GREENSBORO, N.C. – The UNC Greensboro (UNCG) volleyball team will continue its non-conference slate on the road this week by taking on the Hokie Invitational from Sept. 13-14 at Cassell Coliseum in Blacksburg, Virginia.
 

 
ABOUT THE SPARTANS

• UNCG comes into the week with a 3-3 overall record on the 2024 stanza.
• Head Coach Felicia Turner is in her second season at the helm of the UNCG volleyball team in 2024. 
• Assistant Coach Trent Dunahoo is in his second season with the Spartans, while Assistant Coach Justin Paggao was added to the coaching staff in the summer of 2024.
• UNCG was picked to finish ninth in The Southern Conference (SoCon) Preseason Coaches' Poll.
• The 2024 squad features seven returners and 10 newcomers (five freshmen and five transfers).
• Freshman standout Allie Sweet leads the conference in five categories: attacks per set (12.58), points (121.5), points per set (5.06), total attacks (175) and total kills (110).
• Sweet was named SoCon Offensive Player of the Week on Sept. 2, in the first round of weekly awards for the 2024 season.
• Madeline Timmerman is second in the SoCon with a .435 hitting percentage.
• Madeline leads the team with 10 service aces and 23.0 total blocks.
• Izora Gragg is second in the conference with 242 assists on the season so far.
• Chloe Nussbaum is leading the team as the libero with 94 digs this year.

 
LAST TIME OUT FOR THE SPARTANS

• UNCG went 1-2 at the Elon Invitational last week. The Spartans claimed the 3-1 win over North Carolina Central on Friday but dropped both their matches to Murray State (3-1) and Elon (3-0) on Saturday.
• Nussbaum led the team as the libero, recording a total of 44 digs on the week for a 4.00 digs per set average. The freshman recorded a career high of 20 digs in the team's match against Elon on Saturday.
• Nussbaum's efforts led her to be named to the Elon Invitational All-Tournament Team.
• Sweet led the Spartans as the outside hitter last week with 49 kills, averaging 4.45 kills per set. She notched three service aces on the week and added 27 digs and 6.0 total blocks.
• Gragg led the Spartans as the setter, recording 106 assists for a 9.64 assists per set average. The sophomore recorded five kills, three service aces, 34 digs and one block on the week.

SCOUTING CLEVELAND STATE

• The Vikings head to Blacksburg with a 4-2 overall record on the 2024 slate.
• Cleveland State most recently went 2-1 last week. The team defeated Akron, 3-1 and The University of Texas Rio Grand Valley, 3-2 but lost to Wyoming, 3-1.
• Emma Walker is leading the Horizon League with a 5.00 digs per set average and 110 total digs.
• Ella Mihacevich is one of 12 players in the country to have recorded a triple-double this season.
• Mihacevich leads the team with 194 assists.
• Liberty Torres stands out offensively with 87 kills.
• Allan Appleby paces the team at the net with 32.0 total blocks.
• The Vikings were tabbed to finish fifth in the 2024 Horizon League Preseason Poll.
• UNCG is the second SoCon opponent that Cleveland State will face in its non-conference schedule as the team defeated Western Carolina in straight sets on Saturday, Aug. 31 at the Carolina Classic in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

 
SERIES HISTORY VS CLEVELAND STATE
UNCG and Cleveland State have competed against each other one time in program history. The Vikings took the neutral site match, 3-0 in Asheville, North Carolina on Sept. 2, 2006.
 
SCOUTING NORFOLK STATE

• Norfolk State enters into this weekend's tournament with a 2-3 overall record.
• This weekend's tournament will be the second non-conference tournament the squad has competed in this season with Norfolk State playing host in its season opener.
• Norfolk State most recently competed in two away mid-week matchups. First, with a 3-0 loss at Charlotte on Sept. 4 and then most recently a 3-1 loss at Elon on Sept. 10.
• Gabrielle Gilbert was named to the 2024 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Volleyball Preseason Team.
• Gilbert leads the MEAC in three statistical categories this season: aces per set (0.59), kills per set (4.59) and points per set (5.21).
• Sydney McCree stands out as the leading setter on the team, pacing the team and the conference with a 9.35 assists per set average.

 
SERIES HISTORY VS NORFOLK STATE  
UNCG is 4-0 in the overall series against Norfolk State. The two teams last met on Sept. 3, 2021, in Greensboro, North Carolina, with UNCG coming away with the 3-1 match over Norfolk State.
 
SCOUTING VIRGINIA TECH

• The Hokies come into the weekend with a 2-3 overall record.
• Most recently, the team went 1-1 at the VCU Invitational in Richmond, Virginia, after defeating VCU, 3-1 and falling to Lafayette, 3-1.
• Hailey Pearce is leading the team with 65 kills and a 3.10 kills per set average this season.
• Viktoria Wahlgren stands out as the setter on the team with 155 assists and leads with eight service aces.
• Jordan Hallman and Ece Yildiz pace the Hokies on the defensive end, Hallman with 22 blocks and Yildiz with 49 digs.

SERIES HISTORY VS VIRGINIA TECH 
The Hokies lead in the overall series against the Spartans, 7-0, dating back to 1980. The last time UNCG and Virginia Tech faced off was on August 29, 2009, with the Hokies taking the match in four sets.
 
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UP NEXT
The Spartans will close out their non-conference schedule by hosting the Greensboro Invitational from Sept. 20-21 in Fleming Gym. UNCG will face Tennessee Tech at 1:00 p.m. and Georgetown at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 20. The team will conclude the tournament with a matchup to Marshall on Saturday, Sept. 21 at 2:00 p.m.
 
All regular season home games are free admission.