TOWSON, Md. – After playing on Charles Street last weekend for the first tournament of the season, the Towson University women's volleyball team will head to San Juan, Puerto Rico for the third edition of the Puerto Rico Clásico this weekend.
 
Towson will play three games at Coliseo Rubén Zayas Montañez de Trujillo Alto during the Clásico. Towson leads off on Friday with an 8 p.m. match against Miami, followed by a 5:30 p.m. match on Saturday against Arizona State. The Tigers conclude the Clásico on Sunday with a 5:30 p.m. matchup with Xavier.
 
Information to follow the Clásico will be available on TowsonTigers.com as it becomes available.
 
Last Time Out
Last weekend, the Tigers opened the 2018 season with a quick trip down Charles Street for The Baltimore Bash Presented by The Lord Baltimore Hotel and hosted on the campus of Loyola University Maryland. Towson had mixed results, falling in five sets against defending Big South champion Radford before sweeping Siena Saturday afternoon. The Tigers dropped their final match of the Bash, falling 3-1 against host Loyola.
 
Redshirt senior libero Anna Holehouse was named to the All-Tournament team after putting up 62 digs and eight service aces in the opening weekend.
 
It's How Far?
After playing just four miles down the road, the Tigers will make the long trip to San Juan, Puerto Rico for the Clásico this weekend. The Tigers will make the four-hour flight of roughly 1,600 miles Friday morning before taking on Miami that evening.
 
The Series: Miami (First Meeting)
Friday evening's match will be the first-ever meeting between the Tigers and the Hurricanes of Miami. However, it will be Towson's second match in its last five against an opponent from the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) after concluding the 2017 season against Syracuse during the NIVC Tournament.
 
The Series: Arizona State (First Meeting)
Likewise, Towson will be meeting Arizona State for the first time in the program's history. It will be Towson's second-ever meeting against a PAC 12-member institution. Towson previously hosted UCLA during the 2006 season, falling in straight sets.
 
The Series: Xavier (Xavier Leads 1-0)
Towson and Xavier have met once prior to the Clásico. The Tigers and Musketeers squared off during the 1996 season at the TU Labor Day Classic. Xavier won 3-0, but the first two sets were decided by two points, both 15-13.
 
I'm Coming Home
Two Tigers will have a chance to play in their home country this weekend. Senior right sider Jocelyn Kuilan hails from Toa Baja, Puerto Rico, roughly 16 miles (26 kilometers) from San Juan, while graduate student Claudia López is from Guaynabo, Puerto Rico a drive of about 10 miles (17 kilometers).
 
Make Puerto Rico Shine Again
After the devastation of Puerto Rico from Hurricane Maria last fall, the Towson volleyball team partnered with the Greater Baltimore Community to help make Puerto Rico shine again. Prior to its CAA matches against Hofstra and Northeastern last season, the Tigers asked for donations of flashlights and batteries, in addition to monetary donations, to send to Puerto Rico.
 
Seventh Season for Metil
Head coach Don Metil is now in his seventh season at the helm of the Towson volleyball program. With the Tigers, he is 115-52 overall, a winning percentage of .688. In his previous 16 seasons as a head coach, Metil has amassed a record of 345-182 (.654). Metil and the Tigers will look to surpass the 20-win mark for a fifth-straight season this year.
 
Kuilan's Big Swing
Senior Jocelyn Kuilan is firmly one of the top offensive players in program history. The right sider has knocked down 1,209 kills in her career at Towson, ranking sixth all-time. She needs 143 more kills to surpass Maddie Haseltine (2005-08). April Hoffman (2002-05) leads the career records with 1,588 kills. Kuilan averages 391 kills per season, including a rookie season with 426. Kuilan will need 416 kills to take the program's career record.
 
Bringing Down the Holehouse
Redshirt senior libero Anna Holehouse is poised to become the program's all-time digs leader. Through her first three years, she has kept the ball up 1,735 times, just 134 short of Paige Sekerak's mark of 1,869 from 2011-14. She currently ranks ninth all-time in CAA history.
 
- TowsonTigers.com –