Friday, August 24
Morgantown, WV
12:30 PM
Wright State University
vs
Connecticut
@WSUVball Opens Season Friday
8/22/2018 9:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
A new era will begin Friday and Saturday for the Wright State volleyball program under new head coach Allie Matters.Â
The Raiders will play Connecticut at 12:30 pm and Georgia Southern at 4:30 pm on Friday and host West Virginia Saturday at 3 pm as part of the West Virginia Invitational.
Wright State
The Raiders will look to a mixture of newcomers and veteran players in 2018 after going 11-18 and 5-11 in 2017. Experience is most notable for the outside hitter with the third most kills (281) on the team in 2017, Abby Barcus, and middle blocker/right side hitter Teddie Sauer, the second-leading WSU blocker (90) last season. Right side hitter Celia Powers should also be noted for appearing in 27 matches as a freshman.
Â
Two upperclassmen that will have key roles include Lemming, who was third on the team in kills (170) and second in blocks (97) during the 2016 campaign, and junior defensive specialist/libero Hannah Colvin with the top tally of digs (235) from last season for any returning Raider. Matters also looks to junior outside hitter Taylor Gibson could have a standout year after a productive summer of conditioning.
The freshmen class could be impactful with their aptitude for competitive play. Setter Lainey Stephenson and middle blocker Grace Hauck each played for the successful Northern Kentucky Volleyball Club, while defensive specialist/libero Jenna Story was a member of the talented Union Volleyball Club in Louisville.
Â
Defensive specialist/libero Ellee Ruskaup, has the familiarity of being a former teammate of Sauer at the club level.
Connecticut
UConn lost only two seniors a year ago, returning nine this season, including Danielle Cabel, Elizabeth Kline, Emma Turner, Iman McGary and Kennedy Arundel. UConn went 11-21, 4-16 in 2017 and have been picked to finish 11th in the 12-team American Athletic Conference poll. WSU has won four times in five tries against the Huskies.
Georgia Southern
GSU returns four starters, including Preseason All-Sun Belt middle Lauren Reichard, and 12 letterwinners overall to the 2018 team. They beat Anderson in five sets in the preseason as senior Reichard posted 15 kills and five blocks. Freshman Madison Brown played the entire match at setter and collected 47 assists, 18 digs and a block in her Georgia Southern debut. Georgia Southern was picked to finish sixth in the six-team East Division of the Sun Belt as Reichard received preseason honors. The Eagles finished 2017 at 8-21, 3-13. This is the first meeting with GSU.
West Virginia
Guided by fourth-year coach Reed Sunahara, the 2018 West Virginia University volleyball program is fresh off a trip to the postseason for the first time in 26 years, advancing to the 2017 National Invitational Volleyball Championship (NIVC) semifinals. With 10 letterwinners and two starters, the Mountaineer squad returns with nearly the same roster that got them there in the first place. WVU was picked to finish ninth in the Big 12. The Raiders lead the overall meetings 5-4.
Next Up
The Raiders will play in the Comfort Inn-vitational in Morehead, KY next weekend against Mercer, Saint Francis and Morehead State.
The Raiders will play Connecticut at 12:30 pm and Georgia Southern at 4:30 pm on Friday and host West Virginia Saturday at 3 pm as part of the West Virginia Invitational.
Wright State
The Raiders will look to a mixture of newcomers and veteran players in 2018 after going 11-18 and 5-11 in 2017. Experience is most notable for the outside hitter with the third most kills (281) on the team in 2017, Abby Barcus, and middle blocker/right side hitter Teddie Sauer, the second-leading WSU blocker (90) last season. Right side hitter Celia Powers should also be noted for appearing in 27 matches as a freshman.
Â
Two upperclassmen that will have key roles include Lemming, who was third on the team in kills (170) and second in blocks (97) during the 2016 campaign, and junior defensive specialist/libero Hannah Colvin with the top tally of digs (235) from last season for any returning Raider. Matters also looks to junior outside hitter Taylor Gibson could have a standout year after a productive summer of conditioning.
The freshmen class could be impactful with their aptitude for competitive play. Setter Lainey Stephenson and middle blocker Grace Hauck each played for the successful Northern Kentucky Volleyball Club, while defensive specialist/libero Jenna Story was a member of the talented Union Volleyball Club in Louisville.
Â
Defensive specialist/libero Ellee Ruskaup, has the familiarity of being a former teammate of Sauer at the club level.
Connecticut
UConn lost only two seniors a year ago, returning nine this season, including Danielle Cabel, Elizabeth Kline, Emma Turner, Iman McGary and Kennedy Arundel. UConn went 11-21, 4-16 in 2017 and have been picked to finish 11th in the 12-team American Athletic Conference poll. WSU has won four times in five tries against the Huskies.
Georgia Southern
GSU returns four starters, including Preseason All-Sun Belt middle Lauren Reichard, and 12 letterwinners overall to the 2018 team. They beat Anderson in five sets in the preseason as senior Reichard posted 15 kills and five blocks. Freshman Madison Brown played the entire match at setter and collected 47 assists, 18 digs and a block in her Georgia Southern debut. Georgia Southern was picked to finish sixth in the six-team East Division of the Sun Belt as Reichard received preseason honors. The Eagles finished 2017 at 8-21, 3-13. This is the first meeting with GSU.
West Virginia
Guided by fourth-year coach Reed Sunahara, the 2018 West Virginia University volleyball program is fresh off a trip to the postseason for the first time in 26 years, advancing to the 2017 National Invitational Volleyball Championship (NIVC) semifinals. With 10 letterwinners and two starters, the Mountaineer squad returns with nearly the same roster that got them there in the first place. WVU was picked to finish ninth in the Big 12. The Raiders lead the overall meetings 5-4.
Next Up
The Raiders will play in the Comfort Inn-vitational in Morehead, KY next weekend against Mercer, Saint Francis and Morehead State.
Players Mentioned
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
DS/L
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
MB
/ Women's Volleyball
RS
/ Women's Volleyball
DS/L
/ Women's Volleyball
MB/RS
/ Women's Volleyball
S
/ Women's Volleyball
DS/L
/ Women's VolleyballTravers Green & Mya Ayro - NCAA Selection Show (11/30/25)
Monday, December 01
Travers Green Postgame - Horizon League Champions (11/23/25)
Sunday, November 23
Travers Green Postgame - 11/15/25
Saturday, November 15
Travers Green Postgame - 10/18/25
Saturday, October 18
