TOWSON, Md. -- League play is underway as the Towson University women's volleyball team plays its first home weekend of Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) volleyball at SECU Arena this weekend against Northeastern (Friday, 7 p.m.) and Hofstra (Sunday, Noon). 

Sunday's match is the team's annual Autism Awareness match. The Tigers will don their blue Autism jerseys for the duration of Sunday's showdown with the Pride. Towson will pull on its alternate jerseys following the second set of Friday's match with Northeastern.

Fans wearing blue to Sunday's match can enter SECU Arena free of charge.

First Serve
Week two of the CAA season opens this weekend at SECU Arena as the Towson Tigers take on a pair of league foes. Sunday's showdown with Hofstra will be Towson's annual Autism Awareness match as the Tigers sport their all-blue jerseys for the cause.

In The National Rankings
None of the teams involved in this week's invitational are mentioned in the AVCA Poll.

Scouting the Tigers
The balance continues for Towson as three players posted double-digit kills in Towson's four-set win over James Madison last weekend. Emily Jarome leads the charge with 144 kills and a 3.06 per-set average. Olivia Finckel is closing in with 136 kills and 2.96 per set while rookie Lydia Wiers (2.32), Annie Ertz (2.30) and Silvia Grassini (2.09) average over two kills per set. Wiers has 109 kills to date while Ertz and Grassini have 99 and 98, respectively. At the service line, Jarome leads Towson with 16 aces with Camryn Allen close behind with 13. Allen has successfully scored an at least one ace in each of the Tigers' last 10 matches. Grassini is the third Tiger in the double-digit ace club with 10 herself. Towson is out-acing opponents 75-50 this season, averaging 1.60 service aces per set. Eleven Tigers have racked at least one service ace this season. Towson's blocking continues to improve as the Tigers average 2.77 blocks per set this year, led by Wiers' 1.28 per set and 60 total. Finckel is second with a 1.15 per-set average and 53 total blocks, one ahead of Grassini and her 1.11 average. Ertz leads Towson with five solo stops. Wearing the libero jersey, Allen leads Towson with 3.89 digs per set and 183 total digs. Ertz is second with a 2.53 per set average and 109 total. Setter Marrisa Wonders has 110 total digs while posting 510 assists this season. Wonders leads Towson with six double-doubles, including each of the last four matches. 

Scouting the Huskies (As of Oct. 3)
The league's northern-most program makes its way to Greater Baltimore with an even 7-7 overall mark and a 1-1 record in league play. The Huskies are coming off a five-set loss at Elon last Sunday. Brianna Daphnis leads the offense with 2.60 kills per set (138 total) with Natalie Shollin joining her with a 2.04 per-set average (108 total). Northeastern's serving has been deadly this year with five players in double-digit aces, paced by 20 from Samantha Shupe. However, the Huskies have allowed 85 aces. Shollin leads Northeastern in blocks with 57 total and 1.08 per set. She is the lone Huskie with an average above one per set. Clare Lund leads the defense with 3.87 digs per set and 205 total digs. Kayla Martin is the only other Husky with more than 100 digs, coming up with 141 to date (2.76 per set).

Towson-Northeastern History
In a series dating back to 1987, the Huskies lead 25-14 all-time against Towson. The Tigers dropped both of last year's regular season meetings in five sets, but avenged those losses with a clean sweep in the quarterfinals of the CAA Tournament. Towson will be looking to win back-to-back matches against Northeastern since sweeping both the 2014 and 2015 regular season meetings. The Tigers have not topped the Huskies in Towson since a 3-1 decision on Oct. 11, 2015. The Tigers have a chance to level the series since head coach Don Metil took over for the 2013 campaign; Towson is 6-7 under Metil against Northeastern.

Towson-Northeastern By the Numbers
All-Time Series Record NU leads 25-14
at Towson NU 11-7
at Northeastern NU 13-5
at Neutral Sites Towson 2-1
at Unknown Sites n/a
First Meeting 1987 (NU 2, Towson 0)
Last Meeting Nov. 16, 2018
Towson 3, Northeastern 0 (CAA Quarters)
Streak Towson +1

Last Time Out vs. Northeastern | Nov. 16, 2018 | Charleston, S.C. | F. Mitchell Johnson Center 
Get in, get out, get on your way. That was the Tigers' game plan entering the 2018 CAA Championship first round against Northeastern in Charleston, South Carolina. Towson swept the Huskies 3-0 (25-23, 25-22, 25-23) behind a .214 hitting percentage. Jocelyn Kuilan, Olimade Sonuga and Emily Jarome led Towson with 11 kills apiece while Silvia Grassini finished with four total blocks. Marrisa Wonders hoisted 25 assists as Anna Holehouse had 26 digs.

Scouting the Pride
Hofstra arrives at SECU Arena with an 8-6 overall record and a 1-1 mark in league play. The Pride topped the Tribe of William & Mary in three sets last Sunday to split the opening weekend. Laura Masciullo leads the offense with 3.82 kills per set and 195 total. Ana Martinovic is second with 2.57 kills per set (136 total) while Athina Dimitriadis averages 2.27 per set (102 total). Luisa Sydlik and Martinovic are the lone Pride players with double-digit aces, scoring 14 and 13, respectively. Sydlik runs the offense as the setter, pushing up 571 assists for a 10.98 per-set average. At the net, Dubravka Krakovic has 40 total blocks. The next closest, Dimitriadis, has 15. Hofstra has been out-blocked 127.5-71.0 this season.

