When                          Friday August 27, 2022
                                    Saturday August 28,2022
Where                         Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum | Greenville, N.C.
Times                          Friday: 11a.m.
                                    Friday: 7:30 p.m.
                                    Saturday: 1 p.m.
Team Records           Towson (0-0)
                                    East Carolina (0-0)
                                    Furman (0-0)
                                    Norfolk State (0-0)
Stream                        ESPN+ (For only ECU game)
Series                         Towson Leads Norfolk State 1-0
                                    Towson Leads East Carolina 2-0
                                    Towson Leads Furman 1-0      

First Serve
The Towson University Tigers kick off their 2022 campaign at the Pirate Invitational this weekend against East Carolina, Furman, and Norfolk State. The Tigers look to defend their third consecutive CAA Championship and secure another NCAA Tournament bid this season. 

Scouting the Reigning Tigers
Towson is coming off its their third-straight CAA title after going 12-4 in the conference last season and defeating Elon 3-2 in the championship. The three-time champs return three of their top four scorers from last season. Graduate student Fay Bakodimou led Towson the previous year in kills per set (2.74), points per set (3.58) and service aces (61). Senior Lydia Wiers led the Tigers in hit percentage (.348) and blocks (138), while junior Nina Cajic ranked third on the team in hit percentage (.339), kills per set (2.29) and points per set (3.12). Bakodimou, Wiers and Cajoc were all named to the 2022 CAA Preseason Volleyball Team. The Tigers led the CAA last year in blocks per set (2.64), opponent hitting percentage (.137) and team total blocks (304).

Fresh Faces
Towson brings in nine new faces this year: Erin Brothers, Trinity Burge (Radford), Sydney Stewart, Victoria Barrett (New Mexico State), Sarah Jordan, Kerra Trimble (Southern Idaho), Amiyah De'Long (Stony Brook), Maya Scott (New Orleanes) and Jas Purakal.                                                                                                                                                                  

Towson-Norfolk State By the Numbers
All-Time Series Record Towson Leads 1-0
at Towson, Towson 1-0
at Norfolk State n/a
at Neutral Sites n/a
at Unknown Sites n/a
First Meeting Sep. 11, 2021 (Towson 3-0)
Streak Towson +1

Towson-East Carolina By the Numbers
All-Time Series Record Towson Leads 2-0
at Towson, Towson 1-0
at East Carolina n/a
at Neutral Sites, Towson 1-0
at Unknown Sites n/a
First Meeting 1995 (Towson 3-0)
Last Meeting Sept. 1, 1996
Towson 3, East Carolina 0
Streak Towson +2

Towson-Furman By the Numbers
All-Time Series Record Towson Leads 1-0
at Towson n/a
at Furman n/a
at Neutral Sites Towson 1-0
at Unknown Sites n/a
First Meeting Sept. 8, 2012 (Towson 3-1)
Streak Towson +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 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. #15 Penn State | Dec. 3, 2021 | Pittsburgh, Pa. | Peterson Events Center
The Tigers gave the Nittany Lions a fierce competition in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, taking the second set and falling 3-1. Towson scored 20 or more points in the last three sets, including leading during those three sets. Nina Cajic led the Tigers with 10 kills, hitting .333, and registered seven digs. Irbe Lazda added nine kills and a pair of blocks while libero Rachel Hess had 17 digs. 

With a Win on Friday, Towson Would...
- Win its season opener for a fourth-straight season.
- Win its fourth straight regular season match, dating back to Nov. 7, 2019, against James Madison.
-Win their fifth straight regular season tournament opener. 
-Remain undefeated against Norfolk State all-time.                                                                                                              

Returning to the Court
- Towson will be returning nine players from last year's team.
- The Tigers' experience from last year is a combined 594 sets played, including Lydia Wiers, Rachel Hess, and Fay Bakodimou who totaled 342 sets.
- The 19 current members of the program have played in 1,527 total collegiate sets across their respective careers.

Back-to-Back-to-Back Champs
- The Tigers remain as the reigning champions of the league, winning their third-straight CAA title.
-Last year sweeping Delaware in the semifinals and defeating Elon 3-2 in the 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 an 88-25 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: 12-4 | 2021: 2-0 | 2019: 16-0 | 2018: 10-6 | 2017: 12-4 | 2016: 10-6 | 2015: 12-4 | Total: 88-25 (.779)

Climbing the Charts 
- Now in his 21st season as an NCAA volleyball head coach, Coach Don Metil has amassed 422 wins.
- Metil is 422-204 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: 192-74
- Metil is second all-time in wins at Towson University, with 192 wins closing in on 200 wins here.
- Cathy Cain: 201-143 (1989-98) | Don Metil: 192-74 (2013-Pres.) | Chris Riley: 144-54 (2000-05)

Protect this House
- Since moving into SECU Arena full time in 2013, Towson has racked up an impressive 85-24 (.780) 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 2020 season.
- The Tigers finished last season with a 17-4 record at SECU Arena.
- Towson has won seven straight at home since October 3rd.

Scouting Report
- Norfolk State is coming off an 8-18 record, going 4-10 in the MEAC. The Spartans lost to Coppin State in the first round of the MEAC Tournament 3-0. Norfolk State was predicted to finish in fifth place in the MEAC Preseason Poll and received one first-place vote. The Spartans returned two of their top scorers, including their top player, Shonte Seale, who totaled 281 points.
- Last year, East Carolina had a 9-20 overall record with a 5-15 mark in the American last year. The Pirates lost their top four offensive players from last season, with Sophia Kruczko returning as their top scorer with 141 points. East Carolina brings back their libero Tia Shum, who led the team in digs per set with 3.86. In the American Preseason Poll, the Pirates were picked to finish in ninth place.
- Furman finished the 2021 season with a 9-20 overall record and a 2-10 conference record. The Paladins advanced to the SoCon semifinals after beating Chattanooga 3-2 in the first round and upsetting the #1 seed Mercer 3-1 before falling to Wofford 3-1. Furman brings back 11 players, including its libero Andrea Aceveda, who led the team in digs per set at 4.44. Furman was picked to finish in eighth place in the SoCon Preseason Poll.