First Serve
It's another weekend of action at SECU Arena as the Towson University Tigers play host to the 2021 CAA Women's Volleyball Championship Presented by Primis. The Tigers earned the right to host this weekend's events after claiming the 2020 title, also at SECU Arena.


In The National Rankings
No CAA teams were mentioned on the Week 12 (Nov. 15) AVCA Coaches Poll.

The Top-Seeded Tigers
The Tigers enter this weekend as the top seed for the CAA Championships after besting Northeastern twice last weekend, coupled with a James Madison split at Hofstra. The Tigers won their second-straight outright CAA Regular Season championship, paired with the 2019 edition. There was no regular season champion during the 2020/21 spring season. Leading one of the most versatile offenses in the league is Fay Bakodimou, who puts away 2.88 kills per set, while Emily Jarome is close behind at 2.77. Sophomore Nina Cajic is third with a 2.64 average after battling through an upper body injury. Lydia Wiers is just shy of the 2.00 mark, scoring 1.97 kills per set at a team-best .350 percentage. Bakodimou is one of the top serving threats in the country, averaging 0.57 aces per set, landing 57 total, which ranks third in Division I. She has at least one ace in each of the last 13 matches. Jarome (28), Kristin Spengler (27), Rachel Hess (25) and Wiers (21) all have more than 20 aces in 2021. One of the fiercest blocking teams in the CAA, Towson averages 2.65 blocks a frame, led by Nikiya Mitchell (1.18) and Wiers (1.10). Both players have surpassed the 100 block mark this fall, and have just eight errors between them. Hess has grabbed 4.10 digs a set this year, racking 422 total including 23 in just three sets on Sunday. A six rotation player, Jarome has a 2.57 digs per set average to her credit. Spengler (5.76) and Megan Wilson (5.44) lead Towson's setting efforts.

Scouting the No. 4 Blue Hens
Delaware enters the week as the four seed in the Championships by way of tiebreakers. The Blue Hens are 14-12 overall and 8-8 in the league, sweeping William & Mary twice last weekend. Lani Mason averages a team-best 3.41 kills per set, with Savannah Seemans (2.70) and Lauryn Richardson (2.16) both going better than 2.00. Another big serving team, Delaware averages 2.21 service aces per set this year, led by three players who average nearly a half ace per set: Seemans (0.45), Ezgi Basaranlar (0.44) and Lily Rogers (0.42). Grace Underwood is the lone Hen to average more than a block per set, notching 1.05. Kirah Johnson (0.95) is close to the mark, however. Basaranlar handles a majority of the setting duties for Delaware, averaging 8.93 assist per frame. Rogers is second on the team with a 2.11 average. The pair have combined for 86 percent of Delaware's total serves. Delaware is 5-9 away from the Bob Carpenter Center this fall, holding a 4-7 record in true road matches and sitting at 1-2 in neutral site matches.

Towson-Delaware By the Numbers
All-Time Series Record Towson Leads 47-39
at Towson Towson 19-17
at Delaware Towson 20-12
at Neutral Sites Towson 8-6
at Unknown Sites Delaware 4-0
First Meeting 1976 (UD 2-0)
Last Meeting Oct. 31, 2021
Towson 3, Delaware 2
Streak Towson +10

Scouting the No. 5 Huskies
It was a very quick trip back to Boston for Northeastern as the Huskies return to SECU Arena for the second time in a week. Northeastern enters the weekend as the five seed, based on tiebreakers. The Huskies finished the regular season with a 12-14 overall mark and an 8-8 finish in the league, falling at Towson twice last weekend in four and three sets. Erica Staunton has been a one-Husky wrecking crew, averaging 3.07 kills per set.  She has 71 more kills than Evelyn Gonzalez, who averages 2.45 kills per set. Five huskies post 2.00 kills per set this fall. Northeastern has split time at setter between Samantha Shupe (8.89 assists per set) and Jessica Frannea (8.23 assists per set). Kayla Martin leads at the service line with 0.28 aces per set and 26 total while Nailah Jenkins also averages 0.28 per set with 25 total aces. Marika Virthe is the top blocker for the Huskies, knocking down 1.09 opponent attacks per set. She has 109 total blocks this fall. On the back row, four Huskies average more than 2.00 digs per set, led by a 4.11 per set average from Kayla Martin. Shupe is second with a 3.00 average. Northeastern has fared well away from the Cabot Center this fall; the Huskies are 9-7 away from home, including 7-5 in true road matches and a 2-2 mark in neutral site meetings.

