Volleyball Readies for Three Matches at UConn

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Brown volleyball heads to UConn for three matches this weekend as the Bears look to remain undefeated.

Brown will play two matches on Saturday (Sept. 16) when the Bears face off against Binghamton at 1:30 p.m. before playing Michigan State at 4:30 p.m. Brown will close out the weekend against UConn on Sunday (Sept. 17) at 4 p.m.

All three games for the Bears will be streamed on UConn+.

SCOUTING THE BEARS

Brown is off to its best start in program history with a 7-0 record and the Bears are one of 14 teams in the nation to still be undefeated.
The Bears' offense is seventh in the NCAA and leads the Ivy with 14.52 kills per set. Beau Vanderlaan is seventh in the Ivy (2.65) and Kayla Griebl is 10th (2.59).
Brown is hitting a league-best .292, which is good for 17th in the nation. Vanderlaan is the top hitter on the Bears, hitting .419, which puts her second in the league and 39th in the NCAA.
Cierra Jenkins is second in the Ivy and 30th in the NCAA with 10.50 assists per set. As a team, Brown is 18th in the NCAA with 13.13 assists per set. Jenkins was rewarded for her play by earning Ivy League Player of the Week honors last week.
The Bears defense has been just as good early in the season with Brown fourth in the NCAA in opposing hitting percentage (.122), 40th in digs per set (15.91) and 42nd in blocks per set (2.57). All of those marks lead the Ivy League.
Individually, Jesse Golden is fourth in the NCAA with 5.83 digs per set and at the net Vanderlaan is 60th in blocks per set (1.26). Both players lead the Ivy in their respective category.

SCOUTING BINGHAMTON

Binghamton is 6-4 on the season and had a three-match win streak snapped with a loss to Delaware State last weekend.
Tsvetelina Ilieva has been a major force on offense for Binghamton as she is first in the NCAA in service aces (24), 6th in the NCAA in total points (184), 18th in the NCAA in aces per set (0.65) and 44th in the NCAA in kills per set (4.05).
As a team, Binghamton is eighth in the NCAA in service aces per set (2.38). The Bearcats are 60th in the nation in opposing hitting percentage (.166) and 68th in blocks per set (2.38).
This will be the second all-time meeting between Brown and Binghamton with Binghamton winning the first contest.

SCOUTING MICHIGAN STATE

Michigan State is 5-3 on the year and is coming off a four-set win over North Carolina last Sunday. The Spartans have won five of their last six games with the only loss being a three-set defeat to Duke.
The Spartans are 17th in the NCAA in opposing hitting percentage (.139) and 52nd in hitting percentage (.258).
Jayhlin Swain is 10th in the nation in aces per set (0.68) and Michigan State as a team is 30th in the NCAA (2.04).
Taylah Holdern leads the offense with 3.42 kills per set and Nalani Iosia leads the backline defense with 4.58 digs per set (55th in NCAA).
This will be the first meeting between Brown and Michigan State.

SCOUTING UCONN

UConn is 4-5 on the year, losing in four sets to Yale before this weekend's play.
The Huskies are hitting .217 as a team and allowing opponents to hit .228.
UConn has two players, Emma Werkmeister (2.65) and Mya Ayro (2.57), averaging over 2.00 kills per set.
Karly Berkland is averaging 3.52 digs per set to lead the UConn defense.

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