When           Saturday, Sept. 21 – 6 p.m.
                    Sunday, Sept. 22 – 2 p.m.
Where          TU Arena | Towson, Md.
Stream         FloVolleyball
Series          Towson leads William & Mary 38-10
 
TOWSON, Md. – The Towson University Tigers volleyball team opens Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) play this weekend with two matches against the William & Mary Tribe at TU Arena.
 
First serve in match one is set for Saturday, Sept. 21 at 6 p.m. The second match is scheduled for Sunday at 2 p.m.
 
LAST WEEK'S RECAP
Towson closed its non-conference schedule with the Tiger Invitational last weekend at TU Arena. The Tigers defeated Loyola in four sets, Coppin State in a sweep and Seton Hall in another four-set victory.
 
Outside hitter Victoria Barrett was named the Tiger Invitational MVP while libero Sydney Stewart and middle blocker Ylenia De Mango each received All-Tournament accolades for their weekend performances.
 
De Mango earned CAA Defensive Player of the Week honors following her strong outing. The senior totaled 21 blocks over the three matches, bringing her season total to 48.0, which is second in the league and tied for 21st in Division I. De Mango added 13 errorless kills against Seton Hall.
 
SCOUTING THE TIGERS
Towson went on its first road trip of the 2024 season to Halton Arena for the Charlotte Invitational in the second week of the season. The Tigers faced Delaware State, Tennessee Tech and Charlotte. Towson split its two matches on Friday, beating the Hornets in straight sets before falling to the Golden Eagles in five sets in the afternoon. The Tigers are the first team to win a single set over Tennessee Tech this season and held a 12-8 advantage in set 5 before falling 17-15 in the deciding frame. The Tigers redeemed themselves on Saturday with a three-set sweep vs. the hosting 49ers to close the weekend.
 
Outside hitter Zyare Abdul-Rahim and libero Sydney Stewart each earned All-Tournament recognition for their performances. Abdul-Rahim finished the weekend hitting .271 with 27 kills and three total blocks. Stewart totaled 47 digs and 13 assists, adding seven service aces to bring her season total to 16.
 
Towson University outside hitter Victoria Barrett led the way for the Black & Gold in the opening weekend with a double-double in the opening match vs. Saint Francis (20 kills, 16 digs) and double-digit kill totals (20, 16, 11, 14) in all four to begin the year. Against Lehigh on Saturday night, four Tigers accumulated double-digit kills (Nakai - 19, Barrett - 11, De Mango - 10, Callender - 10).
  
Towson entered the 2024 season as the preseason favorite in the Coastal Athletic Association. The Tigers bring back nine returners from last season's 24-6 run, including two-time All-CAA first team selection and 2022 American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-America honorable mention Victoria Barrett.
Barrett was voted as the CAA Preseason Player of the Year and a preseason first team All-CAA selection after totaling a career-high 354 kills last season, averaging 3.34 kills/set, the fourth-best mark in the league. Barrett notched double-digit kills in 20 of 30 matches played.
 
Junior middle blocker Erin Brothers and junior defensive specialist/libero Sydney Stewart each garnered All-CAA honorable mention accolades in the preseason poll as well. Brothers ranked fourth in the CAA in blocks/set in 2023, averaging 0.99. Stewart averaged 4.22 digs/set a season ago, planting her third in the league. Stewart totaled double-digit digs in 24 of 28 matches played.
 
The 2024 roster features 15 newcomers, including six freshman and nine transfers. Highlighting the group is transfer Sarah Callender from William & Mary, Belmont transfer Izzy Schauer, and freshmen outside hitter Ava Nakai and setter Kaitlyn Moran.
 
SCOUTING THE TRIBE
The Tribe enter CAA play with a 4-5 record in the non-conference slate. They have wins over UTSA, Quinnipiac, George Mason and USC Upstate. William & Mary was picked to finish ninth in the CAA preseason poll with middle blocker Olivia Esposito the team's lone preseason All-CAA selection.
 
COLLECTING HONORS
CAA Preseason Player of the Year Victoria Barrett was named the CAA Co-Offensive Player of the Week on Sept. 2 after the opening weekend. The senior amassed 61 kills on a .355 hitting percentage. She opened the season with a double-double against Saint Francis and totaled double-digit kills in all four matches of the weekend.
 
In the third week of play, Ylenia De Mango was named the CAA Defensive Player of the Week after 21.0 blocks across three matches. The senior posted 1.91 blocks/set and 3.05 points/per set during the Tigers' perfect 3-0 weekend.
 
LEADING THE AMBUSH
Outside hitter Victoria Barrett stands second in the CAA with 139 kills through ten matches (38 sets). The Virginian is tied for 38th in the Division I with that total. Among points leaders in Division I, Barrett ranks 22nd nationally with 169.5.
 
Middle blocker Ylenia De Mango is second among league leaders in the CAA in blocks with 48.0. That total puts her 21st among all players in Division I.
 
Libero Sydney Stewart leads the league with 23 service aces and is tied for fourth among national leaders in the category. Her 0.61 aces/set average is 23rd in all of Division I.
 
AMONG THE NATION'S BEST
The Black & Gold stand among the best in Division I in multiple team categories. The Tigers' 80 total aces stand seventh in the country and their 2.11 aces/set average is 19th. Towson has also held opponents to a .141 hitting percentage, which is 14th among NCAA leaders. The Tiger defense's 97.0 team blocks are tied for 18th in the country, with their 2.55 blocks/set standing 45th. At 9-1 through three weeks, Towson's win-loss percentage is .900, which is tied for 14th in the nation.
 
PLAY THE HITS
Towson holds the top hitting percentage in the conference after the opening weekend of play with a .250 clip. The next closest team is Elon at .222. The Tigers stand third in the league with 462 total kills through 38 sets played. Elon and Stony Brook stand ahead of the Tigers with 520 in 42 sets and 491 through 38 sets respectively.
 
PROTECT THIS HOUSE
- Since moving into TU Arena full-time in 2013, Towson has racked up an impressive 119-27 (.815) overall record at home.
- The Tigers have seven seasons with double-digit wins, including a perfect 16-0 mark in 2022 and a 17-1 mark in 2021.
- Dating back to 2019, the Black & Gold have amassed a 66-5 (.930) record in the arena.
- Towson went 3-0 at home in the shortened 2020 season (played in spring of 2021).
- The Tigers finished 2019 with a 12-1 overall mark at SECU Arena, with an 8-0 mark in the CAA.
- The Tigers finished 2018 strong at home with a three-match win streak.
 
A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN
-Since 2015, Towson has been one of the top teams in the CAA. The Tigers have recorded a 103-27 record in league play since then, including a record-setting 16-0 mark in 2019.
-Towson finished conference play at 14-2 last season, including their first three-set loss in league play since 2018.
-The Black & Gold finished with a 15-1 mark two seasons ago, going a perfect 8-0 at home.            
-Three years ago, The Tigers went 12-4 and never got swept.
2023: 14-2 | 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 | Total: 103-27 (.792)
 
TOP OF THE CHARTS
- Now in his 23rd season as an NCAA volleyball head coach, Coach Don Metil has amassed 484 wins.
- Metil is 484-213 all-time (.694) 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: 254-83
- Metil passed Cathy Cain as the all-time wins leader after knocking off #7 Pittsburgh on Sept. 10th, 2022.
- Don Metil: 254-83 (2013-Pres.) | Cathy Cain: 201-143 (1989-98) | Chris Riley: 144-54 (2000-05)
 
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".