TOWSON, Md. -- It's the final weekend of the 2019 regular season as the Towson University women's volleyball team plays its final pair of matches at SECU Arena this weekend before the 2019 CAA Tournament next week at Hofstra.

First Serve
It's the final weekend of the 2019 regular season as the Tigers look to wrap up league play with a pair on Friday and Sunday against the Phoenix of Elon and the Tribe of William & Mary on Friday and Sunday, respectively. 

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

Scouting the Tigers
Towson collected another two wins over the weekend, topping both Charleston and UNCW in four sets on the road. Towson's versatile offense is led by 280 kills from Emily Jarome (3.15) with senior Olivia Finckel in second with 258 (2.93). Rookie of the Year candidate Lydia Wiers is third with 231 (2.60) with Annie Ertz close behind at 222 (2.61). Silvia Grassini looks to join the 200 club this weekend as she checks in with 196 (2.20). Running that spread out offense is Marrisa Wonders, who eclipsed the 1,000 assist mark over the weekend with a to-date total of 1,029. She is the 15th player in program history to surpass the 1,000 assist mark in a single season and third in the 25-point rally era. At the service line, it's Camryn Allen leading the way for Towson with 32 aces this year, putting up at least one ace in each of the last 22 Towson matches. The junior libero leads the Tigers' back row defense with 340 digs (3.82) with Wonders in second with 245 (2.75). The latter has logged 13 double-double this season, including a pair last weekend. At the net, the league's top defense is led by Wiers' 108 total blocks (1.21). Grassini too has eclipsed the 100 block mark with 106 (1.19) with Finckel one shy of the milestone (1.13). Towson's 237.5 total blocks rank ninth for a single season in program history. Playing team defense, the Tigers have 21 block solos on the year, led by Ertz, who has seven. Towson has one of the sturdiest defenses in the country, holding opponents to a .135 hitting percentage this year.

Scouting the Phoenix
Elon enters the weekend with a 13-16 overall mark and sits at 7-8 in the CAA. The Phoenix are currently fifth in the CAA standings and have secured a berth in the CAA Tournament. Leah Daniel is the top offensive threat for Elon, knocking down 443 kills (3.89). Kellyn Trowse is second with 303 (2.63) with Nori Thomas in third with 220 (2.24). Kodi Garcia and Isabella Seman have 24 and 23 service aces, respectively. The Phoenix split setters with Garcia leading the way with 645 helpers (5.97) while Haylie Clark is second with 555 (4.78). In the back row, Seman paces the Phoenix with 302 digs (3.36) with Jordan Gower closing in with 281 (2.44). At the net, no Elon players have more than 100 blocks, but Jenn Krzeminski has 95 (0.93) to lead the way. Natalie Cummins is second with 85 total (0.82).Opponents are hitting .208 against Elon this season while the Phoenix clocks in at .182.

Towson-Elon History
It's a brief history between the Tigers and Elon. The programs first met during the 1998 season, a 3-2 win for the Phoenix. Since then, it's been all Towson as the Tigers have won the last 12 meetings, including a 3-1 (23-25, 25-14, 25-11, 25-19) victory in the Schar Center earlier this season. Towson is looking for its sixth-straight season with a sweep of Elon, dating back to the Phoenix's first year in the league (2014). The Tigers have won all six meetings at SECU Arena, including four sweeps. Towson has swept the Phoenix in each of the last two meetings at home.

Towson-Elon By the Numbers
All-Time Series Record Towson Leads 12-1
at Towson Towson 6-0
at Elon Towson 6-0
at Neutral Sites Elon 1-0
at Unknown Sites n/a
First Meeting 1998 (Elon 3, Towson 2)
Last Meeting Oct. 13, 2019
Towson 3, Elon 1
Streak Towson +12

Last Time Out vs. Elon | Oct. 13, 2019 | Elon, N.C. | Schar Center
After dropping the first set, the Tigers rolled past Elon for their sixth league win of the season, picking up the 3-1 by a 23-25, 25-14, 25-11, 25-19 set count. Towson's offense overcame a slow start to hit .321 in the match, including .481 in the second set and .484 in the third. Emily Jarome and Annie Ertz paced Towson's offense with 16 and 15 kills, respectively. Marrisa Wonders posted 48 assists while adding 15 digs. Camryn Allen led Towson with 16 kills while Jarome added a double-double with 14. Four Tigers hit better than .400 in the match, including Wonders' five kills on nine swings. Silvia Grassini had the top percentage among regular hitters with a .438.