Towson-Hofstra History 
A rivalry that spans decades and conference alignments, Towson and Hofstra will meet for the 58th time on Sunday. The Pride leads the all-time series 40-17 after taking two out of three last season. The programs met in the CAA Tournament semifinals last season after splitting the regular season. The Pride took a five-set win en route to the 2018 crown. However, Towson is the last side to win back-to-back matches in this season, taking the second match of the 2016 regular season followed by a win in the CAA Tournament two weeks later.
Towson-Hofstra By the Numbers
All-Time Series Record Hofstra Leads 40-17
at Towson Hofstra 15-7
at Hofstra Hofstra 17-6
at Neutral Sites Hofstra 8-4
at Unknown Sites n/a
First Meeting 1982 (Hofstra 2-0)
Last Meeting Nov. 17, 2018
Hofstra 3, Towson 2 (CAA Semifinals)
Streak Hofstra +1

With a Win Over Northeastern Towson Would...
- Extend its winning streak to seven-straight matches, the longest for the program since the latter third of the 2017 season.
- Win back-to-back matches over the Huskies for the first time since four straight from 2014-15. 
- Be Towson's first home win over Northeastern since Oct. 11, 2015, a 3-1 decision. 
- See Towson improve to 3-0 in league play for the first time since the 2012 campaign with sweeps over Delaware, Georgia State and William & Mary.

ALRIGHT, ROOKIE.
Following her first weekend of CAA action, freshman middle blocker Lydia Wiers was selected as the league's Rookie of the Week Monday afternoon.

Wiers helped Towson to a 2-0 mark in league play with a sweep at Delaware along with a four-set win at preseason favorite James Madison. The freshman from Willard, Ohio finished the weekend with 20 kills on 35 total swings, committing just five attack errors. The rookie posted a dozen kills at James Madison on 21 swings with three errors. She hit for .429 in her first league weekend, hitting that number in both matches. Wiers added nine total blocks to her line as well.

Welcome to Our House
The friendly confines of SECU Arena have been kind to the Towson Tigers. Since moving into the new building full time in 2013, Towson has racked up an impressive 57-23 overall record at SECU Arena. The Tigers have three seasons with double digit wins, including a 10-3 mark in 2017. With a challenging home schedule last season, the Tigers went 7-8, but finished strong on a three-match win streak at home. To date, the Tigers are 4-1 in SECU Arena this year.

13 Ain't So Bad
For a long time, the number 13 has been associated with bad luck. For the Tigers however, the number is a positive number. After a clean sweep of Delaware, Towson is 29-15 in its 13th match of the season, dating back to the 1976 campaign. In the Tigers' CAA Era (2002), Towson is 14-4 in its 13th match of the season. Under head coach Don Metil, Towson is a perfect 7-0 in the 13th match of the year.

All-Time CAA Openers
Friday saw Towson open its 18th season in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA). The fact that the league opener was Delaware was very apropos as well. Towson and Delaware have long been league foes, dating back to the East Coast Conference, which later became the America East Conference. Since joining the CAA in 2002, Towson is now 14-4 in conference lid-lifters. Under head coach Don Metil, Towson is 5-2 in the first CAA match of the year, including winning the last four.

The Law Firm of Finckel, Grassini and Wiers
If you've been hurt by a block this season, chances are it's from Olivia Finckel, Silvia Grassini or Lydia Wiers. Towson is the only team in the CAA to have three players ranked in the top five in blocks per set. Wiers, the rookie, is tied for first in the conference with a 1.28 per-set average, deadlocked with William & Mary's Julia Brown (1.28). Finckel (1.15) is fourth in the CAA with Grassini (1.11) in fifth. James Madison is the only other CAA program with multiple players averaging over a block per set this season.

Stuck in the Middle With You
The Tigers are boasting a one-two punch in the middle this season between freshman Lydia Wiers and senior Silvia Grassini. The pair are ranked first and second, respectively, in the CAA in hitting percentage. Wiers hits at a .424 percentage with 109 kills on 203 swings with only 23 errors. Grassini is second in the league with a .412 hitting percentage. Towson is the only program in the league with multiple players in the top five. 

Getcha Brooms Out
The Tigers are a perfect 10-0 in three-set matches this season, sweeping Delaware (25-20, 25-19, 25-21) on Friday. Under head coach Don Metil, the Tigers are 79-25 in three-setters and have had double-digit sweeps in each of the last six seasons. Towson's highwater mark for sweeps was a 15-2 mark in the 2014 campaign. Towson has already equaled its winning sweep mark from last season after going 10-6 in three set matches in 2018.

Jarome, Grassini Named to Tiger Invitational All-Tournament Team
After a strong three matches at the Tiger Invitational, senior middle blocker Silvia Grassini and sophomore outside hitter Emily Jarome were named to the All-Tournament Team. Jarome was selected as the MVP and later added CAA Offensive Player of the Week plaudits to her name.

