First Serve
After an unexpected bye week, the Towson women's volleyball team returns to SECU Arena for a pair of matches against Northeastern on Saturday and Sunday. Four of the next five regular season matches will be at SECU Arena.
In The National Rankings
Neither team is mentioned in this week's poll. Towson is ranked 7th in the most recent NCAA RPI standings, with the caveat that it ranks teams currently playing.
Scouting the Now-Homestanding Tigers
After the drive to Hempstead was for naught, the Tigers return home for three-straight CAA North matches at SECU Arena. Towson hosts Northeastern for a pair after missing last weekend due to COVID-19 Protocols within the Hofstra University program. Towson boasts two players with kills per set averages north of 3.00 as rookie Nina Cajic (3.77) leads the way while junior Emily Jarome (3.46) is close behind. Towson is the only program in the league with two players' averages inside the top six. No one in the CAA carries a better hitting percentage than sophomore Lydia Wiers (.473), who is nearly a full percentage point better than second place (.383) and ranks eighth in Division I. Cajic is third in the CAA (.352) as Fay Bakodimou (.310) sits fifth. The Tigers are the only CAA school with three players ranked in the top 10 in hitting percentage. Kristin Spengler runs the efficient offense, averaging 11.15 assists per set, which ranks her second in the whole CAA, first in the North division and 15th in the country. As a team, Towson hits at a .301 percent clip, ranking 10th nationally. Towson's middles, Wiers and Aayinde Smith, each average better than a block per set, the only pair from the same team in the CAA North within the top five of the league. Towson holds its opponents to a .156 hitting percentage, which ranks 45th in the country.
Scouting the Huskies
A redhot Northeastern was cooled last weekend with a split against Delaware, falling in four to open the series before sweep the Hens the next day. Northeastern sits at 3-1 in the CAA North and is 6-2 overall. Erica Staunton leads the Huskies with 4.27 kills per set while Defne Arliel (2.37) and Nailah Jenkins (2.31) add depth. Samantha Shupe has been the go-to setter with a 7.72 per set average, while Liz Carroll (6.47) is second. At the net, Northeastern is led by Jenkins (1.48) and Marika Virthe (1.00). The former has nine solo blocks to her credit. Kayla Martin leads the back row with 4.73 digs per set. Northeastern's serving corps has been sharp in 2021, dealing 61 service aces to lead the CAA.
Towson-Northeastern History
Towson and Northeastern will meet for the 42nd and 43rd times on the volleyball court this weekend. The Huskies lead the all-time series 25-16, but Towson has won three straight to narrow the gap. The Tigers picked up a sweep on the road in the last meeting (28-26, 25-19, 25-15). Towson has swept the last three meetings after falling in back-to-back meetings in five sets. The Tigers have won nine of the last 13 meetings but trail the Huskies at home by an 11-8 count.
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
On the opening leg of a weekend trip to the northern climes of the CAA, Towson picked up a 3-0 (28-26, 25-19, 25-15) sweep in Boston. Lydia Wiers and Annie Ertz led the Tigers with 13 and 11 kills respectively, while the former added four blocks along with fellow middle Silvia Grassini. After allowing Northeastern to hit .286 in the first set, Towson held the Huskies in check with a .167 in the second and .031 in the third for a .165 in the match. Athena Ardila led Northeastern with a dozen kills while Erica Staunton pumped out eight.
With a Win on Saturday, Towson Would...
- Extend its regular season winning streak to 25-straight matches, dating back to Sept. 13, 2019.
- Extend Towson's winning streak to four against the Huskies.
- Move Towson's CAA regular season winning streak to 24 in a row, dating back to Oct. 29, 2018.
- Push Towson's regular season home match winning streak to 13 straight, 3-0 sweep over UAlbany during the Towson Invitational on Sept. 14, 2019.
- See Towson win its 13th-straight home CAA match, dating to a 3-0 win over Elon on Nov. 2, 2018.
We've Met Before
- This weekend's head coaches Don Metil (Towson) and Lenika Vazquez (Northeastern) will meet for the first time as CAA foes.
- The pair have clashed on the volleyball once before.
- During the 2016 campaign, Metil's Tigers swept Vazquez's Canius College Golden Griffins during the Seton Hall Tournament on Sept. 2 in South Orange, New Jersey.
- Metil is 9-6 all-time against Northeastern, including 4-3 at SECU Arena.
CAA Rookie of the Week (March 8)
For the second time this season, Nina Cajic has been selected as the CAA Rookie of the Week. Cajic continued her strong play to begin her Towson career as she helped Towson to a pair of sweeps against Delaware on Friday and Sunday. Cajic batted down 22 kills at a .395 percent clip on 43 swings with just five errors on the weekend. On defense, Cajic finished with 16 digs (2.67/set) along with seven block assists (1.17/set) as the Tigers won their seventh and eighth straight matches against Delaware. She was key to limiting Delaware to a .149 hitting percentage for the week, adding seven block assists (1.17/set) to her weekend as Towson swept Delaware for a seventh-straight meeting.
CAA Defensive Player of the Week (March 1)
Adding to her long list of weekly awards from the CAA, sophomore middle blocker Lydia Wiers was selected as the Defensive Player of the Week on Monday. Wiers finished a four-set win at Temple with a career-best eight total blocks, helping limit the Owls to a .178 hitting percentage as a team. Wiers added 11 kills in the process, batting down chances at a .400 percent clip.