Scouting the Tribe
William & Mary enters the weekend with a 7-19 overall record and has been eliminated from contention in the CAA Tournament with a 3-12 mark in the league. Sunday's match is the lone game remaining for the Tribe this season. Kate Dedrick leads William & Mary's offense with 275 kills (2.96) with Lauren Merrill in second with 229 (2.46). Julia Brown is the only other player with more than 200 kills to date with 208 (2.24). Autumn Brenner runs the offense with 739 assists (8.03). She also leads the Tribe with 26 service aces. Defensively, Anna Porter has 299 (3.36) digs while Merrill is second with 231 (2.48). At the net, Brown leads the way with 108 total blocks (1.16), including 19 solo stops. Kaitlyn Ferguson is second with 71 total blocks
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Towson-William & Mary History
Towson and William & Mary will be meeting for the 44th time since the first showdown in 1976. The Tigers lead the all-time series by a 25-18 count, winning each of the last 11 matches. Towson has swept the Tribe in the last seven meetings, including a 3-0 (25-16, 25-23, 25-14) sweep in October. Oddly, the Tigers will look to even the all-time series record in Towson, which William & Mary currently leads 9-8. 

With a Win Over Elon, Towson Would...
- Extend its winning streak to 19-straight matches, tying the program record for consecutive wins.
- Sweep Elon for a sixth-straight regular season.
- Be Towson's 10th-straight win at home, dating back to a win over UAlbany at the Towson Invitational on Sept. 14.
- See Towson improve to 15-0 in league play for the first time in program history.
- Be the Tigers' 20th straight conference win, dating back to the end of the 2018 season.

2019 Regular Season Champions
With its pair of wins at Charleston (3-1) and UNCW (3-1) over the weekend, Towson claimed outright ownership of the 2019 CAA Regular Season Championship. It is the Tigers' first CAA regular season title since the 2015 campaign when they shared the honor with James Madison. Towson will be the number one seed at next week's CAA Tournament in Hempstead, New York, the first time the Tigers are in the top spot since the 2012 season.

A Chance at History
With two wins this weekend, the 2019 Towson University women's volleyball has a chance to do what no team has ever done in CAA history: get to 16-0. Since the turn of the century, only two teams have run the conference table: the 2003 Towson Tigers (14-0) and the 2012 Towson Tigers (12-0). Since the CAA began sponsoring women's volleyball in 1984, 12 teams have gone unbeaten in league play (William & Mary 1986-91, 1993, George Mason 1994-96).

All They Do is Win
As the Towson University women's volleyball team closes out the regular season, this crop of seniors has been part of some of the winningest teams in program history. The four-year win total for the Class of 2020 has accumulated 92 wins to date, which is tied for the seventh-most for a senior class in program history. The Tigers have a chance this weekend to catch last year's seniors, which won 98 matches from 2015-2018. The 2017 seniors won a program-best 104 matches during their time in the Black & Gold.

Even MOREwards
For the ninth-straight week, at least one Towson University women's volleyball player has won a weekly honor from the league office as senior setter Marrisa Wonders was selected as the CAA Offensive Player of the Week and freshman outside hitter Lydia Wiers was named CAA Rookie of the Week for the fifth time this year.

Wonders had herself a nice weekend, putting up 109 assists in two matches, averaging 13.6 per sets over the weekend. Wonders helped run one of the league's best offenses to back-to-back wins on the road. Wonders distributed the ball well as five different Tigers reached double digits in kills this weekend. Wonders logged double-doubles in both matches, adding 34 total digs to her weekend, including a match-best 21 digs on Sunday at UNCW.

A middle blocker, Wiers helped Towson to a 2-0 week after finishing two matches with 30 kills (3.75) while hitting at a .400 rate. The middle blocker knocked down kills at a .414 hitting percentage against UNCW on Sunday. She aided in seven blocks as well, averaging nearly a block per set.

Climbing the Books
Senior middle blocker Silvia Grassini has made her presence known at the net during her three years with the Black & Gold. The Padua, Italy native has racked 312 career blocks, ranking 11th all-time in program history. Candace Steadman is 10th with 315. Susan Gansor ranks ninth all-time with 322. Grassini is the 12th player in program history with at least 300 blocks.

