HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. - After the first-ever 16-0 season in Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) women's volleyball history, the Towson University women's volleyball team secured the top seed in the 2019 CAA Women's Volleyball Championship Tournament. The Tigers await the winner of Friday's 4 p.m. showdown between No. 4 Northeastern and No. 5 Elon. The entire 2019 CAA Women's Volleyball Tournament will be held at the David S. Mack Physical Education Center on the campus of Hofstra University and will be carried on FloVolleyball.tv.

First Serve
Towson enters the 2019 CAA Women's Volleyball Tournament as the top-seeded team for the first time since 2012 after going 16-0 in league play this fall. Towson awaits the winner of No. 4 Northeastern vs. No. 5 Elon Friday night.

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

Scouting the Tigers
Towson concluded the first-ever 16-0 CAA season with a pair of wins over Elon (3-0) and William & Mary (3-1) on Friday and Sunday, respectively. Towson's versatile offense, which boasts five players with at least 200 kills, is led by sophomore Emily Jarome, who has 292 (3.07). Senior Olivia Finckel is second with 282 (2.97) with classmate Annie Ertz is third with 243 (2.64). Middle blockers Lydia Wiers (231, 2.60) and Silvia Grassini (214, 2.23) round out the 200 kill Tigers. Wiers leads the league in hitting percentage at .426, which ranks sixth nationally. She is the only freshman ranked inside the top 10 nationally in hitting percentage. Grassini is second among Towson's regular rotation with a .381 hitting percentage. The pair of middles control the net as Grassini leads Towson with 115 total blocks (1.20), with Wiers in second at 108 (1.21). Finckel edged into the 100 block club and now has 107 (1.13). Running that offense is senior setter Marrisa Wonders, who has 1,112 assists to date, leading the league with an 11.58 per set average. Junior libero Camryn Allen extended her ace streak to 24 straight matches after dropping in one in each match over the weekend. Allen leads the Tigers' back row efforts with 363 digs (3.78). Wonders is second with 272 (2.83) and has 14 double-doubles this season. Jarome has 229 digs (2.41) this season as well while Annie Ertz has 215 (2.34). The Tiger defense ranks fourth nationally in opponent hitting percentage, limiting foes to a .136 hitting percentage this season.

Scouting the Huskies
Northeastern secured the number four spot after going 9-7 in the CAA and 15-13 overall. The Huskies split last weekend's matches, topping Delaware in straight sets before falling to James Madison in four. Natalie Shollin paces Northeastern's offense with 265 kills (2.45) with Athena Ardila close behind with 251 (2.73). Erica Staunton rounds out the 200-kills group with 236 (2.51). Samantha Shupe is the primary setter for the Huskies, putting up 836 assists (7.74). Liz Carroll is second with 335 (4.04). Clare Lund leads the back line with 391 digs (3.62) while Shupe ranks second with 231 (2.14). Shollin is the top blocker for the Huskies, turning aside 88 total attacks. Nailah Jenkins is second with 81 blocks, including a team-best 22 solo stops. As a team, Northeastern ranks fourth in the CAA in hitting percentage at .223, but ranks eighth in opponent hitting percentage at .221. 

Towson-Northeastern History
The Tigers and the Huskies could meet for the 42nd time in series history. Northeastern leads the all-time meetings 25-16, though Towson has closed the gap with three straight sweeps over the Huskies dating back to the 2018 CAA Tournament. Towson is 2-1 all-time against Northeastern in neutral site meetings, including a 3-0 win last year in Charleston. Last year's clash in the CAA Tournament quarterfinals currently stands as the only meeting between the two sides in the league tournament. Towson swept the Huskies 25-23, 25-22, 25-23.