Jarome had a solid weekend at the Tiger Invitational, collecting MVP and All-Tournament honors. The Wilmington, Delaware native pounded in 34 kills in nine sets as Towson swept all three matches. The heavy-hitting sophomore posted 3.78 kills per set and rallied on defense with 25 digs in three matches. Jarome capped the weekend with a double-double, logging 15 kills and 10 digs against UNH. For the weekend, Jarome hit at a .253 rate en route to the MVP honors.

Grassini knocked down 21 kills on 42 swings with just six attack errors, finishing the three-set matches with a .357 hitting percentage. On the defensive half, she logged a dozen total blocks, including two solo efforts on the weekend against NJIT and UNH. Grassini added two service aces to her line in addition to three digs.

Wiers, Grassini Named Towson Invitational All-Tournament
It was a big weekend for Towson's middle blockers as both freshman Lydia Wiers and senior Silvia Grassini were named to the Towson Invitational All-Tournament team. 

The CAA Defensive Player of the Week, Grassini impressed during the Towson Invitational as the Tigers went 2-1. Grassini was named to the All-Tournament Team for the event after racking up 13 total assists, including seven against Coastal Carolina's high-powered attack. The Italian committed zero blocking errors in 11 sets while adding four digs to her weekend. Grassini was effective offensively as well, knocking down 27 kills, including 10 against Coastal, hitting for .488 over the weekend, including two matches with hitting percentages north of 60 percent.

Wiers continued her impressive play in her first action at SECU Arena, helping lead Towson to a 2-1 weekend during the Towson Invitational. Wiers had 18 total blocks in a new environment, never finishing with less than five stuffs. The Willard, Ohio native hit for .449 over the weekend, taking 49 swings with 28 kills and just six errors. Fighting through size on the blocks, Wiers was stopped just twice all weekend while posting a career-best 14 kills against Coastal in an epic five-setter.

Finckel Named Rutgers Invitational All-Tournament
For the weekend, Finckel logged 39 kills at a 3.55 per-set rate. She posted two service aces, while working at the net for nine assisted blocks, getting up at nearly one per set. Finckel added 14 digs over the three matches as well. 

The 6-foot, 2-inch hitter had her top performance against Virginia, helping Towson knock off an ACC opponent for a third-straight season. In that match, she had 13 kills on 28 swings with five errors for a .286 hitting percentage. She finished with five digs and two blocks against the Cavaliers.

She's a Freshman
After a strong performance to open her intercollegiate career, freshman Lydia Wiers was one of three Tigers named to the Morgan State Invitational All-Tournament Team. She was joined by senior Annie Ertz and sophomore Emily Jarome. Additionally, Wiers was tabbed as the Most Valuable Player after going 21 kills at a .529 rate and nine blocks.

Wins on Wins on Wins on Wins
Over the last five seasons, the Tigers have been a tough out for opponents. Between 2014-18, the Tigers have racked up a 121-41 overall record, which ranks 19th among NCAA Division I teams in terms of total wins in that span. With a winning percentage of .747 over the last five years, Towson ranks 22nd among fellow Division I teams in terms of winning percentage.

Bring Balance to the Force
Despite graduating some record-setting seniors a year ago, the Tigers return in 2019 with a strong balance of experience and youth. The Tigers return five seniors to the court this year, along with seven true freshmen. Included in the fold will be two juniors and seven sophomores, including two transfers. 

The ACC Won't Let Me Be Me
The night cap on Friday, Sept. 6 was the sixth time under head coach Don Metil that the Tigers will square up with an opponent from ACC. Under Metil, the Tigers are now 3-3 against the league, topping Virginia 3-1 at the Rutgers Invitational, The Tigers have won their last three matches against the ACC, with two wins over Virginia and a sweep of Miami last season. In 2017, Towson went 1-1, sweeping Virginia before falling 3-0 against Syracuse in the NIVC Tournament in Hamilton, New York In Metil's first season at Towson (2013), the Tigers fell in both matches against ACC opponents NC State and Virginia Tech, both going to four sets.

Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My!
This fall, the Towson Tigers will check off each animal on the fabled list from the Wizard of Oz. Towson faced the Bears of Morgan Saturday on Aug. 31 before sweepings Tigers of a different color against Princeton (Sept. 7). Towson will face Hofstra twice (Oct. 6, Oct. 27), which uses lions for its mascots. To date, Towson is 2-0 against the Wizard of Oz.

Tigers in the Community
The Towson University athletics department deems community service as one of its highest priorities to give back to the Greater Baltimore area.
- For the 7th consecutive year, the department exceeded 10,000 hours of community service to the Greater Baltimore region, finishing with 11,162 hours of community service in the 2018-19 academic season.
- Towson ranked #1 nationally for community service and won the 2018 National Championship for Community Service through the Helper Helper NCAA Team Works Competition.
- Towson had a 97% participation rate, attended 118 community service opportunities and volunteered with 19 organizations.
- Towson won the 2018 Volunteer of the Year Award from Susan G. Komen of Maryland.