First Serve
Another chance to dance for the Towson University women's volleyball program as the Tigers clinched their third-straight CAA crown, storming past Elon in the title match in a reverse sweep.

In The National Rankings
Towson was not among the teams listed in the final regular season AVCA Coaches Poll. Penn State remained in 15th with 662 points, sixth-most among Big Ten schools.

The Threepeating Tigers
With a flair for the dramatic, the top-seeded Tigers picked up their third-straight CAA Championship, and second this calendar year, hitting a reverse sweep on Nov. 20 against second-seeded Elon. Towson gears up for its second NCAA Tournament in the last six months, coupled with the 48-team field in Omaha, Nebraska back in April. Towson's highly versatile offense is led by CAA First Teamer Fay Bakodimou, who scores 2.78 kills per set. Fellow First Team pick Emily Jarome is second with a 2.68 average while Second Team choice Nina Cajic, returned from injury, is third with 2.62 per set. Lydia Wiers is just off the two-per-set mark with 1.96 on average. Towson's setting duties fall to Kristin Spengler (5.67 assists per set) and Megan Wilson (5.45 assists per set). Wilson leads the column with 600 total assists. Bakodimou has been a force at the service line, putting away 61 total service aces this fall, ranking in the top 10 nationally in both aces per set (0.56) and total aces. She has scored at least one ace in the last 15 matches. Towson's block is among some of the best in the country as the Tigers average 2.67 per set, led by Wiers' 1.18 and Nikiya Mitchell's 1.14. Wiers has racked 131 total blocks to date, tying her for 11th in program single-season history with Susan Gansor '12. On the back row, Rachel Hess averages 4.09 digs per set, despite the huge block ahead of her. She has 454 total digs, 15th most in a single season at Towson.

Scouting the No. 15 Nittany Lions
It's an unfamiliar feeling for Penn State as the Nittany Lions are on the road for the opening round of the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1990 (excluding last year's entire field playing in Omaha with Penn State earning a bye). The Nittany Lions head to Western PA with a 20-10 overall mark and are ranked 15th in the AVCA Coaches Poll. Jonni Parker leads Penn State with 3.77 kills per set, while Kaitlyn Hord (2.95), Adanna Rollins (2.50) and Erika Pritchard (2.29) all average better than two kills per set. Gabby Blossom runs the offense, averaging 11.12 assists per set, while an even 1,234 total assists. The Nittany Lions bring a fierce block to Petersen Events Center, led by Hord's 1.39 per set. Allie Hollard averages a team second-best 1.16 per frame. Hord has been caught just twice with blocking errors. Backing the block, Jenna Hampton averages 4.39 digs per set with 487 total this year. Blossom is second with a 3.03 per set average.

Towson-Penn State By the Numbers
All-Time Series Record Penn State Leads 2-0
at Towson n/a
at Penn State Penn State 1-0
at Neutral Sites Penn State 1-0
at Unknown Sites n/a
First Meeting Oct. 17, 1980
Last Meeting Dec. 7, 2019
Penn State 3, Towson 1
Streak Penn State +2

A Semi-Familiar Foe
Towson and Penn State meet for just the third time in series history, but it's the second time in the last three seasons the two schools meet in the NCAA Tournament. Towson and Penn State dualed in the second round of the 2019 NCAA Tournament. The host Nittany Lions won in four sets.

The Tigers and Nittany Lions also shared a hotel in Omaha during the spring at the NCAA Tournament, though the teams did not face one another.

Five Tigers were on the court the last time these foes met: Lydia Wiers, Asia Goins, Emily Jarome, Fay Bakodimou and Kristin Spengler. Assistant coach Megan Shifflett Bachmann played for the Nittany Lions in late 2000s/early 2010s.

How to Say It: TOWSON
TOWSON is pronounced TOW like towel + Son.

IT IS NOT: TOE-son, Townson, Towsond, Townsend (except junior Ally Townsend), Townsen, Towzen. One N, no Z.