Towson-Northeastern By the Numbers
All-Time Series Record NU Leads 25-19
at Towson Tied 11-1
at Northeastern NU 13-6
at Neutral Sites Towson 2-1
at Unknown Sites n/a
First Meeting 1987 (NU 2-0)
Last Meeting Nov. 14, 2021
Towson 3, Northeastern 0
Streak Towson +6

It Has Not Been a Minute. Seriously.
Regardless of which team advances, Delaware or Northeastern, to meet Towson in the semifinals, it will be the second meeting between Towson and one of those foes in the last month. Delaware and Northeastern were Towson's final two opponents at home this fall.

Additionally, Towson and Delaware could meet for the fifth time in the calendar year, playing twice in the spring, twice in the fall regular season and potentially once more. Likewise, Towson and Northeastern could meet for the fourth time in 2021, playing once in the CAA Championship in April and twice last weekend. Of those combined seven meetings, six have been at SECU Arena.

Last Time Out vs. Delaware | October 31, 2021 | Towson, Md. | SECU Arena
Just a few short weeks ago, the Tigers and Blue Hens clashed for a five-set Towson victory. Towson went up 2-0 (25-12, 25-17) before the Blue Hens rallied (28-26, 25-20) and pushed things to a fifth set. The deciding set was all Towson as the Tigers walked away with a 15-4 decision for the 10th-straight win over Delaware. Five Tigers put away at least 10 kills, led by Emily Jarome (16) and Irbe Lazda (11). Fay Bakodimou, Lydia Wiers and Nikiya Mitchell all scored 10. Lazda and Wiers aided on five blocks each. Rachel Hess grabbed 22 total digs while Jarome capped a double-double with 15 digs. Kristin Spengler also added a double with 32 assists and 13 digs.

Last Time Out vs. Northeastern | Last Week. For Real. | Towson, Md. | SECU Arena
Should Towson and Northeastern meet again, it will be the third meeting in a week between the teams, who last played on Sunday, Nov. 14. The Tigers won both meetings last week in four sets on Saturday and a sweep (25-17, 25-14, 25-20) on Sunday to secure the top seed. Towson clubbed the ball at a .290 percentage, paced by a .316 percentage in the first set. Towson's defense limited the Huskies to just .089 in the match, with a zero percentage in set two. Towson's serve receive was perfect and did not allow the Huskies a single ace in the match. Fay Bakodimou and Lydia Wiers led the match with nine kills apiece, while Emily Jarome played some of her best volleyball this fall, scoring eight kills on 17 swings with zero errors (.471). Wiers added five blocks to her line, as did Nina Cajic, who had one solo stuff with her five kills. Despite 11 blocks in front of her, Rachel Hess collected 23 digs, averaging nearly eight digs a frame. Northeastern got 12 kills from Erica Staunton, but she was limited to a .111 percentage with 27 swings and nine errors.

With a Semifinal Win on Friday, Towson Would...
- Advance to the CAA Women's Volleyball Championship match for a third straight year.
- Win its fifth-straight CAA Tournament match.
- Set a SECU Arena record for single season wins by any team (volleyball, women's basketball, gymnastics or men's basketball), winning its 16th of the year.
- Beat either Delaware for the 11th time in a row or seventh straight win over Northeastern.
- Improve to 7-2 as the number one seed in the CAA Tournament since joining the league.

Terminators
- Towson has one of the most versatile attacks in the conference. That is definitely the case in terms of match-point.
- Emily Jarome has been part of five match-winning points this fall. Nina Cajic and Lydia Wiers have been in on four clinching points. Fay Bakodimou has three terminating efforts while Nikiya Mitchell (2) and Aayinde Smith (1) have also added finishing moves.
- Five of Towson's wins have been on opponent errors on match points. All four of Towson's losses have been with a Tiger error on the deciding point.

