When                     Thursday, December 1, 2022
Where                    Gregory Gymnasium | Austin, Texas
Time                       Thursday: 6 p.m.
Team Records       #8 Towson (29-1, 15-1 CAA)
                                Georgia (22-7, 13-5 SEC)
Stream                    ESPN+ ($)
Series                     Georgia Leads Towson 1-0                              
 
First Serve
The #8 seed Towson University Tigers volleyball team will square off against the Georgia Bulldogs in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The match will take place on Thursday at 6 p.m. in the Gregory Gymnasium in Austin, Texas.
 
Receiving Votes
This week, the Tigers received 23 votes in the AVCA Coaches Poll. If Towson earns enough votes, it will be the first time that the program has been ranked in its 47-year history.
 
All We Do Is Win
Towson is tied for the most wins in the nation at 29 with the Summit League champion South Dakota. The Tigers boast the highest winning percentage in the country, with .967. Both #2 San Diego and #21 UCF trail the Tigers in second with a .964 win percentage.
 
We Are the Champions
Towson won its fourth consecutive CAA title after sweeping the Delaware Blue Hens in SECU Arena on Nov. 19th. The Tigers had eight service aces and a .350 hit percentage, led by Nina Cajic's .579. The Tigers won the first set in convincing fashion 25-15 behind Victoria Barrett's seven kills and Katie McCracken's three aces. In the second set, Towson got an early lead and continued to build on it throughout the set. Delaware tried to make a late comeback, but Barrett's kill sealed a 25-21 set victory. In the third set, the Tigers got out to another early lead, but the Blue Hens were able to take the lead midway through the set. Delaware held on to a small advantage, but Towson went on a 6-1 run to earn match point. The Tigers won the match off a setting error to clinch an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Barrett had a team-high 16 kills on .500 hit percentage to be named Tournament MVP.
 
Block by Block
Lydia Wiers is currently sixth all-time in total blocks with 418. Wiers is only two total blocks behind Alysha Fanning for fifth place all-time. The senior from Willard, Ohio is only one of seven Tigers with 300 or more total blocks.
 
Nationally Recognized
Nina Cajic was named GameChanger/AVCA National Division I Women's VB Player of the Week in late September. Cajic had 32 kills, including a season-high 18 kills on Sunday's win against Stony Brook. She averaged 5.33 kills per set and a .698 hit percentage. In Saturday's match against Stony Brook, Cajic totaled 14 kills on .737 hit percentage. This is the time first time a player from Towson has won this award.
 
Outstanding Senior Class
The senior class of Katie McCracken, Lydia Wiers, Fay Bakodimou, Asia Goins and Morgan Wilson have a record of 90-10 since arriving at Towson. They have won four consecutive CAA titles and three regular-season titles.
 
All-CAA Honors
Five Tigers were named to the 2022 Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) teams. Head coach Don Metil was voted as the CAA Coach of the Year after leading the Tigers to a 26-1 overall record that included a four-set victory over #7 Pittsburgh. Metil got Towson off to its best-ever start to a season, winning 18 straight matches. Note: these stats were the stats at the time of the announcement.

Victoria Barrett was named to the All-CAA First Team after leading Towson in kills (272) and kills per set (2.89) in her first season with the Tigers. Barrett ranks second on the team in service aces and digs with 30 service aces and 190 kills.

Nina Cajic earns her third consecutive All-CAA honor, including her second All-CAA First Team selection at Towson. Cajic ranks 30th in the country in hit percentage and second in the CAA with a .379 hit percentage on 564 total attempts. The junior from Subotica, Serbia finished with a career-best 264 kills and finished second on the squad in kills per set with 2.78.

Lydia Wiers was named to the All-CAA First Team for the second time. The senior from Willard, Ohio, leads the CAA and ranks 37th in the country in blocks per set, averaging 1.26, a career-best. Wiers ranks sixth all-time in career total blocks with 403, trailing Alysha Fanning by 17. She leads the CAA in hit percentage with a .381 percentage on 289 total attempts.

Aayinde Smith was named to Second Team All-CAA after putting career-high in almost every major statistic. The junior from Garland, Texas, totaled 155 kills, averaging 1.53 kills per set. She finished with a .418 hit percentage on 280 total attacks. Smith ranked fourth in the CAA and second on the squad in total blocks with 109. She averaged 1.15 blocks per set to rank fourth in the CAA and second on the team.

Sarah Jordan was named to the All-CAA Rookie Team after leading Towson in assists this season with 521, which ranks seventh in the CAA. Jordan totaled 27 service aces, third-most for Towson. She finished with 154 digs and averaged 1.77 digs per set over 87 sets played.
                                                               
All We Do Is Win
Towson is tied for the most wins in the nation with 26 with #22 Western Kentucky, South Dakota State and Wright State. The Tigers have the highest winning percentage in the country, with .963, #2 San Diego trails the Tigers in second with a .960 win percentage.
 