We are Towson University, no longer Towson State University (and haven't been since
July 1, 1997).

Our mascot is Doc The Tiger, named after Donald "Doc" Minnegan, long-time soccer coach and athletics department administrator. Towson became the "Tigers" in 1962 after John Schuerholz (yes, the Atlanta Braves Hall of Fame General Manager) pushed for the name change from the "Towson College Knights".

Last Time Out vs. Penn State | Dec. 7, 2019 | University Park, Pa. | Rec Hall
Coming off an emotion First Round in the NCAA Tournament, the program's first-ever NCAA Tournament win, the Tigers jumped up quickly on the host Nittany Lions, taking the first set. But the veteran Penn State program rallied to win the next three frames to reach the Regional round of the tournament. Then-sophomore Emily Jarome led the Tigers with 19 kills at a .214 rate. Seniors Olivia Finckel and Silvia Grassini knocked down 11 kills each while then-rookie Lydia Wiers scored 10 kills on 20 swings. Marrisa Wonders posted 41 assists and nine digs, while Annie Ertz led the Tigers with 13 digs. Jonni Parker tied Jarome for the match lead with 19 kills at a .447 rate. Gabby Blossom put up 47 assists while Kendall White collected 14 digs. Blossom had a double-double with 11 digs.

With a First Round Win on Friday, Towson Would...
- Advance to the NCAA Tournament second round for the second time in program history.
- Beat Penn State for the first time in just three meetings.
- Be the program's second NCAA Tournament win and third postseason tournament victory in this millennium.
- Face the winner of the second first round match between Pittsburgh and UMBC. Towson and Pitt have never played, while the Tigers and UMBC have clashed 62 times.
- Become just the third program in CAA history to win multiple times in the NCAA Tournament. George Mason was 2-5 as a CAA member, Delaware is 2-4, Hofstra is 1-2, Towson is 1-3.
- Be the first team to beat Penn State in the first round in the Nittany Lions program history.

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 six terminating plays for the Tigers this fall, including her second career CAA Championship clinching kill against Elon.
- Lydia Wiers has been part of five match-winning points this fall. Nina Cajic and Fay Bakodimou have been in on four clinching points. 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.

Another Chance to Make History
- The Tigers will be hunting the program's second-ever NCAA Tournament win.
- Towson picked up its first during the 2019 NCAA Tournament, besting American in five sets.
- Only two programs in CAA history have multiple wins in the NCAA Tournament. George Mason went 2-5 as a CAA member in the NCAA Tournament, while Delaware is 2-4, though has not made an appearance in the postseason since 2011.
- Penn State is 4-0 against CAA opponents in the NCAA Tournament, besting James Madison (2000), Hofstra (2006), Delaware (2011) and Towson (2019). Towson's 2019 team is the only CAA group to take a set off the Nittany Lions in the NCAA Tournament.

What a Class
- During the final weekend of the regular season, head coach Don Metil and his staff honored and recognized 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 78 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 26 this fall with at least one more chance for a win.
- The Class of 2022 has won three straight CAA Women's Volleyball championships, captured two outright regular season titles (2019, 2021), along with three berths in the NCAA Women's Volleyball Tournament (2019, 2020, 2021).
- 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.

It's A Major Award! (But not for Towson)
- Of late, Towson has been a program based on team success, not individual accolades.
- For a second-straight year, the Tigers were denied a major award as voted by the league's head coaches, but that hasn't stopped Towson.
- Towson has won two straight CAA Championships without a major award winner, including this year despite being the regular season champion.
- The 2021 iteration of the Towson volleyball team became the first in league history to win both the overall one seed in the tournament and the Championship without a single major award winner.
- Towson was the top seed in the CAA's North Division this spring, but James Madison, the one seed in the south, was the overall top seed in the Tournament. No regular season champion was crowned in 2020/1.