Towson-Northeastern By the Numbers
All-Time Series Record NU leads 25-16
at Towson NU 11-8
at Northeastern NU 13-6
at Neutral Sites Towson 2-1
at Unknown Sites n/a
First Meeting 1987 (NU 2, Towson 0)
Last Meeting Oct. 25, 2019
Towson 3, Northeastern 0
Streak Towson +3

Last Time Out vs. Northeastern | Oct. 25, 2019 | Boston, Mass. | Cabot Center
It was a straight-set match to open a weekend on the road as the Tigers took down Northeastern 28-26, 25-19, 25-15 in Boston. The Tigers hit at a .306 rate while limiting the Huskies to a .165 thanks to eight Towson blocks. Lydia Wiers led the charge for Towson with 13 kills while Annie Ertz racked 11. The pair hit .571 and .375, respectively. Marrisa Wonders hoisted 36 assists in three sets while Camryn Allen notched 12 digs. Wiers and Silvia Grassini had four block assists apiece as Jarome and Olivia Finckel contributed three each. Athena Ardila was the only Husky with double-digit kills, scoring a dozen.

Scouting the Phoenix
Elon enters the CAA Tournament as the number five seed with a 7-9 league record and a 13-17 mark on the season. The Phoenix dropped its lone match last week against the Tigers as Towson won in straight sets (25-20, 26-24, 25-12). Leah Daniel is the kills leader for Elon, knocking down 451 this season (3.89) with Kellyn Trowse in second with 296 (2.53). Daniel is one of three players in the league with at least 400 kills. The Elon offense runs through the hands of two setters, Kodi Garcia and her 648 assists (5.89) and Haylie Clark and her 558 helpers (4.73). Jenn Krzeminski leads the charge at the net with 98 total blocks (0.95) while Natalie Cummins is second with 83 (0.79). Isabella Seman leads the defensive specialists with 319 digs (3.47) with Jordan Gower in second with 278 (2.38).

Last Time Out vs. Elon | Nov. 15, 2019 | Towson, Md. | SECU Arena
It's only been a week since the Tigers last met Elon as Towson won 3-0 Friday night at SECU Arena (25-20, 26-24, 25-12). Towson hit at a .264 rate while limiting the Phoenix to .121 behind six team blocks. Olivia Finckel and Annie Ertz led the charge with 13 and 10 kills, respectively. Silvia Grassini had seven kills on 12 swings with zero errors for a .583 hitting percentage. Marrisa Wonders popped up 39 assists while eventual Rookie of the Week Asia Goins notched 17 digs. Elon was led by 11 kills from Leah Daniel.

p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 10.0px Interstate} span.Apple-tab-span {white-space:pre} Towson-Elon By the Numbers
All-Time Series Record     Towson Leads 13-1
    at Towson    Towson 7-0
    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     Nov. 15, 2019
            Towson 3, Elon 0
Streak    Towson +13

Towson-Elon History
Towson and Elon could meet for the 15th time Saturday afternoon, should the Phoenix advance past the quarterfinals. After Towson dropped the first meeting in five sets back in 1998, the series has been all Towson as the Tigers have reeled off 13 straight wins over the Phoenix. Towson swept the regular season in seven sets, including last week's 3-0 sweep. The only neutral site meeting between the programs came during the 1998 season in the first-ever meeting. Towson and Elon have never met in the CAA Tournament.

With a Semifinal Win, Towson Would...
- Extend its winning streak to 21-straight matches, continuing to up the program record for consecutive wins.
- Advance to the CAA Championship match for the first time since the 2005 campaign.
- Be Towson's 5th-straight neutral site win this season after going 4-0 during invitational season in August and September.
- Be the Tigers' 17th win over an opponent from the CAA this season (Tournament matches do not count as conference wins).
- Be a top seed to reach the championship match for a third-straight year.

History: Made
With two wins over weekend, the 2019 Towson University women's volleyball did what no team has ever done in CAA history: go 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).

No Longer a Teenager
With its pair of wins over the weekend against Elon (3-0) and WIlliam & Mary (3-1), Towson extended its winning streak to 20 matches. That mark now stands as the program record, surpassing the previous best streak of 19, set by the 2003 team. Towson's winning streak currently ranks as the fifth-longest in the nation, trailing Western Kentucky (25), Colorado State (25), South Dakota (24) and Stephen F. Austin (21). The Tigers have won their last 21 CAA matches, dating back to the final five showdowns of the 2018 regular season.