In the current 25-point rally scoring system (2008), Grassini ranks fourth in program history among players whose entire careers were played from 2008 on.

25-Point Rally Scoring Era Careers (2008-Present)
1) 427 - Lindsey Flaherty - 2013-16
2) 322 - Susan Gansor - 2008-11
3) 315 - Candace Steadman - 2012-16
4) 312 - Silvia Grassini - 2017-Present

"Official" Regional Rankings
While not quite official, the AVCA recently released a regional ranking poll compiled by Rich Kern. The Tigers rank fifth in the East Region, trailing only Power Five members Pittsburgh, Louisville, Notre Dame and Florida State. Beyond Towson, the remainder of the East Region poll includes Coastal Carolina, James Madison, Georgia Tech and Winthrop.

Let Me Help You With That
Despite playing in a 6-2 rotation for the first three years of her career, senior setter Marrisa Wonders is inching closer to the record books. The Mount Joy, Pennsylvanian has hoisted 3,262 assists in her career, aided by 106 combined assists at Charleston and UNCW last week. She is now fourth all-time in program history. Up next on the list for third place is Heather Hutson's mark of 3,544  from 1995-98.

Wonders is having a career season in 2019, pushing up 1,029 assists in just 89 sets, averaging 11.56 per set. Her total to date ranks as the most in her career, surpassing a rookie season when she logged 869, followed by 758 as a sophomore. Wonders currently leads Towson's 25-point rally era in career assists.

At Charleston, Wonders became the 15th player in program history with at least 1,000 assists in a single season. She has a chance to catch the single season top 10, guarded by Aubrey Kirven's 2012 mark of 1,236.

Two Legs vs Four Legs
Mascots come in all shapes, sizes, animals and breeds and people. But that hasn't stopped the Tigers this season. To date, the Tigers are 15-0 against mascots with four legs (Bobcats, Bears, Tigers, Great Danes, Greyhounds, Wildcats, Dukes (dog), Huskies, Pride (lions), Tribe (griffin) and Cougars). Towson has fared well against two-legged mascots, going 9-2 to date with wins over Pirates, Cavaliers, Penguins, Highlanders, Blue Hens, Phoenix and Seahawks. Towson's lone pair of losses came against two-legged foes, the Scarlet Knights and Chanticleers.

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 63-23 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 10-1 in SECU Arena this year with one weekend of home matches left on the schedule.

Ace Up Her Sleeve
Junior libero Camryn Allen doesn't have the biggest serve, but it's effective. Allen is second on the team in service aces this season, dropping in 32 through 26 matches. More impressive, is the current tear Allen is on; the 5-7 defensive specialist has logged at least one ace in each of the Tigers' last 22 matches. She is the only player in the CAA to rack up at least 10 matches this season with at least one service ace.

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 second in the conference with a 1.21 per-set average. Grassini is currently third in the league with a 1.19 average while Finckel is fifth in the league at a 1.12 clip. Towson is one of two programs in the league with multiple players averaging a block per set and is the only team in the conference with multiple players in the top five.

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 is ranked first and second, respectively, in the CAA in hitting percentage. Wiers leads the league at a .426 percentage, scoring 231 kills on 432 swings with 47 errors. Grassini is third with a .373 hitting percentage on 196 kills, 400 attempts and 47 errors. Towson is the only program in the league with multiple players in the top five. Wiers could be the first rookie to lead the CAA in hitting percentage since at least the 2005 season.

Getcha Brooms Out
The Tigers are a perfect 16-0 in three-set matches this season, sweeping Delaware (25-20, 25-21, 25-17) on Sunday, Nov. 3. Under head coach Don Metil, the Tigers are 85-25 in three-setters and have had double-digit sweeps in each of the last six seasons. Under Metil, Towson has now surpassed its previous highwater mark for sweeps with the 16-2 mark set the 2014 campaign. Towson has already surpassed its winning sweep mark from last season after going 10-6 in three set matches in 2018.

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.

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 squared 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 sweeping Tigers of a different color against Princeton (Sept. 7). Towson got the regular season sweep Hofstra, which uses lions for its mascots, on Oct. 27 in four sets after a sweep on Oct. 6. To date, Towson is 4-0 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.