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 10-1 against bird mascots in 2021 after sweeping reverse sweeping Elon in the CAA Championship.
- The Tigers did not play a single bird opponent on the road during the regular season.

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. 27, Towson is ranked fifth in the country in opponent hitting percentage, holding opponents to a combined .131.
- The Tigers rank 16th in Division I in blocks per set (2.67) and are first in the CAA in that category.
- Towson checks in at 11th in Team Total Blocks in Division I with 296.5 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. 27, the Tigers' Fall 2021 total of 296.5 blocks ranks third all-time for a single season in program history, just 3.5 blocks from becoming the third team in program history to bat away 300 or more opponent attempts. The 296.5 blocks are a 25-point rally-scoring era record.

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. 27), averaging 1.86 aces per set. Fay Bakodimou ranks fourth in Division I with 61 total aces.
- The Tigers are 14th in the country in total aces (207) as of Nov. 27.

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.

Just Some Pennsylvania Kids Doing Pennsylvania Things
- Sitting roughly 20 miles from the Maryland/Pennsylvania State Line, Towson has many deep connections to the Keystone State.
- Head coach Don Metil hails from the Greater Pittsburgh area, calling Latrobe his hometown. Metil attended California University of Pennsylvania.
- Assistant Coach Terry Hutchinson is from Lititz, in the Capital Region, attending both Juniata College and East Stroudsburg University. He also coached at Elizabethtown College.
- Towson assistant coach Megan Shifflett Bachmann attended Penn State and was a member of three national championship teams for the Nittany Lions.
- Towson volleyball SID John Stark is a Central PA kid, hailing from Lewisburg and attending Lycoming College in Williamsport.
- Towson has three student-athletes who call the Keystone State home: Rachel Hess (Breiningsville (near Allentown)), Kristin Spengler (Whitehall) (between Gettysburg and Hanover)) and Ally Townsend (Hummelstown) (east of Harrisburg)).

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 422-202 all-time (.676) 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: 192-73
- Metil is second all-time in wins at Towson University.
- Cathy Cain: 201-143 (1989-98) | Don Metil: 192-73 (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
- Maryland: 4 | New York: 4 | Pennsylvania: 2 | Massachusetts: 2 | North Carolina: 4 | Delaware: 3 | 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: 8-1
- Towson's 2021 vs. Four-Legged Mascots: 18-3
- Friday's opponent, the Nittany Lions of Penn State, are a four-legged mascot. All four mascots this weekend at Petersen Events Center are four-legged.
- 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 85-24 overall record at SECU Arena.
- The Tigers have four seasons with double digit wins, including a 17-1 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 17-1 this fall at SECU Arena with 11 sweeps in 18 chances.
- The semifinal sweep of Delaware marked a building record for single-season wins, now at 16.
- The Tigers' 17 wins at home this season are the most by a team in a single season surpassing 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: 85-24 (.780) | Men's Basketball: 72-38 (.655) | Women's Basketball: 62-50 (.554) | 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 2 Back with Home Cookin'
- Towson won its third-straight CAA Women's Volleyball Championship, sweeping Delaware in the CAA Semifinals before a reverse sweep over Elon in the 2021 CAA Women's Volleyball Championship match.
- Towson is the first CAA team to threepeat as champions since George Mason won five titles from 1992-1996.
- Towson is the only program in the rally scoring era, 30 point or 25 point, to threepeat.
- Since Towson joined the league in 2002, there have now been five programs to repeat titles
• George Mason: 2002, 2003 | Delaware: 2007, 2008 | Delaware: 2010, 2011
• James Madison: 2016, 2017 | Towson: 2019, 2020, 2021
- The 2020 Tigers were the first team to win the CAA Tournament on home court since JMU in 2017.
- Towson is the first team to win back-to-back titles at home since Delaware won the 2010 and 2011 titles the Carpenter Sports Building.
• 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.

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.