Nationally Recognized
Nina Cajic was named GameChanger/AVCA National Division I Women's VB Player of the Week earlier this month. Cajic had 32 kills, including a season-high 18 kills on Sunday's win against Stony Brook. She averaged 5.33 kills per set and a .698 hit percentage. In Saturday's match against Stony Brook, Cajic totaled 14 kills on .737 hit percentage. This is the time first time a player from Towson has won this award.     
 
Scouting the Reigning Tigers
Towson picked up where they left off last year and have won 29 matches The Tigers swept the Pirate Invitational, defeating Norfolk State, East Carolina, and Furman. Towson hosted the Tiger Invitational and won all four matches, including a thrilling five-set victory over Rutgers. The Tigers competed in the Panther Challenge and swept Bowling Green and American, then knocked off #7 Pittsburgh.
 
Towson started CAA play with two sweeps over newcomers Hampton behind strong team performances. The Tigers went up to Long Island and swept Stony Brook twice, including a hard-fought match on Saturday. Towson welcomed North Carolina A&T to SECU and won both matches. Towson swept Delaware in the first match to break the program record for the best start to a season, then swept the Blue Hens on Sunday to remain perfect.
 
Towson picked up their first loss of the season against Elon after the Tigers' comeback fell short. The Black & Gold responded with a four-set victory against the Phoenix. Towson wrapped up non-conference play with a four-set victory over Chicago State. The Tigers resumed CAA play with two four-set wins against William & Mary. Towson defeated Charleston in four sets on Saturday and swept the Cougars on Sunday. The Tigers swept Hofstra on Saturday to force a winner-take-all match for CAA regular season title. Towson went up two sets, then the Pride stormed back, but the Tigers prevailed in the fifth set to defend the crown. The Tigers defeated Stony Brook in four sets, before sweeping Northeastern and Delaware en route to claiming its fourth consecutive CAA title.
 
Victoria Barrett leads Towson in kills (319), kills per set (3.07) and points per set (3.75). Katie McCracken has thrived in her senior season leading Towson in assists with 572, while Sarah Jordan leads the team in assists per set (5.99) in her first year.
 
Leading the Conference
The Tigers are leading the conference in most statistical categories. Towson leads the CAA in aces per set (1.80), assists per set (12.96), blocks per set (2.87), hitting percentage (.277), kills per set (13.85), opponent hit percentage (.137), team assists (1,361), team kills (1,454), team service aces (189) and total blocks (301.5).                                                                                                                
 
Lockdown Defense
Through 30 matches this season, the Tigers third in the country in opponent hitting percentage (0.137). The Tigers have not allowed a team to have a hitting percentage of .300 or higher this season. Towson is ranked fourth in the NCAA in blocks per set, averaging 2.87. Lydia Wiers currently leads the CAA in blocks per set and total blocks, averaging 1.29 and having 135. Aayinde Smith sits second in the CAA in total blocks and third in blocks per set with 125 and having 1.19. Rachel Hess leads Towson in digs with 375, which ranks in the CAA and averages 3.61 digs per set.
 
Electrifying Offense
The Tigers' offense has been phenomenal throughout the 2022 season. Towson ranks 17th in the nation in hit percentage at .277. The Tigers sit 30th in the nation in kills per set with 13.85 and rank 20th in assists per set at 12.96. Towson is 25th in the country in aces per set, averaging 1.80. Nina Cajic leads the CAA with a .376 hit percentage, while teammate Lydia Wiers ranks second in the CAA in hit percentage with a .358. Fay Bakodimou leads the conference in service aces per set, averaging 0.47 and ranks 27th in the NCAA.
  
Highly Awarded
Lydia Wiers was named CAA Defensive Player of the Week for the third time on Oct. 31st. Wiers totaled 15 total blocks, averaging 1.88 blocks per ser in Towson's two victories against William & Mary. She had a season-high nine total blocks with eight kills, three digs, then followed with six total blocks, including two solo blocks, eight kills on a .889 hit percentage. Earlier this month, the senior from Willard, Ohio totaled 17 blocks, including a season-high nine blocks on Sunday's match against North Carolina A&T. On Saturday, she had a team-high eight blocks with six kills and a .444 hit percentage. Last month she earned the honor after tallying 14 blocks at the Panther Challenge, averaging 1.40 blocks per set, while the team averaged 3.30 blocks per set over the weekend. Wiers had six blocks against #7 Pittsburgh.

Nina Cajic earned CAA Offensive Player of the Week last week after totaling 31 kills, averaging a .509 hit percentage against Hofstra to help the Tigers clinch the CAA regular season title. Cajic had a career-high 21 kills on Sunday against Hofstra to secure the title-clinching victory. She amassed 32 kills, which included 18 kills against Stony Brook. Cajic had a hit percentage of .698 and had a .737 percentage in Saturday's match. Earlier in the month, she earned the honor by totaling 43 kills, 10 blocks and having a .397 hit percentage over four matches. The junior from Subotica, Serbia had double-digit kills in three of the four matches with only four errors on 99 attempts.

