Lehigh University Athletics
Mountain Hawks to host Crosstown Tournament
9/10/2009 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
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BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Lehigh will look to keep the momentum rolling as it stays at home this weekend for the Lehigh/Lafayette Crosstown Tournament. The Mountain Hawks will open their tournament play Friday night at 6 p.m. against the Providence Friars at Leeman-Turner Arena. The action continues on Saturday with matches against Rider at 10 a.m. and Niagara at 4 p.m.
Lehigh feels confident heading into the weekend as it will have three tough tests ahead of them in Leeman-Turner Arena.
“This is another great opportunity for us to find out where we measure up,” head coach Jenny Maurer said. “We feel confident that if we play our game and finish we will be successful.”
The Mountain Hawks played their first home match of the season Tuesday night and they swept the visiting St. Francis (N.Y.) Terriers in straight sets. Junior captain Brittany Dickinson led Lehigh with a double-double which included 11 kills and 25 assists.
This is the second meeting all time between the Friars and Mountain Hawks. Lehigh got the best of Providence in its first meeting, beating the Friars 3-1 in 2003. This season the Friars are 3-5 overall and that includes a loss to Niagara 3-0 back in late August. Providence is led by sophomore Lauren Fletcher who leads the team with 78 kills and a .256 hitting percentage.
Lehigh will continue tournament action bright and early Saturday morning with a match against the Rider Broncs at 10 a.m. This will mark the 30th time the schools will meet and the Mountain Hawks currently hold the all time series lead 19-10. The two teams last met in 2005 with Lehigh coming out on top 3-2. The Broncs head into the tournament with a 2-6 record overall and will be led by senior Brittany Hayes who leads the team with 53 kills.
The Mountain Hawks will finish off the Crosstown Tournament with a match against Niagara University at 4 p.m. Saturday. Lehigh and Niagara have met only one other time and that was in 2003 with the Mountain Hawks coming out on top 3-1. The Purple Eagles currently have a 5-3 overall record and have been led defensively by sophomores Hannah Hedrick and Sam Morgan who both have over 100 digs.
Through seven matches this season the Mountain Hawk attack has been led by sophomore Angelika Kopacz who leads the team with 70 kills. Kopacz was voted to the Hotel at Grand Prairie Invitational All-Tournament team after she led Lehigh to its first victory of the season.
Dickinson leads Lehigh with 126 assists and the Mountain Hawks other captain, senior Mo McReynolds, is second on the team with 67 kills. Lehigh is led defensively by sophomore Emma Melendez who has totaled 101 digs for the season.
This is the second tournament of the season for Lehigh as it participated in the Hotel at Grand Prairie Invitational in Peoria, Ill to open up the year. The Mountain Hawks left Peoria with a 1-3 record and they are expecting a different outcome at home this weekend.
“It is great that we don’t have to be on the road,” Maurer said. “There is always a lot of excitement about playing in front of your home crowd. The team has set a certain goal for its home matches this year and they will be ready to come out and compete.”
Fans can tune into live video coverage of all the weekend’s matches on Lehighsports.com.
