Sept. 11, 2008

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - The Marshall University volleyball team will travel to Morgantown to take on in-state rival West Virginia Friday, Sept. 12. First-serve is slated for 7:00 p.m.

Marshall enters Friday's contest with a 4-3 overall record, while West Virginia stands at 2-4 on the season.

The Thundering Herd has defeated West Virginia in each of its last six meetings, including a 3-1 victory over the Mountaineers in last season's Blue/Green Classic. West Virginia owns a 26-13 overall record against the Herd dating back to the series' beginning in 1974.

Elizabeth Fleming (South Bend, Ind.) dished out 63 helpers while Jalicia Ross (Bank Village, Trinidad) recorded 12 kills, three solo blocks and three assisted blocks in that win. Kristin Marcum (Arlington, Texas) also added 15 digs on the day.

Marshall enters Friday's contest looking to snap a two-match losing skid. The Herd fell to Western Kentucky 3-0 in the final match of the Marshall Thunder Invitational, and lost a midweek clash with Morehead State (3-0) on Tuesday.

The Herd is led offensively by Emily Sullivan (Cincinnati, Ohio), who has collected 84 kills so far on the season. Marcum ranks second on the team with 61 kills, while Ross has chipped in 54 and is hitting at a team-best .390 clip (54 K, 13 E, 105 TA) and has 18 total blocks (2 solo, 16 assisted). Fleming has amassed 262 assists so far on the season and has added 64 digs.

Newcomer Jessica Dhoore (LaPorte, Ind.) has notched a team-high 71 digs, followed closely by fellow freshman Megan Carlson (Andover, Minn.) who has dug 65 balls.

The Mountaineers finished the Winthrop Classic with a 2-1 record, defeating host Winthrop 3-2 and NC Central 3-1. West Virginia's loss came at the hands of Morehead State, 3-1.

West Virginia is led by Kristina Gallahan, who has totaled 74 kills, while Kylie Armbruster has added 58 kills and 60 digs for the Mountaineers. Bonnie West has registered 85 digs so far on the season, while Nicole Jones has handed out 195 helpers to guide the West Virginia offense.

Marshall returns to non-conference action Tuesday, Sept. 16 when it travels to Oxford, Ohio for a match with Miami (Ohio). First-serve is slated for 6:00 p.m. ET.