Towson-Georgia By the Numbers
All-Time Series Record Georgia Leads Towson 1-0
at Neutral Sites, Georgia Leads 1-0
Only Meeting, Sept. 9, 2000
Georgia 3, Towson 0
Streak Georgia +1
 
How to Say It: TOWSON
TOWSON is pronounced TOW like towel + Son.

IT IS NOT: TOE-son, Townson, Towsond, 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".

With a Win on Thursday, Towson Would...
- Win its 30th match.
- Extend its winning streak to 12 matches.
- Advance to the NCAA Second Round for the second time.
- Win its second-ever NCAA Tournament match.
- Win its second-ever match against an SEC team.

Back-to-Back-to-Back-to-Back Champs
- The Tigers remain as the reigning champions of the league, winning their four-straight CAA title.
-This year, Towson defeated the #8 seed Stony Brook in the first round, then swept the #4 seed Northeastern. In the championship, the Tigers faced off against the #3 seed Delaware and swept the Blue Hens to claim the CAA Championship.
- Last year swept Delaware and won in five sets against Elon in the CAA Championship.
- Since Towson joined the CAA in 2002, no team has three-peated as champions.
 -The only teams to have won three or more titles in a row were William & Mary seven times (1985-1991) and George Mason five times (1992-1996).
- The Tigers hoisted the league trophy after a perfect 4-0 regular season in the spring of 2021, which included a 2-0 mark in league play. Towson put together a 16-0 CAA campaign in 2019, paired with 3-1 win over Elon and a sweep of James Madison in the CAA Tournament.
- There are five Tigers currently on the roster that were members of the historic back-to-back-to-back championship teams: Katie McCracken, Lydia Wiers, Asia Goins, Morgan Wilson and Fay Bakodimou.                                                                                                                                 

League of Their Own
-Over the last seven seasons, Towson has been one of the top teams in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA). Since the 2015 campaign, the Tigers have registered a 99-26 record in league play, including a record-setting 16-0 mark in 2019.
The Tigers went 12-4 last year and never got swept. The last time Towson was swept in league play happened against College of Charleston in 2018.
2022: 15-1 | 2021: 12-4 | 2021 (spring): 2-0 | 2019: 16-0 | 2018: 10-6 | 2017: 12-4 | 2016: 10-6 | 2015: 12-4 | 2014: 13-3 Total: 102-28 (.785)

Top of the Charts
- Now in his 21st season as an NCAA volleyball head coach, Coach Don Metil has amassed 451 wins.
- Metil is 451-205 all-time (.688) 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: 221-75
- Metil passed Cathy Cain on the all-time wins list after knocking off #7 Pittsburgh earlier this season.
- Don Metil: 221-75 (2013-Pres.) | Cathy Cain: 201-143 (1989-98) | Chris Riley: 144-54 (2000-05)
 
Protect this House
- Since moving into SECU Arena full-time in 2013, Towson has racked up an impressive 97-24 (.801) overall record at SECU Arena.
- The Tigers have four 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.
- The Tigers finished 2019 with a 12-1 overall mark at SECU Arena, with an 8-0 mark in the CAA.
- Towson went 3-0 in the shortened spring 2021 season.
- The Tigers finished last season with a 17-4 record at SECU Arena.
- Towson has won 22 straight at home since October 3, 2021.
 
Scouting the Bulldog
Georgia comes into the NCAA Tournament with a 22-7 overall record and a 13-5 record in the SEC. The Bulldogs started the season with five sweeps against Troy, Chattanooga, Santa Clara, Charlotte and College of Charleston. Georgia lost its first match of the season in four sets against Texas Tech. In the Harvard/Northeastern Challenge, the Bulldogs defeated Iona and Harvard in four sets and reverse swept Northeastern in five sets. Georgia swept NC State, but got swept by #7 Georgia Tech. The Bulldogs opened SEC play with a four-set loss to Mississippi State. The Bulldogs bounced back with a five-set win against South Carolina, they were victorious against Texas A&M twice in five sets. Georgia dropped its next two matches against Auburn, but swept #11 Florida. The Bulldogs defeated Alabama and Missouri twice to extend their winning streak to five. Georgia fell to #20 Kentucky in straight sets, then beat Arkansas in five sets. The Bulldogs dropped their following match to Tennessee in five-set. Georgia closed out the regular season with four consecutive wins against Ole Miss and LSU. The Bulldogs rank 14th and 15th in blocks per set and total blocks with 2.67 per set and 302. Georgia also sits 19th in the nation in team service aces with 203 and averages 1.80 per set to be 27th in the country.