What a Class
- Prior to Sunday's match, head coach Don Metil and his staff will honor and recognize six members of the program who will graduate this spring.
- Honorees: Emily Jarome, Katie McLellan, Nikiya Mitchell, Kristin Spengler, Ally Townsend, Megan Wilson. Fay Bakodimou matriculated in 2018 with Jarome and Spengler but will return to the program next fall.
- The Class of 2022 has helped rebuild the Towson program, never suffering a losing season while accumulating 76 wins entering this weekend, despite a heavily reduced 2020/1 season.
- In 2019 and 2021, the class has won at least 20 matches, racking 29 wins in 2019 and another 22 this fall with at least three more chances for wins.
- The Class of 2022 has won two straight CAA Women's Volleyball championships, captured one outright regular season title (2019), along with two berths in the NCAA Women's Volleyball Tournament (2019, 2020).
- In 2019, this class won the program's first-ever NCAA Tournament match, topping American in a five-set thriller at Penn State's Rec Hall.

Hess Named CAA Player of the Week (Again!)
- Junior libero Rachel Hess picked up her second CAA Defensive Player of the Week honor on Monday. She was also named the honoree on Oct. 25.
- The Breinigsville, Pennsylvania product Towson to a pair of wins and secure the top seed with four and three set wins over Northeastern
- Hess recorded 35 total digs, including 23 in Sunday's sweep, averaging nearly eight digs per set in the win, despite 11 total blocks ahead of her.
- She backed the Tiger defense, holding the Huskies to a .089 hitting percentage for the entire match. Over the two matches, Hess added eight total assists, including six in Saturday's match.

Birds of a Feather (More Potential!)
- Bird mascots are very popular, it seems, on the Towson schedule.
- The Tigers played nine matches this regular season against feathered foes.
- Towson had won its last 15 matches against bird-related mascots before dropping the Saturday match against Elon.
- Towson is 8-1 against bird mascots in 2021.
- The Tigers did not play a single bird opponent on the road during the regular season.
- As of October 31, the only bird mascot in the league to clinch a spot in the CAA Tournament is Elon. Delaware is currently in seventh with UNCW in eighth at 2-10.

Everyone on the Block
- If you're attacking Towson's defense, you're going to have a LOT of hands in your face.
- As of Nov. 15, Towson is ranked sixth in the country in opponent hitting percentage, holding opponents to a combined .131.
- The Tigers rank 16th in Division I in blocks per set (2.65) and are first in the CAA in that category.
- Towson checks in at 5th in Team Total Blocks in Division I with 273.0 this year, thanks to a HUGE day at the net on in the Friday match at William & Mary with another 17.5 blocks, including 11 from Nikiya Mitchell.
- Towson's set a program record on Sept. 3 against Loyola Maryland, stuffing the Greyhounds 21 times in five sets. Lydia Wiers was accounted for on 11 total blocks in the match, tied for the third-most by a Tiger in program history.
- Mitchell and Wiers are two of four players in program history to hit 11 total blocks in the 25 point rally scoring era (2008-present), joining Susan Gansor (vs. UNH, 2011) and Shelynne Hoyt (vs. Penn, 2009).
- As of Nov. 15, the Tigers' Fall 2021 total of 273.0 blocks ranks 6th all-time for a single season in program history.

The Ace of Spades (The Ace of Spades)
- Towson served up 27 aces in the opening weekend with another 32 coming in the Towson Invitational, followed by 25 aces at the Tiger Invitational.
- Towson is ranked 14th in the most recent NCAA Extended Stats (Nov. 15), averaging 1.92 aces per set. Fay Bakodimou ranks third in Division I with 57 total aces.
- The Tigers are ninth in the country in total aces (198).

What Conference Are We In???
- Through the first three weekends of the season, Towson has played opponents from five different conferences: America East, Horizon, Ivy, MEAC and Patriot League.
- It feels like the Tigers may be an associate member of the America East, MEAC or Patriot League, having played opponents from those leagues twice.
- Towson added Conference USA (FAU) and American Athletic Conference (Temple) to the mix this weekend.
- Towson has more wins in two different conferences this year 3-0 MEAC, 3-0 Patriot) than it did in the spring, playing in (and winning!) two CAA matches in the offset season.

