a .172 hitting percentage and a block solo.

Looking Ahead
Davidson will visit La Salle and Duquesne Nov. 6-8.

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