GREENSBORO, N.C. –  The UNC Greensboro (UNCG) volleyball team will conclude its non-conference road schedule this weekend by traveling in state to Boone, N.C. for the Black & Gold Classic, hosted by App State. The Spartans will take on North Carolina A&T at 2 p.m. and USC Upstate at 6 p.m. on Friday, September 8. UNCG will return to the Holmes Convocation Center on Saturday, September 9 to take on the Mountaineers at 2 p.m.
 

Who: vs. North Carolina A&T When: Friday, September 8 Where: Boone, N.C. | Holmes Convocation Center Time: 2 p.m. Tickets Live Stats | ESPN+

Who: vs. USC Upstate When: Friday, September 8 Where: Boone, N.C. | Holmes Convocation Center Time: 6 p.m. Tickets Live Stats | ESPN+

Who: at App State When: Saturday, September 9 Where: Boone, N.C. | Holmes Convocation Center Time: 2 p.m. Tickets Live Stats | ESPN+

 
Quick Hitters for the Spartans

• The 2023 season marks the inaugural start for the UNCG volleyball coaching staff under the helm of Head Coach Felicia Turner and assistant coaches Trent Dunahoo and Ashley Gasaway.
• The Spartans return nine from the 2022 roster and have gained three freshmen and two transfers.
• The team finished last season with a 10-20 overall record and 4-12 in The Southern Conference (SoCon).
• UNCG is 0-6 overall in its first two tournaments (Bash in the Boro & Marshall Invitational) of the 2023 season.
• The Spartans won its first sets of the season last weekend by claiming set two against Coppin St. and set three against Marshall.
• Daija Jackson claimed a spot on the All-Tournament Team at the Marshall Invitational after the junior collected 20 kills, 7.0 total blocks and 24.0 points.
• Mallory Meers led UNCG as the setter last weekend by notching 43 assists over 11 sets played. Meers leads the squad with 113 assists on the season.
• Madeline Timmerman posted 18 kills and seven service aces over 11 sets played last week and ranks second on the team in kills with 33.
• Mya Wood led UNCG on the defensive end with 40 digs over 11 sets played, averaging 3.64 digs per set. Wood's best match of the season came last Friday against Coppin St. with 26 digs in four sets. Wood leads the team with 64 digs this season.
• Aylin Baran leads the Spartans so far in the 2023 campaign with 39 kills.

Scouting North Carolina A&T  
The Aggies come into this weekend's tournament 1-4 overall. The first win of the season for North Carolina A&T came against Rider (3-0) in Charlottesville, Va., on Saturday, August 26. The team most recently competed at the Charleston Southern Invitational where the Aggies had back-to-back five set thrilling losses to Southern Illinois and Charleston Southern on Friday. North Carolina A&T most recently faced SoCon foe, Chattanooga. The Mocs defeated the Aggies in straight sets.
 
Naiya Sawtelle leads the Aggies on the offensive end with 76 kills and 12 service aces, while Chiara Napoli stands out as the setter with 157 assists. On the defensive end, Morgan Allen and Maya Johnson lead, Allen with 54 digs and 11.0 total blocks for Johnson.
 
UNCG leads in the overall series against the Aggies at 34-4. The two teams most recently met last season in Fleming Gymnasium for the Spartan-Aggie Tournament. North Carolina A&T came away with the five-set win to defeat the Spartans.

Scouting USC Upstate
USC Upstate heads into the weekend 4-2 overall, coming off a 3-0 loss to SoCon rival, Furman on Tuesday night in Greenville, S.C. Three out Upstate's four wins this season have come in straight sets. Prior to the squad's weeknight match to Furman, Upstate hosted the Wofford/Upstate Tournament. The team notched back-to-back, 3-0 wins on Saturday against South Carolina State and Georgia State.
 
Ashleigh Nicoll leads Upstate on the offensive end with 66 kills and 10 service aces, while Julia Gladhill and Ady O'Grady stand out on the defensive side of the net. Gladhill has 90 digs and O'Grady has 17.0 blocks on the 2023 non-conference campaign. Kayla Spangler is the predominant setter for Upstate with 186 assists over the six-game stretch this season.
 
UNCG leads in the overall series against Upstate at 3-0. The last time the two teams met was in 2014, the Blue & Gold claimed a five-set win at the Liberty Flames Invitational in Lynchburg, Va.
 
Scouting App State 
The Mountaineers head into their second home tournament weekend of 2023 at 6-0 overall with four of those wins coming in straight sets. App State most recently competed at East Carolina's home tournament where the team defeated Bethune-Cookman (3-0), while claiming victories over Campbell and East Carolina in five sets.
 
McCall Denny leads App State on the season with 63 kills, while Katie Cruise stands out as the setter with 120 assists. Kennedy Roper with 72 digs and Maya Winterhoff with 34.0 total blocks lead the Mountaineers on the defensive end for the 2023 stanza.
 
The Mountaineers and Spartans overall record is very close at 28-25 in favor of App State. The two teams last met in 2021 in Boone, N.C., when UNCG claimed a 3-0 victory over App State.

Up Next
UNCG will host the Spartan Tri-Match on Friday, September 15 and Saturday, September 16 for the team's 2023 home opener. The Spartans will face Charlotte on Friday, September 15 and UNC Asheville on Saturday, September 16. First serve will be at 6:30 p.m. for both matches.