Mr. 400
- During opening weekend, Towson head coach Don Metil picked up the 400th win of his head coaching career, coming in dramatic fashion with a 3-2 come-from-behind win at Navy.
- Entering the spring 2021 season, Metil is 42nd among NCAA coaches with a minimum five years as a Division I head coach.
- Metil is 419-202 all-time (.675) as a head coach.
- Metil's records by school: Notre Dame College: 40-30 | Lees-McRae: 30-9
Coppin State: 15-46 | Maryland Eastern Shore: 145-45 | Towson: 190-73
- Metil is second all-time in wins at Towson University.
- Cathy Cain: 201-143 (1989-98) | Don Metil: 190-73 (2013-Pres.) | Chris Riley: 144-54 (2000-05)

In a ______ State of Mind
- Towson has played opponents from all over the eastern seaboard and the eastern portion of the midwest.
- To date, Towson has played at least one match against opponents from 11 different states
- Last weekend Towson added another state to the list: Massachusetts.
- Maryland: 4 | New York: 4 | Pennsylvania: 2 | Massachusetts: 2 | North Carolina: 4 | Delaware: 2 | South Carolina: 2 | Virginia: 4 | Ohio: 1 | New Jersey: 1 | Florida: 1

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.
- Towson's 2021 vs. Two-Legged Mascots: 6-1
- Towson's 2021 vs. Four-Legged Mascots: 18-3
- Friday's potential opponents, Delaware or Northeastern, are represented by the two-legged Blue Hen (Delaware) or the four-legged Husky (Northeastern).
- In 2019, the Tigers went 17-1 against mascots with four legs (Bobcats, Bears, Tigers, Great Danes, Greyhounds, Wildcats, Dukes (dog), Huskies, Pride (lions), Tribe (griffin), Cougars, and Nittany Lions).
- Two of Towson's 2019 losses came against two-legged foes, the Scarlet Knights and Chanticleers, before falling to the four-legged Nittany Lions.
- Towson went 3-1 in 2020/1 against four-legged mascots, topping Stony Brook (Seawolves), Charleston (Cougars) and Northeastern (Huskies) but falling to Dayton (see last line).
- Towson's opponent in Spring 2021, the Dayton Flyers, are in the four-legged category (Orville and Wilbur Wright). (This is according to an impromptu Twitter poll).

Protect this House
- Since moving into SECU Arena full time in 2013, Towson has racked up an impressive 83-24 overall record at SECU Arena.
- The Tigers have four seasons with double digit wins, including a 15-1 mark in 2021.
- The Tigers finished 2018 strong at home with a three-match win streak.
- The Tigers finished 2019 with a 12-1 overall mark at SECU Arena, with an 8-0 mark in the CAA.
- Towson is 15-1 this fall at SECU Arena with 10 sweeps in 16 chances.
- Towson's single-season wins record at SECU Arena is now the 2021 15-1 campaign.
- The Tigers' 15 wins at home this season are tied for the most by a team in a single season with the 2013-14 men's basketball team, which finished 15-1 in the Arena's rookie year.
- Towson volleyball is the winningest team playing in SECU Arena
- Women's volleyball: 83-24 (.776) | Men's Basketball: 71-38 (.648) | Women's Basketball: 59-50 (.541) | Gymnastics: 38-31 (.551)

When in Colonial Rome...
- Towson has played against programs from seven of the original 13 Colonies.
- Of the 13 Original Colonies, the Tigers have tussled with teams from Maryland, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina.
- Two weekends ago, Towson brought that total to eight, adding the First State, Delaware.
- The regular season total reached nine with a visit from Northeastern last weekend, representing Massachusetts.
- The only missing colonies are Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Hampshire and Georgia.

Back 2 Back with Home Cookin'
- Towson won its second-straight CAA Women's Volleyball Championship, sweeping both Charleston (semifinals) and Northeastern (finals).
- Towson is the first CAA team to repeat as champions since James Madison won titles in 2016-17.
- Since Towson joined the league in 2002, there have now been five repeat champions
• George Mason: 2002, 2003 | Delaware: 2007, 2008 | Delaware: 2010, 2011
• James Madison: 2016, 2017 | Towson: 2019, 2020
- The Tigers were the first team to win the CAA Tournament on home court since JMU in 2017.
• Other Teams to Win at Home since 2002: Towson (2004), Hofstra (2006), Delaware (2007, 2010, 2011), College of Charleston (2013), James Madison (2017).
- The 2020(21?) title was the second time Towson won it all on home court and first in SECU Arena
• The 2004 team won the title in the Towson Center.

Wins on Wins on Wins on Wins
Over the last five seasons, the Tigers have been a tough out for opponents. Between 2016 and 2020, the Tigers racked up a 103-34 overall record, which ranks 25th among NCAA Division I teams in terms of total wins in that span. With a winning percentage of .752 over the last five years, Towson ranks 22nd among fellow Division I teams in terms of winning percentage.

Tigers in the Community
- 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.