2019 Regular Season Champions
With its pair of wins at Charleston (3-1) and UNCW (3-1) two weeks ago, 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 is the number one seed at this week's CAA Tournament in Hempstead, New York, the first time the Tigers are in the top spot since the 2012 season. With the regular season title in its pocket, Towson will host next year's CAA Championship at SECU Arena.

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 94 wins to date, which is tied for the sixth-most for a senior class in program history. This crop of Tigers is currently tied with last year's seniors, who also won 94 matches for Towson. Next on the list is the Class of 1985, which won 97 matches for the Black and Gold.

Even MOREwards
For a 10th-straight week, at least one Towson University women's volleyball player has won a weekly honor from the league office as redshirt sophomore Nikiya Mitchell was named CAA Defensive Player of the Week and freshman defensive specialist Asia Goins was named CAA Rookie of the Week.

Making the first two starts of her Towson career, Mitchell stepped in and helped the Tigers complete the first-ever 16-0 CAA season with wins over Elon (3-0) and William & Mary (3-1). Mitchell aided Towson's defense with 11 block assists in seven sets, leading the team with 1.57 blocks per set. The Bryans Road, Marylander was key in limiting opponents to a .122 hitting percentage for the weekend as well. Mitchell came up with one dig and was heads up on a serve that tipped over the net to keep a receive percentage of 1.000. Offensively, Mitchell knocked down 11 kills, including a Towson career-best eight Sunday afternoon against William & Mary. She averaged 1.57 kills per set while swinging at a .121 percentage, bolstered by a .333 on Sunday.

A rookie defensive specialist, Goins backed the Tigers to the CAA's first-ever 16-0 season with wins over Elon (3-0) and William & Mary (3-1). Goins had a team-best 32 digs, averaging 4.57 across the seven sets at SECU Arena. In addition to helping the Tigers hold both opponents to a combined .122 hitting percentage for the weekend, Goins added a pair of service aces to her ledger as well.

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 321 career blocks, ranking 10th all-time in program history. 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 third 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) 321 - Silvia Grassini - 2017-Present
4) 315 - Candace Steadman - 2012-16

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 etching her name in the record books. The Mount Joy, Pennsylvanian has hoisted 3,345 assists in her career, aided by another 83 combined assists against Elon and William & Mary 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 1,112 assists in just 96 sets, averaging 11.58 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 16-0 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 10-2 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 65-23 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. The Tigers finished this year with a 12-1 overall mark at SECU Arena, including an 8-0 mark in CAA action.

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 34 through 28 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 24 matches. She is the only player in the CAA to rack up at least 10 matches this season with at least one service ace.

Well Rested
Through the 2019 regular season, the Tigers played just 96 sets, the fewest regular season sets played by Towson since joining the CAA for the 2002 season. The previous mark for fewest regular season sets played was 98 during the 2012 campaign. The 2019 and 2012 squads are the only two teams in Towson's CAA era to play less than 100 sets in the regular season. Of the 34 NCAA Division I teams with at least 20 wins this season, Towson is among just 20 to have played fewer than 100 sets this season.

Webster's Dictionary Defines "Versatility" as Towson Volleyball
While Towson's offense doesn't have one player posting huge numbers, the Tigers as a team are tough to stop. The Tigers have five players with at least 200 kills: Emily Jarome (292), Olivia Finckel (282), Annie Ertz (243), Lydia Wiers (231) and Silvia Grassini (214). Towson has the most players north of 200 kills in the league, with five schools boasting three and three schools with a pair each.

Further versatility is shown on both sides of the net; of Towson's five players with at least 200 kills, three have chipped in at least 100 blocks: Wiers (108), Grassini (115) and Finckel (107). Those three are all ranked in the top five of the CAA in blocks per set. Towson is the only school with three players averaging better than a block per set and the only school with multiple players to score 200 kills paired with 100 blocks.

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 1.20 average while Finckel is fifth in the league at a 1.13 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 214 kills, 433 attempts and 49 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 17-0 in three-set matches this season, sweeping Elon (25-20, 26-24, 25-12) on Friday, Nov. 15. Under head coach Don Metil, the Tigers are 86-25 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.

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.