League of Their Own
Over the last five seasons, Towson has been one of the top teams in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA). Since the 2015 campaign, the Tigers have racked a 62-20 record in league play, including a record-setting 16-0 mark in 2019. Towson has not dropped a regular season match to a CAA opponent since Oct. 27, 2018 at Charleston in a five set thriller. The Tigers have won their last 23 CAA matches, reaching back to a 3-1 win at UNCW on Oct. 29, 2018.
2021: 2-0 | 2019: 16-0 | 2018: 10-6 | 2017: 12-4 | 2016: 10-6 | 2015: 12-4 | Total: 60-20 (.750)
Strong Island
- The Tigers are quickly becoming fans of Long Island.
- Towson is 1-0 this season on Long Island with another weekend pair to play in 2021.
- Towson is riding a six-match winning streak on Long Island after sweeping Stony Brook (25-18, 25-15, 25-22) to open the 2021 spring season.
- Towson's pair of regular season matches at Hofstra have been postponed.
Welcome to Our House
- Towson will host the 2021 Spring CAA Championship on Friday, April 2 (Semifinals) and Saturday, April 3 (Championship).
- The top two teams from the North Division (Towson, Delaware, Hofstra, Northeastern) and the top two teams from the South Division (James Madison, William & Mary, Elon, College of Charleston, UNCW) will duke it out at SECU Arena for the league's automatic qualifier to the NCAA Tournament.
- The Tigers are hosts by right of winning the 2019 CAA Regular Season Championship, paired with the tournament title.
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.
- 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).
- Towson has fared well against two-legged mascots, going 12-2 during the 2019 campaign with wins over Pirates, Cavaliers, Penguins, Highlanders, Blue Hens, Phoenix, Seahawks and Eagles.
- 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 is 1-0 this season against four-legged mascots, topping Stony Brook (Seawolves)
- Towson is 3-0 this season against two-legged mascots, besting Temple (Owls) and Delaware (Fightin' Blue Hens)
- This weekend's foe, the Huskies, are in the four-legged category.
Climbing the Charts (As of Feb. 27)
- Towson head coach Don Metil is nearing the 400-win mark for his career.
- Now in his 19th season as an NCAA volleyball head coach, Metil has amassed 394 wins.
- Entering the spring 2021 season, Metil is 42nd among NCAA coaches with a minimum five years as a Division I head coach.
- Metil is 394-198 all-time (.666) 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: 164-68
- Metil is second all-time in wins at Towson University.
- Cathy Cain: 201-143 (1989-98) | Don Metil: 164-68 (2013-Pres.) | Chris Riley: 144-54 (2000-05)
Aces
- Over the last several years, Towson has been known for its serving prowess.
- This spring, the Tigers have dropped in 22 service aces across four matches, including a season-high eight at Temple.
- The last time Towson was held without at least one service ace was Oct. 14, 2018 at the College of Charleston.
- Towson has at least one ace in its last 47 matches.
Waffle House Hashbrowns
- Like an order of hashbrowns at a Waffle House, Towson's opponents have been smothered and covered over the last three seasons.
- Towson limited Stony Brook to a .136 hitting percentage in the season opener.
- In the CAA opener, Towson held Delaware to just a .054 hitting percentage, the lowest since limiting NJIT to .044 on Sept. 21, 2019.
- In 2021, Towson has held opponents at or below a .150 hitting percentage two times.
- During the 2018 campaign, the Tigers kept opponents at or below .150 on 13 occasions.
- In 2017, Towson hit that mark 14 times.
- Assistant coach Terry Hutchinson has been key to the blocking game in his three-plus seasons with the Tigers.
- Towson's 2018 (284.5) and 2019 (289.5) efforts in blocking rank at the top of the program's record books in the 25-point rally scoring era (since 2008).
Fan Attendance at SECU Arena
Towson Athletics, in conjunction with protocols established by Baltimore County and the Towson University COVID-19 Medical Advisory Committee, has updated its spectator policy for the 2021 spring season. All but two of the Tigers' 19 varsity teams will be competing during the semester.
This decision remains in effect until further notice. Given the constant daily developments regarding COVID-19, all events scheduled are subject to change.
A limited number of spectators will be allowed into Johnny Unitas® Stadium, SECU Arena, Tiger Field and other selected venues. Seating will be broken up into assigned sections in order to accommodate fans and families attending various games.
Spectators will include only those on a team pass list.
Protect this House
- Since moving into SECU Arena full time in 2013, Towson has racked up an impressive 66-23 overall record at SECU Arena.
- The Tigers have three seasons with double digit wins, including a 10-3 mark in 2017.
- The Tigers finished 2018 strong at home with a three-match win streak at home.
- The Tigers finished 2019 with a 12-1 overall mark at SECU Arena, with an 8-0 mark in the CAA.
- Towson is 1-0 at SECU Arena this spring with four more home matches pending.
- Towson has won 12 straight at home since early in 2019.
Wins on Wins on Wins on Wins
Over the last five seasons, the Tigers have been a tough out for opponents. Between 2015 and 2019, the Tigers have racked up a 123-39 overall record, which ranks 20th among NCAA Division I teams in terms of total wins in that span. With a winning percentage of .759 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.
