GREENSBORO, N.C. –  The UNC Greensboro (UNCG) volleyball team will continue The Southern Conference (SoCon) schedule at home this week by taking on The Citadel on Thursday, Oct. 5 and Wofford on Friday, Oct. 6. Both matches will begin at 6 p.m. in Fleming Gymnasium. Thursday's match will be professor appreciation and the first 100 students will receive a free t-shirt, while Friday's game will be a "Pink Game" in which the team will support breast cancer awareness. 
 

Who: vs The Citadel When: Thursday, Oct. 5 Where: Greensboro, N.C. | Fleming Gymnasium Time: 6 p.m. Tickets: Admission is Free Live Stats | ESPN+

Who: vs Wofford When: Friday, Oct. 6 Where: Greensboro, N.C. | Fleming Gymnasium Time: 6 p.m. Tickets: Admission is Free Live Stats | ESPN+

 
Quick Hitters for the Spartans

• UNCG comes into Thursday's match with a 1-14 overall record and 0-4 in the SoCon.
• Head Coach Felicia Turner gained her first win as a head coach on Friday, Sept. 8 with a 3-0 sweep over USC Upstate at the Black & Gold Classic, hosted by App State.
• The Spartans competed in one road and one home match last week with a four-set loss at ETSU and a competitive five-set loss to Chattanooga at home.
• Aylin Baran led the Spartans as the outside hitter last week with 36 kills and a 4.00 kills per set average in nine sets played. Baran notched 23 kills and had a .268 hitting percentage in the team's matchup to Chattanooga on Saturday. She leads UNCG with 160 kills on the season.
• Daija Jackson led the Spartans with 6.0 total blocks last week. Jackson posted 4.0 total blocks against ETSU on Thursday night. She added 21 kills and 24.0 points on the week. Jackson stands on top for the team at 27.0 total blocks on the season.
• Izora Gragg and Mallory Meers continues to tag team as the setters this season, Meers with 260 assists and Gragg with 176. Gragg led last week with 47 assists and a 5.22 assists per set average over nine sets played.
• Mya Wood leads UNCG as the libero this season with 170 digs on the 2023 campaign. 

Scouting The Citadel
The Bulldogs come to Greensboro this Thursday atop the SoCon with an undefeated 16-0 overall record and 4-0 in conference. The Citadel most recently competed in two home matches by defeating Western Carolina in straight sets on Wednesday and taking a five-set thriller from Mercer on Sunday.

As a team, the Bulldogs are ninth in the country in service aces with 121 on the season. Individually, Ali Ruffin ranks in the top 10 nationally in six statistical categories. Ruffin is third in kills, fifth in points, sixth in points per set, seventh in kills per set and eighth in attacks per set and total blocks. In addition, Belle Hogan ranks seventh nationally in assists.
 
The Spartans lead in the overall series against the Bulldogs at 34-9. UNCG claimed both conference matchups last season. The first coming in four sets in Charleston and the most recent coming in straight sets for the Spartans in Fleming Gymnasium.

Scouting Wofford
Wofford comes into the week with a 13-2 overall record and 4-0 in conference, to stand just behind the Citadel at second place in the SoCon. The Terriers are currently on a nine-game winning streak. The squad has gone up against Mercer, Chattanooga, Furman, and Samford so far in its conference schedule and has defeated all four in straight sets.
 
The only two losses for Wofford this season have come against Clemson in straight sets and High Point over a five-set back-and-forth matchup.
 
As a team, the Terriers rank first in the conference in blocks per set, opponents hitting percentage and total blocks. Sarah Barham stands atop the conference in two statistical categories with 1.23 blocks per set and 65 total blocks. Barham also leads her team with 124 kills this season. In addition, Abbey Richman leads the conference with 4.85 digs per set. Richman leads Wofford with 262 digs on the season. Emily Hodsdon stands out as the setter for Wofford with 350 assists on the 2023 campaign.
 
UNCG leads in the overall series against Wofford at 33-17. The Spartans fell short in straight sets for both matchups to the Terriers last season.

Up Next
The Spartans will hit the road next week to take on Western Carolina on Friday, Oct. 13 at 6 p.m. and Furman on Saturday, Oct. 14 at 4 p.m.